


h o * <ie *6£0 4S V' 0 

*•■•• y °*. *•■'• '° 

V* •:•»-. CK 

° x?* A « 

° 9^ o 



’ a° v-a?* v V^’*’*° V* 

C* <$>■ .«, **V. a'®’ > 


k A ^ 

^ * 

., 77 ^'\'-J^K* ; /% \ 

•» <y 

. O V 

.0 <7*. * ^ILk^^v, * -1 O 

° %<V 



f »* y 3 y 

V 7 


I *» 


? * rv ^ * ^^hAxvvs^ ' tv v 

* r\J d* * * <i r 

V *°«°° ^ 

*> v % * 

.A A. *■ „ 




W 

* 7 % 

v <■..■'&* ^ -^ T;T ,. . 

< < k 0 t / « 0^ c 0 N G * ^Q 4 ^ 

S* * /v?*df ^ Cr # 6 r^v % 1^ 

,. -ov* :i|f§&- -W .“TiSsJ; -^o p . 

?; jp-^ *.€*£>« a°* "^MS: *9-** - 

, '«—.■>* cP % *y o. * -**■ J 

V " 1 ^° >. 5 "° / 

v> V »’*°* c\. <7 s='*% v- v - * • 

« A^ »>,VA 0 ^ cV /-/Sjfel'. <7 A^ 

^ V *V <A*'V A V *V ° 

~ 7> °,VW' A V 7, V^jiSv V ^ * 

V *'77* a <7 '°.v v ^ 

„ ^ ,.,«<? n v 0 N c 

JD- t /V?^, -r T r G~ .'Lr^V «• O ,-Jv t° ^ f U „°_<^ C 

.N ♦ ^dl///t^ -. "T-k >. v cNnvAV ^* \\ * <&({i/A?2S '? r ^ >. ^ 

w o> < K J^llf/ydd^ * J^sSS^Ml^fe. ok ^ dF(l//dd^> * ^ 


“WM\W S <^ J O ® t SvT* J 

r* * <y a$ ° 

<> 'o.** ,0^ % A 0^ \5 ' 

<S> o^ o 0 " 0 ^ ^o . L - . <^. 0 V o N „ *t* 

T -J- 0 * A^Vvw.v'" O ‘1/)*,’ -T *C_ C V .V^v ■ 



* A v ♦, 

: vv • i 


A> 


’/ V^-‘«.° V"— a \/ ° 

V «.''*«. c\ <9 «,*••, V- \> 

^ :MA°. ,9^ 



t * o 


« t' ® ^ 


«* ^ ^ /< 

: * 4w/^t 

** aV’V 

aO^ V "•'TVT* A 
,o^ c, %> ^y 
C **«^SW- ° ST S 

A 



^ *“ A 

° 0v V * rfO 

: ^ 

» c,9 

S,v- * «? . 

?- 4 ^ \ ^ 
c (y »«!% 

^ a° ° 

- v* 0^ 

,H O 


>* V> 0c V *" ’ ’ A 0 
Y * cv .9 

* /y S 



^ * o M O 0 ^ o " * / 1 * ’ ^0° o N 0 0 ^ °0 ' * T7i * ’ a0 

7> *»•«. c\ ,9 V ,vV^ 7> \> „*«o, ^ ^ 

r$^ <V^ ^rCCv^l^A ^ AV ♦ 

; ; V^ 7p9 S 

•S ^ “ " ‘ ’ ' 



A? 

AV * 

* \\ ♦ , 

: *bv* ^ o' : 

- < rZ / /IVJf ' ' r '7. °^8!jil^>> o ^ 

yfair&S o / o 

' 1 “ ^° V •o«o<» o * 

*1*°' C' a9~ *l^L% ^ A 

f\^<^A m „ y O v AjP' ^ 

t* .fA A» ° x<V cfo- 



O' 






y '° 

o 

«■ ^ 


^ ! 
9 fiKul/ 

o j§s^H: 

Hk’ ^ 


0^ c ° N ° + ^c 

0 * c^5v\Vv 




S) * \P v* 1 ) ° 

♦ rv -£» ^ '%'U\VC\>5 i ' Cv 

A 3 PV ^ <^A ^ • «n r 

cy <9 V ,Vv> 7> v' 

° ^ A- ^ • & - 

o ^P 





r\ 


* ° 4 “v ° 

o -o, 

# t ^ ® ^ /^> Q H Q t ^* 


< A 0 L / O 

a» J-LyrttZ t ^ 
o > • ,§yiHzW^ ^ ^ 0 V 


.v^ ° 

^ ^ °»- 

' . . S s A\ <. 'o . k » 

a N a y r'7_ A ^ , i « v7 

^ O A v a w ® /s » 

' % ° a* Stf/rtzi: % 

.XW0i>- '+ 4 


" <$>> 4j ► 

• rf* A V ♦ r 

- V\ v • ^ 








V 


Z v7 * ^ 







o > 

\0 ^ ^ o 

_ ^yy/lP<0 * r\ ^y. * \ v a. 

8 ' 1 A 0 V *»»»’ / O 

,9 V s 5 '*^ y A v 

T, aT^ * ^ 

<^o .9^ 

* /'V ; . 

• A A '* 

<7 ^ 




V 



^ -’ ^°" 

C\ a 9 *L7Lf* 7> V % „» * o„ 

\. >* .‘jfe.-. ^ ^ . Wa 

vP ^ ° ^ <<' ,, V ^ ^AV^W/ 




■ 0 ^ *± A 

^ r 0^ 0 °" G ^ y a^A 

,v ^ « c '’<^v y ^ - 

* K V tf. 

^ O 

p* ^ o N o 0 aT 


f; yy - 

\* V •& 


<1* V* 

• ^ A? A 

^ .*i 


9 


^ o'H/ J!^\F 4 «9 o' “. 

<> <7 'o,^ 0 V ^o * • 

J? .i*.. >. 

^ ♦CW* y C° & 

-r < ^ K ” y f“> 9 



^ •* 

A^ V .<•'*♦ '<^ A 

* ^xxw^ ° a^ y 

O O' ^O K ^f///vxv ■» 

o - / °^ 9° 7^ - 

\V -V < ' 8 ' 1 '’ ^° %> **o N o°* ^ 

V P Y »^ C\ «9~ s s **^ 7> V .»*o ^rw ^ 

- :mMmi o ^!m: yy 

IlflSv ^ ^ y 

’■'••«* .V s " <7 <0^ ^b "♦7 

°o /,:y, ^ ^ 

</> 




o w c 


















> O ^falr&s o "V 

\v °-*. *•■'• >° v * 

v <AV°- O 

* 


l* 







• \0y 

> k\~ " «• ^zzy/iVjg ? ^ * c 

9 rv ^ •* '•nst-* * ^L»- O * ^^tAs 3 _ 0 

* ' 1 ^° V *»«o’ / * * ' 1 * A 0 

^ V* *I\°' A .9 

^ 1 <■> ^ ^ * C. .S „ * ^. aT> 

“ r$» nV *i( 0 CW/H , 0 ^ A* * 

^ V «lV ^ V % oW* «? 'V 0 

v <► ’'A*- A Vs ♦<7*7*' A <* •-r.T* .O'" Vs. 

4 & \. i s "&. pv * o N <» « tig t£ rv ► 

A - '* ,CW- ^ C U •Ir^ts. * °0 *°/>^% + 

<N * J&nf//y^ -* ^ . v ^fivootv^* <N * j&di//7z>J ^ ^ 

:£mt^ - *+# y ov^ ; 

* ,0 

> 


\n ' 4 O > sV?^UlPif > • \0 rr^ 

^k° k v ^ ^ a#*. 

•V \-^7 < 

• •** ** *>¥a % \ ,C ' 

> ° Mis -6 A^ ^V<v o 

v> ♦7‘XT* A 


< 

^0 


y •* ,-v- r <4* “v^ijTOr » . ^ 

»* <G V \s *'T. S * A 

o° -C-sw ■& S*Jr> 

* « » 0 / ' M 



) -> %7^* o o ^ % 

*S ‘'"O' / % A 0 

v v % , - * <a <o v 
:» - 




> '?WB; ", 

v. *=ro’ .\v r % ■••’■’ V, *" 

a° *l'xL:* > v % .»*«- c\ sr , 5 ' • ^ 

A 4 * 0 %■ ^ *JMM ' 

.r\C k *' o x^DUBUUU^x •" > o CVAV^W// 


° ^ * SIB * ^ * (A'WA, 0 -< ^ & * * 

° A^'^v- o -* « aV^> • <L^ 

* A v oV/Mv* 4/ ^v o ^lill^A v A v v". IV/MW* <*? 

,V7 o A *o. >* Ay A ^« s A <^ "ooA A 0^ O^ 

0^ 0 N G 4 ^O A^ * 1 1 ° + < ^\<s 0^ o ° N ° -t ^O 4& # L / 6 „ <$ 

^ % ° A SjmflTZ*:^ T. . c . # c*sS5W% ° ^ 






y * 



.0 ^ 9 < O > * ,0 ^ ^ 

__ . . . jt . /i. »r> ^MlVvsV ' Ny' '&y/Ir<$ ^ r» ^-* ^ 

°-j- 0 ’• ■ ’' 0 ^ ,.., ^"•*° v \^ ,. o r \'“"' J 1 * 

A 

^ A> r Oi o L L\N" ^ ^ ° 

« o A A 0 




<v * 

\ ^ v 





o *■ t ~^6 A/ ^ A O 

C O ^#,1* 4,0 

. - o, '^C' *V C, S 0 * f 

° Ak /A ^ 

' ^ n (A ♦ 

° °In V 



* ^ 




0 N « ^ 

G _ ^ CJ 




x°vv /io x°vv ao^ x°^ . 

A *y o O o % A o o \*W&s O o -v 

V *««o° ^ *»" 0 ’ / o **,,• f 0 V 

' ^ A /.A^A.% V <$> +. 

° v>™. - ' 

* A vJV ^ ^^nnfinnn^^ o *» A 

11 \K * °5> 

. ** « 0 V AS ^7Y S * 

- r\ * o » o ^ 

y^> U G _ _ * O' 

T ^ 





u 0^ 




y. v A s ^ A a > 

G° V °o 4^ ,*. * 

vx A 

As V 



A 'A 

A V’ « Y “°- 'cv <9 5 =“* % x> V » y * 0 

• % ^ *mi£\ ^ a *jfiifl^ ^ ^ ^ 

1 VV • ^iiV/ yL ° V 9 ° 1 Vv 

° . Y> 

* V A' J . 

A <". 'o 

"o A .>•'«« 

- s- 0 -^- •!&; t* 0 * ; . ,> ^W’-' i 0 ' 7 '.#- 

* y o_ ‘.^*r* .o \ -ymy a o 0 *.^5* o^ ■ 

^ ^ •-- v •■’ ^ 





*° A 


V. * * V. 7 %. ‘ ^-’>° 

* • * ^ A> V f ^ 0 

'• U ^ *>Va' A x > 
W • j,;jr/ ''- ~ c 

• A % 



■» ^P ^ 
I < ^ o' 


G v 



o 


A 

V 


s ° ♦ 




4 O 

<3? ^ 

S K v «■ 

* O 

0 oT> o * 

"> v % •"•* o. ,‘r 

' VX 



o 4\^ • > o ^ 

.^wjr, ■•' ''>'•,,^,•7 V •♦;...• v- 

v qV 0 0 N G + ^O • U ' 5 >t ' < ^ i 0*^ G ° N C ^ ^o 

\Vo« C r^te- %/ -•'*£’- -'^'' ° 


<y <y 




A 0 
A A 



- 

^ 0' ; “Xh^yr ^a' . ^ • 

* -vmssgo*'. <s5°^ 'ASMS' -^ //JUB * 

^ f°° 4 ^p *•>'•' A°° 

^> V % / t A‘ > V % c\ -A v 

VC •»« 


^ ^ o' 


L* ^ 


A v V- 

7 V 



^o V 

^° ^ - 

. 4.-W-A 0 ^ V — 0 . 

3, ‘./I' A 0 ® K ° A 

^ A .•••'. > v % 

. V A ^ •«■ • 

o ^rv C* > o 



^ v y A, 


o > . _ t _ 

% • <0 * 4 O 

/ A "> 11 ^.' / C 

A 0 <f> & o N o° <y 

A° *L^L> C V % 

^N <Jy &. ,<e> 

^ A 



w v :^Wk: vp^ 

c.^°A A Vv; V 

' v V> * V v V- 

v ' <4. *'° 

A v . >■'«, . 

Sae/r??^-' Vy G 


'c> 

• &«• \"'^'\0 <■ •• 

0° -CCl* ■<- .wa- 

.'.^CV- 'VS^,*. -^ n < •^™,. or . 

> • jO 

0c ^- * 1 ^°° ^ * 0 " 0 0 
\ V.«.*•.. . 

« 



V ^ 

* ^ A V * c{ 

: ^ 

A gP 

,_ ... . <p °a 

^ ■* ^«. v ^ ^__ 

• •* a %*->••• 

0 V G 0 N C <t 

— - O 4 

vy A 

V 




>: i° -u 

* r\ 


z •> 4.4^ 

^ ^ °Sv «> A -. 

A <C "o. »* <(y Vrs •‘’^ 

iv % . 1. I B ^ -<f> Q^ c o N ° 4 O 


^ ° A y *$* 

^ ' 







>0 V o O N O, ^o 


c\ 



V v 

<* °.^ 


<y ' 

• e <P k 

o 

i y 

K> 2 -A ^ 

♦ J^/rV 

N mTI // 




O •> b 


^ 0^ 





Ay <$>. o N o 

^ . O • , ^ 4 1 

CV A.V * Aw * ^ V 

Ay ^ 

. ■*- 

» aVA • 

" V <f* 


y « 


• a 


y A A 

r c 0 M G * O 4y^ 


<" 



















































Cfje 

Rational Cpclopebta 

of 

®J)E Coloreb &ate 


Editor-in-Chief 

CLEMENT RICHARDSON 

President of Lincoln Institute 
Jefferson City, Mo. 


ASSOCIATE EDITORS 

Dr. C. V. ROMAN, Nashville, Tenn. 

Professor of Meharry Medical College. 

W. T. B. WILLIAMS, Hampton Institute, Va. 

Field Agent of the Jeannes and Slater Funds. 

H. M. MINTON,^M. D., Philadelphia, Pa. 

Board of Directors Mercy Hospital. 

SILAS X. FLOYD. Augusta, Ga. 

Principal of City Schools. 

DR. R. E. JONES, New Orleans, La. 

Editor of South Western Christian Advocate 

DR. A. F. OWENS, Selma, Ala. 

Dean of Theological Dept. Selma University. 

FRED MOORE, New York City. 

Editor New York Age. 


ADVISORY BOARD 

EMMETT J. SCOTT, Chairman, 

Secretary of Tuskegee Institute, Tusk 
Institute, Ala. 

N. B. YOUNG, Tallahassee, Fla. 

President of A. and M. College. 

DR. J. W. E. BOWEN, Atlanta, Ga. 

Dean of Gammon Theological Seminary 

J. R. E. LEE, Kansas City, Mo. 

Principal of Lincoln High School. 

). S. CLARK, Baton Route, La. 

President of Southern University. 

DR. M. W. DOGAN, Marshall, Texas. 
President of Wiley University. 


Volume One 


NATIONAL PUBLISHING COMPANY, Inc. 

PUBLISHERS 

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA 


COPYRIGHT 1919 
NATIONAL PUBLISHING CO., Inc. 
MONTGOMERY, ALA. 


OCT -6 1919 


©CU535133 

Recorded 


V 


''AKA to OH r'MbW 


o/v ■; 




BOOKER TALIAFERRO WASHINGTON, M. A. LL. D, 
























































Foreword 

OR the past 20 years Negroes have been coming to the front so 
rapidly that to list all whose names should appear in a work of 
this kind would, I know, be impossible. As it is true of names 
and biographies, so is it true of the general data concerning the Negro 
race. Almost daily something happens or some new development in 
the race records itself as monumental and historical. All of this, I 
know the Editors cannot record; yet I am thoroughly convinced, from, 
what I have seen of the Cyclopedia of the Colored Race, that this 
book will be of inestimable good to both the white people and the black 
people of America. 

It will be of service to the white people because it is the one work 
which gives a comprehensive knowledge of the Negro race, past and 
present. 

It will be of great service to the Negro for two reasons. In the 
first place it will be an advocate pleading his cause by setting forth 
his achievements under the most trying circumstances. It will show 
to the world that the American Negro is worthy not only of what he 
has achieved, but of an open door to much greater achievements and 
much kindlier treatment. 

In the second place it will teach the Negro more about himself. 
No Race, white or black, can get very far as a race or as individuals 
without a goodly amount of self-respect and race pride. Every 
biography, the story of every kind of property ownership, of a bank 
or store, owned and operated properly, will be a source of great inspi¬ 
ration to Negroes old and young. Were there no other reason, this 
one of valuable racial inspiration would more than justify the hard 
labor and careful thought that the publishers and editors have put 
into this work. 

Finally the public can rely upon the honesty and integrity of the 
men whose names appear as editors of the Cyclopedia. Here and 
there these men may err in fact, but in principle I do not believe there 
is a man on the list who can be doubted. I know all of them per¬ 
sonally, a good many of them intimately. The editor in chief, Mr. 
Clement Richardson, his chief advisor Mr. E. J. Scott, Mr. J. R. E. 
Eee, Mr. N. B. Young, are all imen who have rendered years of most 
valuable services on the staff at Tuskegee Institute. 

I commend this book highly to all Americans, with the hope that 
a perusal of it will bring a better understanding and a warmer spirit 
of friendship and inspiration, to both races. 




)>- 



Principal Tuskegee Institute 







* 
















PREFACE 


Cyclopedia of the Negro race 
should, it seems to me, have 
two purposes—to inform and 
to inspire. The ordinary work 
of the kind has merely the task 
to inform. The inspiration 
story, the tale of struggle and achievement, is 
attended to by the daily paper, the magazine, 
the technical journal and the photographer. 
But the only sure hope that the black Ameri¬ 
can can entertain for immediate notice comes 
through committing crime. The black man 
who assails a hen roost, one who perpetrates a 
blind tiger or commits even more revolting 
crimes is pretty certain of a big headline and 
several pages in the daily news, while he who 
pays his taxes, supports his family and lays 
away a few shekels or invests in land, houses 
or brain power, passes on unheralded. 

Let the task of this work be to inform of 
the good deeds. Rapidly the Negro himself is 
casting out the discriminating hook, with the 
label, “Who is he?” written in pretty bold let¬ 
ters. Good deeds, a life of service, have come 
to be a passport required among groups of col¬ 
ored Americans as well as among groups of 
other people. 

We have still also our weakness toward 
education. We like the diploma on the wall, 
the cap and gown, the enriching memories of 
college days. He, therefore, who would make 
his place in various groups must carry the 
stamp of merit in cultivation of intellect, in the 
acquisition of wealth, in deeds of good for the 
betterment of his people. 

Therein does the Clyclopedia hope to fill 
what assuredly appears to be a crying need. 
Negroes over the country do not know one an¬ 
other, neither do the white Americans know 
what their darker countrymen are doing to 
make a stronger and nobler race and to make 
of all wholesome citizens. 

As a rule, however, we cannot accomplish 
the end of this undertaking by cataloging a 
few dry, abstract facts. Thus to set down 
“John Smith, born 1884, proprietor of a drug 
store, candidate for Grand Secretary of K. 
P.” and so on, would not, though thoroughly 
informing, give all that we want the Negro 
school boy and the Negro school girl to find 



vhen they go to search for our names in the 
Cyclopedia. We want them to look there, 
both young and old, to find a brief succinct 
story,—one that while it informs, gives some 
measure of the man, some measure of the char¬ 
acter he developed while becoming the pro¬ 
prietor of a drug store, or candidate for Grand 
Secretary. Here is the editor of a Negro pa¬ 
per. How did he get his education in gen¬ 
eral? How did he get his particular training 
for the craft? How many nights, as Horace 
Greely put it, did he “sleep on paper and eat 
ink”—or support his family on unpaid sub¬ 
scriptions? In other words, we want the Ne¬ 
gro boy to feel inspired, to come away with a 
thrill: we want the older Negro to feel that 
he is among a great galaxy of black folk, great 
because of character, of education, of good¬ 
ness. 

Thanks to the breaking of a new day, we 
now have a great many friends who are gen¬ 
uinely interested in our progress. They want 
to see what the black folks have done; to see 
the fruit of their labor on the one hand and to 
uphold the black man’s cause to those who still 
doubt, or who alas! simply do not know. 

As we feel about the person so we feel about 
the organization, the institution. Here is a 
big Negro church whose night classes, rest 
rooms and the like owe their existence to the 
poor mothers who sweat over the wash tub: A 
Negro school whose first master likely as not 
taught in the rain, or waded through water 
and mud to reach his classes. Here again k 
a Negro bank, whose first president begged 
deposits from door to door: A big Negro far¬ 
mer and land owner, who once grubbed his 
soil or chopped wood by the light of a pine 
torch: a Negro publisher who once was class¬ 
ed a little above a tramp: A Negro insurance 
man, who was once a cook: A big Negro physi¬ 
cian who came from the farm or from the 
ranks of the hotel waiters. It is this we would 
chronicle, not of course that it may be known 
merely, but that there may be more and bet¬ 
ter banks, holier churches, finer schools, big¬ 
ger farmers, a larger number forging forward 
from the ranks typifying the best in the race. 

To have undertaken a task of this kind was, 
in the eyes of many, to pursue a course of rash- 






ness, if not madness. The territory, it was 
thought, was far too wide. The task of se¬ 
lecting and rejecting was too nice and too haz¬ 
ardous. To do even a reasonable amount of 
justice to all deserving persons was impossible. 
And so why risk so much? 

Now, the remarkable feature of all this is, 
that those who made these objections were cor¬ 
rect. Indeed, each point in itself is sufficient 
to retard one from undertaking the task. Yet, 
there was, and is, at least an equal weight on 
the side that here is an opportunity to render 
good service, service of help on the one hand 
and of enlightenment on the other. To sit by 
and let slip so fair an occasion merely because 
of fear per se, or because of fear of failure 
seemed as criminal as to try and even fail. 

The men whose lives are here sketched, the 
Institutions and Organizations here represent¬ 
ed, by no means exhaust the list. In fact, some 
of the most thrilling tales of struggle and con¬ 
quest of both men and Organizations are, for 
one reason or another, not here at all. It is 
doubtful, in manjr instances, if they can be se¬ 
cured. Indifference to fame, a shrinking 
from publicity, intense engagement in one kind 
of work or another, all conspire to with-hold 
the desired information from the public. 

The Editor has drawn freely from the writ¬ 
ings of others. Just what particular work he 
is most indebted to, he is at a loss to say. He 
has consulted most printed matter on Negroes. 
He is therefore grateful to Negro Magazine 
Editors, Negro News Paper Editors, and to 
all Authors of books bearing on Negro people. 
If there has been any purloining, such has not 
been done through any wish to arrogate knowl¬ 
edge or talent, but with the full desire, border¬ 
ing, it is hoped, upon enthusiasm, to send 
abroad the good news and glad tidings that the 
people for whom so many good tempers have 


been spoiled, and for whom so much blood has 
been shed, are not being redeemed in vain. 

One of the happiest phases of the endeavor, 
both to the publishers and to the Editor, has 
been the quick and hearty response accorded 
by the leading Negroes and those White peo¬ 
ple interested in Negroes throughout the 
country. This was particularly true of pro¬ 
fessional and thinking men of the race; 
of the Ministers, of the Doctors, of the 
Editors, and of up-lift workers. So numerous 
are these that to name them is impossible. 
Again, the leading schools for Negroes, wheth¬ 
er in the hands of Colored people or White, 
have given an encouragement, without which 
the work could hardly have progressed. Tus- 
kegee, Fisk, Spelman, and scores of other such 
Institutions gave their backing in every sense 
unreservedly. 

Two men must be spoken of, else this Cy¬ 
clopedia had not been—Dr. It. It. Moton and 
Hon. Emett J. Scott. The former was com¬ 
ing into the principalship of Tuskegee Insti¬ 
tute at the inception of this work. Without 
question, without hesitation, he not only gave 
his endorsement, but took the occasion when¬ 
ever approached to commend the undertaking, 
an act wholly in keeping with the known gen¬ 
erous traits of Dr. Moton. Upon the latter 
should have devolved the editing of this work. 
While he occupies the place of Chairman of 
the Advisory Board, Mr. Scott is, as a matter 
of fact, in many ways the Cyclopedia’s spon¬ 
sor. His exceeding wide contact, his host of 
warm personal friends everywhere, made for 
the Editor and the Publishers a rose covered 
path, which might otherwise have been one 
strewn with gravel, if not with thorns. 
CLEMENT RICHARDSON, 

Lincoln Institute, 

Jefferson City, Mo., Nov. 15th, 1918. 


Booker Taliaferro Washington, M. A. LL. D. 



OOKER T. WASHINGTON, a 
model of efficiency, was born 
a slave—but he lived to absorb 
so much of the white man’s 
civilization that he taught not 
only Negroes by a new method, 
but had his method adopted by white men 
as well. Dr. Washington attended Hampton 
Institute, earning his way as he went. In¬ 
deed all that Dr. Washington had as a start for 
his most remarkable career, was a determination 
to better himself and his people. He lived to 
found and serve till it was fully established with 
no possible chance of failure, the largest institution 
for Negroes in the world—Tuskegee Institute. 
This school has become a model for schools in all 
parts of the world. Dr. Washington also founded 
the National Negro Business League, The Inter¬ 
national Race Congress, and was instrumental in 
the founding of the Southern Education Board. 

He was honored by Harvard University with the 
degree of Master of Arts and was given the degree 


of LL. D. by Dartmouth. In addition to these he 
was given honary degrees by a number of the 
leading Eastern and Southern Colleges. This was 
done as a recognition of his work. Dr. Washing¬ 
ton never ceased to study, he studied at home, on 
the trains, on the long trips through the country. 
He was as close a student of books as he was of 
men. His judgments of men and things are brought 
out clearly in the many books and periodicals of 
which he is the author. 

Booker T. Washington who died at his home 
early Sunday morning, Nov. 14, 1915, was a big 
man out in the world; he was a bigger man at 
home among his teachers. The world knew him for 
his eloquence, his homely wit, his tact, his shrewd 
diplomacy. We knew him at home for his broad 
sympathies, for his kindness, his attention to little 
things, his infinite power of planning and work¬ 
ing. His two last acts, one abroad and one at 
home, are strikingly significant of his balanced 
life. His last act before the world was to make a 
journey to deliver an address. His last act at home 
was to repair an old board fence which he had un¬ 
wittingly ordered torn down. 

At home or abroad he was never too big for even 
the humblest man to approach. Indeed he had a 
sort of craze for bringing together the rude illit¬ 
erate and the more cultivated members of his race. 
He liked to assemble the rude black farmer, the 
school teacher, the lawyer and the business man. 
He had a fondness for stopping the half illiterate 
preacher, for getting such in his office and looking 
into their minds. An oldtime mammy, or an old, old 


Negro farmer in his audiences seemed to inspire 
him more than the richest and most distinguished. 
He always rushed, as it were, into the arms of such 
at. the closing of his big meetings. Probably no 
single organization with which he ever had connec¬ 
tion gave him quite the genuine satisfaction he got 
from the Annual Farmers’ Conference. He de¬ 
lighted to banter these old fellows, to listen to 
their rude speeches and homely sayings. Many of 
his own stories and anecdotes sprang out of these 
meetings. 

But he was no mere stag acquaintance. He wel¬ 
comed all .such to his fireside, to his office, his pre¬ 
cious time, his helping hand, the mother protesting 
that her child did not make a class high enough, 
the student smarting under some misunderstanding 
with a teacher, the white banker or white farmer 
wishing to transact business—-all had free access 
to him. To be sure he kept a closed office, but this 
was to gain dispatch, not to exclude. It was no 
uncommon sight to find a vagrant Negro preacher, 
a distinguished visitor, a Negro farmer, a teacher 
or two, and a few students all waiting to see him. 

Reports say that the doctors wondered how he 
lived so long. The more is the marvel when one 
thinks of the burdens he bore. Having to raise 
thousands of dollars to provide food, heat, com¬ 
fortable lodgings for 1500 students, he neverthe¬ 
less kept his finger on the smallest details. Now he 
was dictating a letter asking for funds, the next 
moment he would be summoning a workman or 
dictating a note about the weeds in a plot of 
ground, about a hedge, or a broken window pane. 
One moment he would be dictating a speech for 
some national occasion, the next he would be ad¬ 
vising a means of disposing of “old Mollie,” one 
of the cows of the dairy herd, or “old Phil,” a lame 
mule. So it was with the eggs and chickens from 
the poultry yard, the sweet potatoes, the peaches, 
the corn, oats, pigs, the power plant, the lighting 
system, the way a new teacher was conducting a 
class in arithmetic or grammar. And this thing 
he kept up from day to day, whether he was in 
New York or Alabama. I myself have again and 
again, during the seven years in which I have had 
charge of the English work at Tuskegee Institute 
gotten notes making suggestions about a paragraph 
or a sentence in some student’s talk or commence¬ 
ment address. 

There was only one way under the sun he could 
do this. He regulated his life to the very second. 
He husbanded time most miserly, though he was 
prodigal with his energies. He had breakfasted 
and was out on horseback by 7 :30 (he fancied the 
big iron gray pacer). His hour’s ride was in a 


7 







sense recreative; in another sense, it was work: 
for he inspected the farm, the orchard, the shops, 
the school’s supplies, taking notes and giving di¬ 
rection. If he rode out into the country, he usually 
returned with suggestions about a torn-off blind 
on a Negro church or the neglected garden of a 
Negro schoolhouse. All the time he was stopping 
teachers and workmen by the way, giving them 
new tasks, requesting them to come to his office 
at a certain hour. 

By half past eight he was in his office. For a 
certain time he read and dictated letters. In the 
meantime the office boys were flying over the 
grounds and ringing the telephone bells, summon¬ 
ing Council members, the heads of departments, to 
a committee meeting, a meeting on the budget, on 
Commencement, on a new building, on the actions 
of a student or a teacher. Up to the last second 
he would keep his mind fixed on his reading or 
correspondence. He then took up the business in 
hand, dispensed with it and went back to an article 
on teaching or on Negro homes or Negro business. 
If he was slated to make a trip in a buggy or car 
he kept his work until the clock was on the second. 
Then he stepped into the conveyance and was gone. 
Woe unto him who brought a slow vehicle. Even 
so he would be at work. Between one stop and 
another on a speaking tour he would sketch a half 
dozen plans—for articles, for grading a lawn, for 
remodeling a building, for rendering somebody a 
service. Always and everywhere his plans incul¬ 
cated this—to serve somebody, to make somebody 
happier. It might be by giving a body something; 
it was most often by giving one something to do. 

This having things to hand, which to some minds, 
might appear at times extravagant was the very 
essence of his efficiency, as it is of any man’s effi¬ 
ciency. The change of clothing was usually ready 
to hand. He had push bells and telephones in his 
office, and push bells and telephones in his study 
at home. Wherever and whenever he went about 
the grounds an office boy, sometimes a stenograph¬ 
er, followed at his elbow to summon a workman or 
to take down a note on some weak point in work¬ 
manship. His pet diversion was hunting. In the 
fall he would frequently steal an hour and run out 
to the woods. To save time he kept a hunting out¬ 
fit, gun cartridges, etc., at his home and one at 
the work place of the young man who usually ac¬ 
companied him, so that whenever the hunting time 
came he would not loose an hour in getting ready. 
To some this would be extravagance. To one 
whose time is precious it is the highest economy. 

With this practice of having things to hand he 
coupled the habit of doing the thing then. His key 
word was “AT ONCE.” Alas! how often Tus- 

kegee teachers have seen that notice: Mr - 

will see the Principal “at once.” The engagement 


might not last one third the time it required you 
to walk to the office; but he attended to + he thing 
there. The errand boy gets the workman there. 
The stenographer took down the note on the spot. 
He went hunting then; he made his address then; 
he signed his letters then. Each minute in the 
day seemed to have been for him an individual par¬ 
ticle, to be dealt with and settled by the time the 
next one ticked around. For the last year or so 
he pushed this habit to the extreme, calling for 
teachers, workmen, council members, who were 
the advisory board, at midnight, at daybreak, ar 
the meal hour. Several times Mrs. Washington 
protested, seeking to restrain him. With the genius 
of premonition he would exclaim, “Let me alone. 
Let me do it now. I don’t know where I’ll be to¬ 
morrow.” 

Some local joker tells this story which, though 
likely enough untrue, illustrates this habit of at¬ 
tending to one thing at the moment. One after¬ 
noon in the fall while stealing his hour’s hunt he 
chanced to cross a part of the school’s farm in order 
to reach the woods. The name of the Director of 
the farming industries is Bridgeforth, that of the 
young man who went hunting with Dr. Washing¬ 
ton, Foster. Just as the Tuskegean and Foster en¬ 
tered the woods, a squirrel leaped from the ground 
and went scrambling up a tree. Quick as a spark 
Dr. Washington leveled his gun. At the same mo¬ 
ment some thought about improving the farm ev¬ 
idently flashed across his mind. Relaxing his gun 
the slightest bit, he turned to the young man and 
said: 

“Foster, get me Mr. Bridgeforth at once.” 

Probably few Americans, white or''black, have 
had a higher sense of duty than Booker T. Wash¬ 
ington. It mattered little who imposed the task 
or whether it was great or small, the thing was 
promised and must be done. Many of us here at 
Tuskegee feel that nothing but this sense of duty 
backed by a tremendous will, has kept him alive 
for the last few years. A year or so ago we were 
holding our Annual Armstrong Memorial exercises. 
Dr. Washington had said that he would speak at 
this exercise, as he always did when he was at 
home. Early in the afternoon of the appointed 
day he fell ill with a throbbing headache and his 
stomach in a turmoil. The doctor put him to bed 
and ordered him to remain there. At eight o’clock 
that night he appeared and made his address, 
though he collapsed in the ante-room immediately 
afterwards. 

Finally, just as he willed to do, to hold on, he 
could will to let go. 

He was great in big things and in little things ; 
great in the world and at home; but he was great¬ 
est in the assertion of his tremendous will. 


8 




FREDERICK DOUGLASS 

REDERICK DOUGLASS, Orator 
and Statesman, born a slave, rose 
to be one of the great men of his 
day, whose name will live in 
American history. He was born 
in Maryland, February 14, 1817. 
His name at first was Frederick Augustus Wash¬ 
ington Baily; he changed it, being hunted as a fu¬ 
gitive slave, to Douglass. He chose Douglass be¬ 
cause of his facination for this character as por¬ 
trayed by Sir Walter Scott, a character which the 
ex-slave in his grand manner much resembled. 

In his childhood he saw little of his mother, noth¬ 
ing of his father. The mother worked on a planta¬ 
tion twelve miles from her son and could only see 
him by making the journey on foot and after work 
time. Whatever training the boy received up to 
the age of eight, he received it from his grand¬ 
mother. 

At the age of eight years he was put under Aunt 
Katy, who was cruel, often depriving the little fel¬ 
low of food. On one occasion he went to bed so 
hungry that when all the household were asleep 
he rose and began to parch and eat corn. In the 
midst of the corn-parching, his mother came in, 


bringing a ginger cake, which made him feel that 
he was “somebody’s child.” This was the last time 
he saw his mother. 

Douglass was sent to Baltimore, where after a 
time he learned to read, being taught by his new 
mistress, Mrs. Auld. When the master discovered 
what the mistress had done, he set a watch over 
Douglass lest he should escape. This he finally did, 
though he was long sought after and had one time 
to go to England to avoid capture. He was finally 
bought and set free. 

He gave his life as a freedman to liberating his 
brethren and to improving the ex-slave condition 
after freedom came. He served during his life 
time as United States Marshall in the District of 
Columbia, as Recorder of Deeds in the District of 
Columbia, and as Consul General to the Republic 
of Hayti. He was the first Negro to hold these 
offices. He was much traveled and was admired as 
an orator and as a man wherever he went. 

A few of the sayings of Douglass follow: 

“Emancipation has liberated the land as well as 
the people.” 

“Neither the slave nor his master can abandon all 
at once the deeply entrenched errors and habits of 
centuries.” 

“There is no work that men are required to do, 
which they cannot better and more economically 
do with education than without it.” 

“Muscle is mighty but mind is mightier, and 
there is no field for the exercise of mind other than 
is found in the cultivation of the soul.” 

“As a race we have suffered from two very op¬ 
posite causes, disparagement on the one hand and 
undue praise on the other.” 

“An important question to be answered by evi¬ 
dence of our progress is : Whether the black man 
will prove a better master to himself than the white 
man was to him.” 

“Accumulate property. This may sound to you 
like a new gospel. No people can ever make any 
social and mental improvement whose exertions are 
limited. Poverty is our greatest calamity—On the 
other hand, property, money, if you please, will pro¬ 
duce for us the only condition upon which any peo¬ 
ple can rise to the dignity of genuine manhood.” 

“Without property there can be no leisure. With¬ 
out leisure there can be no invention, without in¬ 
vention there can be no progress.” 

“We can work and by this means we can retrieve 
all our losses.” 

“Knowledge, wisdom, culture, refinement, man¬ 
ners, are all founded on work and the wealth which 
work brings.” 

“In nine cases out of ten a man’s condition is 
worse by changing his location. You would better 
endeavor to remove the evil from your door than 
to move and leave it there.” 



g 













Alexander Dumas, Novelist and Play-wright 


HACKERY, the English Novelist, 
called Dumas “Alexander the 
Great.” Like Alexander Pushkin 
of Russia, the great French ro¬ 
mancer is the third descent from 
a Negro, only in this instance 
with the grandmother rather than 
the grandfather. Dumas’ grandfather, who was a 
marquis, married a Creole of Haiti. The author’s 
father was a dark giant of a man; one of the heroic 
generals of the army of Napoleon. 

The general married the daughter of an inn¬ 
keeper. From this union the novelist was born in 
1802. The father died while the son was four 
years old. Having but small means, Alexander 
soon found himself in Paris seeking his fortune. 
For a time he attached himself to the Duke of Or¬ 
leans as clerk. Like Voltaire, Hugo and many 
other French men of letters, Dumas sought to make 
his way as a play-wright. In this he succeeded 
modestly, having presented successfully, Henry III, 
Tower of Nelse and several other plays. But Du¬ 
mas’ claim to fame, a claim which he holds undis- 
putably, rests upon his romances, ’’The three Mus- 
kateers,” “The Count of Monte Cristo,” “Twenty 
Years After,” and scores of others. The critics call 
him, “Capriceius prolix, fertile puissant,” as having 
a “rare mind, rare attention, subtle spirit, quick 
comprehension.” 

The following is taken from his writings : 
FATALITY. 

Scarcely had D’Artagnan uttered these words 
than a ringing and sudden noise was heard resound¬ 
ing through the felucca, which now became dim in 
the obscurity of the night. 

“That, you may be sure,” said the Gascon, “means 
something.” 

They then, at the same instant, perceived a 
large lantern carried on a pole appear on the deck, 
defining the forms of shadows behind it. 

Suddenly a terrible cry, a cry of dispair, was 
wafted through the space, and as if the shrieks of 
anguish had driven away the clouds, the veil which 
hid the moon was cleared away, and the gray sails 
and dark shrouds of the felucca were plainly visi¬ 
ble beneath the silvery light. 

Shadows ran, as if bewildered, to and fro on the 
vessel, and mournful cries accompanied these delir¬ 
ious walkers. In the midst of these screams they 
saw Mordaunt upon the poop, with a torch in 
hand. 

The agitated figures, apparently wild with terror, 


consisted of Groslow, who, at the hour fixed by 
Mordaunt, had collected his men, and the sailors. 
Groslow, after having listened at the door of the 
cabin to hear if the musketeers were still asleep, 
had gone down into the cellar, convinced by their 
silence that they were all in a deep slumber. Then 
Mordaunt had run to the train—impetuous as a 
man who is excited by revenge and full of confi¬ 
dence—as are those whom God blinds—he had set 
fire to the wick of niter. 

All this while, Groslow and his men were assem¬ 
bled on the deck. 

“Haul up the cable, and draw the boat to us,” 
said Groslow. 

One of the sailors got down the side of the ship, 
seized the cable, and drew it—it came without the 
least resistance. 

“The cable is cut!” he cried, “no boat!” 

“How! no boat!” exclaimed Groslow; “it is im¬ 
possible.” 

“ ’Tis true, however,” answered the sailor; 
“there’s nothing in the wake of the ship, besides 
here’s the end of the cable.” 

“What’s the matter?” cried Mordaunt, who is 
coming up out of the hatchway, rushed to the 
stern, waving his torch. 

“Only that our enemies have escaped—they have 
cut the cord, and gone off with the boat.” 

Mordaunt bounded with one step to the cabin, 
and kicked open the door. 

“Empty!” he exclaimed; “the infernal demons !” 

“We must pursue them,” said Groslow; “they 
can’t be gone far, and we will sink them, passing- 
over them.” 

“Yes, but the fire,” ejaculated Mordaunt ; “I have 
lighted it.” 

“Ten thousand devils!” cried Groslow, rushing to 
the hatchway; “perhaps there is still time to save 
us.” 

Mordaunt answered only by a terrible laugh, 
threw his torch into the sea, and plunged in after 
it. The instant Groslow put his foot upon the 
hatchway steps, the ship opened like the crater of 
a volcano. A burst of flames rose toward the skies 
with an explosion like that of a hundred cannon; 
the air burned, ignited by flaming embers, then the 
frightful lightning disappeared, the brands sank, 
one after another, into the abyss, where they were 
extinguished, and, save for a slight vibration in the 
air, after a few minutes had lapsed, one would have 
thought that nothing had happened. 

Only—the felucca had disappeared from the sur¬ 
face of the sea, and Groslow and his three sailors 
were consumed. 



the line begins 


10 









Alexander Pushkin, Father of Russian Poetry 


LEXANDER PUSHKIN is called 
the “Russian Byron,” “demigod 
of Russian Verse,” “father of 
Russian poetry,” “the laureate of 

Czar Nicholas.” The Pushkins 

had long been about the rulers of 
Russia as cited by Alexander in “My Pedigree.” 
The first of the line the grandfather of the poet 
was an Abyssinian, who was stolen as a slave from 
Constantinople. The grandsire was not only 

adopted by Peter the Great, but given a title of 

nobility and rank of General. 

The poet was proud of his African blood,which 
asserted itself unmistably in the curl of his hair 


and the shape of his lips. He regarded himself as 
a drop of African blood on Arctic soil. He was 
born in 1799. During his childhood an old nurse be¬ 
guiled him with many legends and fables of Rus¬ 
sia. When he was twenty these legends brought 
forth fruit in his first great poem, “Ruslan and 
Liudmila.” His democratic ideas, which encouched 
in an “Ode to Liberty,” soon made him an exile 
from home and from Czar Nicholas I. However, 
the Czar loved the poet and speedily pardoned him. 
He died quite young, having written not only poet¬ 
ry that survives, but many prose tales. It is said 
that every youth in Russia knows his poetry by 
heart. 



MY PEDEGREE. 

IV. 66. 


With scorning laughter at a fellow writer, 
In a chorus the Russian scribes 
With name of aristocrat me chide: 

Just look, if please you. . . nonsense what! 
Court Coachman not I, nor assessor, 

Nor am I nobleman by cross; 

No academician, nor proffer, 

I’m simply of Russiana citizen. 

Well I know the times’ corruption, 

And surely, not gain say it shall I: 

Our nobility but recent is: 

The more recent it, the more noble ‘tis. 
But of humble races a chip, 

And, God be thanked, not alone 
Of ancient Lords am scion 1 ; 

Citizen I am, a citizen ! 

Not in cakes my grandsire traded, 

Not a prince was newly-baked he ; 

Not at church sang he in choir, 

Nor polished he the boots of 1 sar; 

Was not escaped a soldier he 
From the German powdered ranks ; 

How then aristocrat am I to be? 

God be thanked, I am but a citizen. 

My grandsire Radshaa in warlike service 
To Alexander Nefsky was attached, 

The Crowned Wrathful, Fourth Ivan, 

His descendents in his ire had spared. 
About the Tsars the Pushkins moved; 
And more than one acquired renoun, 
When against the poles battling was 
Of Nizhny Novgorod the citizen plain. 


When treason conquered was and falsehood, 
And the rage of storms of war, 

When the Romanoffs upon the throne 
The nation called by its Chart— 

We upon it laid our hands ; 

The martyr’s son then favored us; 

Time was, our race was prized, 

But I . . am but a citizen obscure. 

Our stubborn spirit us tricks has played; 
Most irrepressible of his race, 

With Peter my sire could not get on ; 

And for this was hung by him. 

Let his example a lesson be; 

Not contradiction loves a ruler. 

Not all can be Prince Dolgorukys, 

Happy only is the simple citizen. 

My grandfather, when the rebels rose 
In the palace of Peterhof, 

Like Munich, faithful he remained 
To the fallen Peter Third; 

To honor came then the Orloffs, 

But my sire into fortress, prison,— 

Quiet now was our stern race, 

And I was born merely—citizen. 

Beneath my crested seal 

The roll of family charts I’ve kept; 

Not running after magnates new, 

My pride of blood I have subdued ; 

I’m but an unknown singer 
Simply Pushkin, not Moussin, 

My strength is mine, not from court: 

I am a writer, a citizen. 


11 





PAUL LAWRENCE DUNBAR 

AUL LAWRENCE DUNBAR, 
Poet, is well known, as ought to 
be, to all Negroes. His songs in 
dialect and in plain English are 
known and quoted by all English 
speaking people. Many of the 
pieces have been set to music and are sung with 
remarkable pathos. “Poor Li’l Lamb,” and “Seen 
Mah Lady Home Las’ Night,” to quote two of the 
well known songs, are applauded by all grades of 
audiences throughout the land. 

Paul Lawrence Dunbar was born in Dayton, Ohio, 
in 1872. He was named Paul after the famous apos¬ 
tle in the scripture and Lawrence after a friend of 
his parents. The poet is said to have written his 
first verse when he was seven years old. Paul was 
a very bashful boy, but he had courage enough to 
take his poems to his teacher, who encouraged him. 
His favorite studies were, grammar, spelling and 
literature. He edited the High School Times, a 
monthly school paper in the Steel High School of 
Dayton, where Dunbar was a pupil and from which 
he was graduated with honors in 1891. 

Dunbar went out from school to earn his bread 


as best he may. His father had died, the support of 
home therefore fell on the boy, who was none too 
sound in health. He had aided his mother with the 
washing and had done such odd jobs as he could 
find. All he could find as a graduate from the High 
School was the part as elevator boy in the Callahan 
Building of Dayton. But he made the best of it, 
using every spare moment to study or to write. 

He soon triumphed over his hardships, publishing 
his poems in the best magazines of the country, ap¬ 
pearing before the most select audiences both in 
this country and in England and numbering among 
his friends such persons as James Whitcomb Riley, 
William Dean Howell, John Hay, William McKin¬ 
ley, Theodore Roosevelt, R. R. Moton, and Book¬ 
er T. Washington. 

The following are favorite lines: 

LITTLE BROWN BABY 

Little brown baby wif spa’klin' eyes, 

Come to yo’ pappy an’ set on his knee 
What you been doin’ suh—makin’ san’ pies? 

Look at dat bib—you’s ez du’ty ez me. 

Look at dat mouf—dat’s merlasses, I bet; 

Come hyeah, Maria, an’ wipe ofif his han’s. 

Bees gwine to ketch you an’ eat you up yit. 

Bein’ so sticky an’ sweet—goodness Ian’s ! 

Little brown baby wif sparkin’ eyes, 

Who’s papyy’s darlin’ an’ who’s pappy’s chile? 
Who is it all de day nevah once tries 

Fu’ to be cross, er once looses dat smile? 

Whah did you git dem teef ? My you’s a scamp ! 

Wah did dat dimple come f’om in yo’ chin? 
Pappy do’n know yo’—I b’lieves you’s a tramp; 
Mammy, dis hyeah’s some ol’ straggler got in! 

Let's tlTow him outen de do’ in de sail’, 

We don’ want stragglers a-layin’ ‘round hyeah ; 
Let’s gin him ‘way to de big buggah-man; 

I know he’s hidin’ erroun’ hyeah right neah. 
Buggah-man, buggah-man, come in de do’, 

Hyeah’s a bad boy you kin have fu’ to eat. 
Mammy an’ pappy don’ want him no mo’, 

Swaller him down f’om his liaid to his feet! 

Dah, now, I t’ought dat you’d hug me up close, 

Go back, buggah, you shan’t have dis boy. 

He ain’t no tramp ner no straggler, of co’se ; 

He’s pappy’s pa’dner an’ playmate an’ joy. 

Come to yo’ pallet now—go to yo’ res’; 

Wisht you could alius know ease and cleah skies ; 
Wisht you could stay jes’ a chile on my breas’— 
Little brown baby wif’ spa’klin eyes ! 

—Paul Lawrence Dunbar. 



12 











Soj ouner Truth, Emancipation Lecturer 


HE NEGRO RACE has developed 
some unique characters who stand 
out conspicuous in their line of 
endeavor. Not the least among 
these is Sojourner Truth a wo¬ 
man of considerable native ability 
though an illiterate. 

She was born a slave in Ulser County, N. Y., 
about the year 1775 and died in Battle Creek, Mich¬ 
igan, Nov. 26th, 1883. She was held in slavery 
even after its abolition in the same State. In 1827 
she escaped from her owner and went to New York 
City and from thence to Northampton, Mass., and 
then to Rochester, N. Y. 

Like Joan of Arc, she claimed that she was call¬ 
ed to her work through a vision. 

Her mother was brought from Africa, but her 
father was a mixture of Negro and Indian blood. 

The early training of her mother influenced her 
entire after life. She taught her the value of hon¬ 
esty and truth and directed her mind to contem¬ 
plate God as a Father and friend to whom she 
could go in confidence and trust. 

Naturally Isabella (her slave name) developed a 
very religious trait. 

She learned the true meaning of prayer and ap¬ 
proached it in the spirit of a confident telling her 
troubles to God and invoking his aid. 

One day she thought that she met God face to 
face and it so startled her that she exclaimed: “O 
God, I did not know you as you was so big!” 

She changed her name from Isabella, the one 
given her by her master, to Sojourner, claiming 
that the Lord had bestowed it upon her in a vision 
and added the appellation ‘‘Truth’ because that 
was the substance of the message she felt impell¬ 
ed to declare to men. 

From the issue of her marriage Sojourner be¬ 
came the mother of five children, the father dying 
when they were quite young, left their care and 
support to her. 

The following incident tends to show that the 
mother instinct was strong in her. 

One of her sons was sold into slavery in Ala¬ 
bama and she was anxious to find him so she 
sought council of God. Now simple and child¬ 
like her plea, “Now, God, help me get my son. If 
you were in trouble as I am, and I could help you, 
as you can help me, think I wouldn t do it? Yes, 
God, you know I would do it. I will never give 
you peace ’till you do, God!’ and then taking it 
for granted that she would receive the required 
help, she continued, “Lord, what would thou have 
me do?” the answer coming, “Go out of the city. 
Not knowing the direction she should take, she 


made further inquiry and received instruction to 
“Go East.” 

Accordingly on the morning of the first day of 
June, 1845, with a few clothes in her bag, a few 
shillings and a basket of food, she left the city and 
turned her face towards the rising sun. 

It was on this morning that she gave herself, 
feeling divinely directed, her new name, saying 
that since she was to be a traveler, a sojourner, her 
name should be Sojourner. Being asked her sur¬ 
name she exclaimed that she had not thought of 
that, but immediately went to God about it and in 
her characterictic way exclaimed, “Oh, God, give 
me a name with a handle to it,” and then came the 
thought that God’s name was truth ahd she at once 
adopted that as her sur-name, which so pleased her 
that she lifted up her eyes to God in thanks, saying, 
“Why, thank you God, that is a very good name.” 

Sojourner was a woman of great shrewdness, 
wit and impressive voice which together with 
force of character made her an effective speaker. 

The great theme of her lectures and the object 
of her effort was the emancipation of her people, 
though she touched upon woman’s rights, temper¬ 
ance and political reforms. 

She traveled widely in the northern part of the 
United States, but during the Civil War she spent 
much of her time in Washington. 

Her power to electrify audiences was compared 
with that of the great French actress, Rachel. 

On one occasion Frederick Douglass was speak¬ 
ing to a large audience and was painting a gloomy 
picture of the conditions of slavery and was up¬ 
braiding the church and State. Just as he had got 
the audience under his sway, Sojourner suddenly 
arose in the rear of the room and cried: 

“Frederick! Frederick! is God dead?” It broke 
the spell of pessimism and for a time left the au¬ 
dience and the speaker dumbfounded. 

She composed a battle hymn for a Negro regi¬ 
ment of Michigan and sang it herself both at De¬ 
troit and Washington: 

“We hear the proclamation Massa, hush it as you 
will; 

The birds will sing it to us, hopping on the cotton 
hill; 

The possum up the gum tree couldn’t keep it still; 
As we went climbing on.” 

filer’s was a life of service and though of hum¬ 
ble origin and of meager ability other than that 
conferred upon her by nature, she died in her home 
in Battle Creek, Michigan, with the satisfaction 
that she had contributed her mite in the service of 
her people. 










Benjamin Banneker, Mathematician-Astronomer 


HE first Banneker known of 
among Negroes in American his¬ 
tory was an African Prince. This 
son of an African king was cap¬ 
tured, brought to this country 
and sold to Molly Welsh of Mary¬ 
land. Set free some years after his arrival, Banne¬ 
ker, who was a man of fine bearing and contem¬ 
plative habits, married his former owner. The 
African Prince died early leaving his wife four 
children. One of these, a daughter by the name 
of Mary, married a native African, who became 
converted, joined the church and took his wife’s 
sur-name of Banneker. This couple in turn had 
four children of whom Benjamin was the oldest and 
only son. 

Benjamin Banneker was born Sept. 9th, 1731. 
The boy had a brilliant mind, was popular at school 
and a great favorite with his grand-mother who 
used to give him of her small share of knowledge 
and have him read much from the Bible. 

His study under teachers was not at all extensive 
but he gained an early love for books and continued 
to “dive into books”, as was said of him, all his 
life. Benjamin was twenty years old when his 
father died. The latter had bought one hundred 
acres of land when Benjamin was six years old, for 
which he paid 1700 pounds of tobacco. To the 
son and the widow the father left seventy-two 
acres of land and the home, dividing the remaining 
twenty-eight acres among his daughters. Though 
very studious, Benjamin was an excellent farmer, 
having a good garden and a fine assortment of 
fruit trees. He kept two horses, several cows and 
was very skillful in handling bees. Thus situated, 
life was very busy for him, but he made all things 
a school. 

When he was twenty years oM having no tooks 
but a jack knife and having seen nothing but a 
sundial and a watch, Benjamin made himself a time 
piece which struck the hours and which kept the 
time for more than twenty years. When he was 
fifty-eight years of age, Banneker, who all these 
years had made the study of Astronomy a passion, 
transferred his land to Ellicott and Company for an 
annuity of twelve pounds. He was now free to give 
his whole time to his favorite study. Night after 
night he lay upon the ground, wrapped in his great 
coat, watching the heavens. In the morning he 
retired to rest, but appeared to acquire but little 
sleep. He still hoed in the garden and trimmed 
fruit trees for exercise and played on the flute or 
the violin for diversion. 

He ventured from home but little. The only oc¬ 
casion on which he spent much time from his farm 
was in the year 1790 and thereabout when he aided 


in laying off or surveying the Federal Territory for 
the District of Columbia. He also aided in locating 
the spot for the capitol, the Presidents’ House, 
Treasury and other public buildings. 

On his return from Washington, he published his 
first Almanac, 1792, a copy of which he sent Thom¬ 
as Jefferson. The latter forwarded the manuscript 
to Condercet, Secretary of the Academy of Sciences 
at Paris. The publishers advertised it as “an ex¬ 
traordinary effort of genius, calculated by a sable 
descendent of Africa.” From this he became wide¬ 
ly known as a writer and thinker and famous people 
frequently sought him out. He died October 9th, 
1806 at the age of seventy-five. 

Maryland, Baltimore County, Near Ellicott’s Lower 
Mills, August 19, 1791. 

To Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State, 
Philadelphia. 

Sir: 

I have taken up my pen in order to direct to you, 
as a present, a copy of an Almanac which I have 
calculated for the ensuing year. 

This calculation, Sir, is the production of my ar¬ 
duous study, in this my advanced stage of life ; fen 
having long had unbounded desires to become ac¬ 
quainted with the secrets of nature, I have had to 
gratify my curiosity herein, thro’ my own assidu¬ 
ous application to astronomical study, in which I 
need not recount to you the many difficulties and 
disadvantages I have had to encounter. 

And, altho’ I had almost declined to make my 
calculation for the ensuing year, in consequence of 
the time which I had allotted therefor being taken 
up at the Federal Territory, by the request of Mr. 
Andrew Ellicott; yet finding myself under several 
engagements to printers of this State, to whom 
1 had communicated my design, on my return to 
my place of residence, I industriously applied my¬ 
self thereto, which I hope I have accomplished with 
correctness and accuracy, a copy of which 1 have 
taken the liberty to direct to you, and which I 
humbly request you will favorably receive ; and, al¬ 
tho’ you may have the opportunity of perusing it 
after its publication, yet I chose to send it to you in 
manuscript previous thereto, that thereby you 
might not only have an earlier inspection, but that 
you might also view it in my own handwriting. 

And, now, Sir, I shall conclude, and subscribe 
myself with the most profound respect, 

Your most obedient, humble ser rant, 

B. BANNEKER. 

Mr. Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State, 
Philadelphia. 

N. B—Any communication to me may be had 
by a direction to Mr. Elias Ellicott, Baltimore 
Town. 



14 











Phillis Wheatley, Poetess 


HILLIS WHEATLEY was one of 
the first literary women of Amer¬ 
ica ; the first woman poet of the 
United States; the first Negro au¬ 
thor, the first, as far as has thus 
far been discovered, to speak of 
George Washington as the “first in peace.” 

The first Negro poet was a slave brought over 
in a cargo of captives in 1781. The ship of human 
cargo landed at Boston. There among other slave 
buyers, were Mr. and Mrs. John Wheatley who 
came to select and purchase a girl for their home. 
Phillis came forth a frail creature of seven or eight 
years of age. The Bostonians bought her and 
christened her Phillis Wheatley. Of course the 
slave child was unable to read or write. But the 
Wheatleys taught her. In less than sixteen months 
she had acquired a fair knowledge of English and 
was able to read the most difficult parts of the 
“Sacred Writings.” From the Bible she began to 
read Latin, the Latin poets and mythology. Soon 
she began to write verses, which to the people of 
Boston were very good, indeed excellent for one 
whh so little training. 

She was frail in health. To aid her in gaining 
strength her friends advised taking a trip to En¬ 
gland which she duly made. In England she was 
the guest of the Countess of Huntington, to whom 
she. later dedicated her book of poems published 


in 1773, and was entertained by Lord Dartmouth 
and other leading men and women of the Empire. 
She wrote so well that people doubted her author¬ 
ship. Such men as Governor Thomas Hutchinson 
of Massachusetts, Andrew Oliver, and John Han¬ 
cock, the first signers of the Declaration of In¬ 
dependence, declared that they verily believed that 
the poems were her own composition. 

On her return to America, she found Mrs. Wheat- 
ley poor in health. Later the Mistress died, the 
Wheatley home was broken up and the poet left 
quite unprotected. Shortly after this she received 
an offer of marriage from one Samuel Peters who 
was a Negro grocer and a writer and speaker of 
high repute. The marriage turned out unhappily 
and the poet died deserted, December 5th, 1794. 

Benson J. Lossing, the Historian says of her, 
“Piety was the ruling sentiment in her character.” 

The following are taken from Phillis Wheatley’s: 

ON BEING BROUGHT FROM AFRICA 
TO AMERICA. 

‘Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, 
Taught my benighted soul to understand 
That there’s a God, that there’s a Savior, too; 

Once I redemption neither sought nor knew, 

Some view our sable race with scornful eye, 
“Their color is a diabolic die.” 

Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain. 

May be refined, and join th’ angelic train. 



A FAREWELL TO AMERICA (1773,. 
To Mrs. Susannah W. Wheatley. 


Adieu, New England’s smiling meads, 
Adieu, the flow’ry plain: 

I leave thine op’ning charms, O spring, 
And tempt the roaring main. 

In vain for me the flow’rets rise, 

And boast their gaudy pride, 

While here beneath the Northern skies 
I mourn for health deny’d. 

Cellestial maid of rosy hue, 

O let me feel thy reign! 

I languish till thy face I view 
Thy van sh’d joys regain. 

Susannah mourns, nor can I bear, 

To see the crystal shower, 

Or ma-k the tender falling tear 
At sad departure’s hour; 

Not unregarding can I see 
Her soul with grief opprest 
But let no sigh, nor groans for me 
Steal from het pensive breast. 

In vain the feather’d warblers sing, 

In va 11 - th.. garden blooms, 

And on the bosom of the spring 
Breathes out her sweet perfumes. 

While for Britannia’s distant shore 
We sweep the liquid plain, 


And with astonish’d eyes explore 
The wide-extended main. 

Lo ! Health appears ! celestial dame ! 
Complacent and serene, 

With Hebe’s mantle o’er her Frame, 

With soul-delighted mien. 

To mark the vale where London lies 
With misty vapors crown’d 
Which cloud Aurora’s thousand dyes, 
And veil her charms around. 

Why, Phoebus, moves thy car so slow? 

So slow thy rising ray? 

Give us the famous town to view, 

Thou glorious king of day! 

Eo.' thee, Britannia, I resign 
New England’s smiling fields ; 

To view again her charms devine, 

What joy the prospect yields ! 

But thou! Temptation hence away, 

With all thy fatal train 

Nor once seduce my soul away, 

By thine enchanting strain. 

Thrice happy they, whose heav’nly shield 
Secures their souls from harms 
And fell Temptation on the field 
Of all its pow’r disarms! 





15 









Harriet Tubman, “The Moses of Her People' 


ARRIET TUBMAN was called the 
Moses of her people because dur¬ 
ing- the years of the Fugitive 
Law, she rescued some three or 
four hundred slaves and led them 
to freedom. She was born about 
1820 in Dorchester County, Maryland. She 
worked as a nurse, as a trapper; faield hand 
and wood chopper while she was a slave. She 
is said to have begun her labors about 1845 and to 
have continued until 1860. She made 19 trips into 
slave States at exceedingly great risks. She went 
into her own native town more than once, bringing 
away her brothers and her old parents as well as 
many neighbors. 

John Brown nick-named her, General Tubman 
because of her shrewd management and great en¬ 
durance. In her trips to and from the North she 
spent days and nights out of doors, in caves and 
often without food. She spent a whole night out 
of doors at one time in the beating snow with only 
a tree for protection. She waded creeks and riv¬ 
ers, neck high, forcing those whom she was pilot¬ 
ing to follow her. The babies she managed by 
drugging them with opium. No wonder a price of 
$40,000 was once put upon her head. 

She was an eloquent speaker, though she could 
neither read nor write. Her words are always 
forceful, her descriptions vivid. 

She was once sent with an exposition during the 
Civil War to bring away slaves. This is her de¬ 
scription of the slaves as they flocked to the boats : 

“I nebber see such a sight.” “Here you’d see 
a woman wid a pail on her head, rice a smokin’ in 
it jus’ as she’d taken it from de fire, young one 
hangin’ on behind, one han roun’ her forehead' to 
hold on, ’tother han’ digging’ into de rice-pot, eatin’ 
wid all its might; hold of her dress two or three 
more; down her back a bag wid a pig in it. One 
woman brought two pigs, a white one an’ a black 
one; we took ’em all on board; named de white pig 
Beauregard, and de black pig Jeff Davis. Some¬ 
times de women would come wid twins hangin’ 
roun’ der necks; ’pears like I nebber see so many 
twins in my life ; bags on der shoulders, baskets 
on der heads, and young ones taggin’ bellin’, all 
loaded; pigs squealin’, chickens screamin’, young 
ones squallin’.” 

Her story of an incident of her childhood days 
is told as only Harriet Tubman could relate ex¬ 
periences. 

“I was only seven years old when I was sent 
away to take car’ of a baby. I was so little dat I 
had to sit down on de flo’ and hev de baby put in 


my lap. An’ dat baby was alius in my lap ’cept 
when it was asleep, or its mother was feedin’ it. 

“One mornin’ after breakfast she had de baby, 
and I stood by de table waitin’ till I was to take it; 
just by me was a bowl of lumps of white sugar. 
My Missus got into a great quarrel wid her hus¬ 
band ; she had an awful temper, an’ she would scole 
an’ storm, an’ call him all sorts of names. Now, 
you know 1 neyer had nothing good; no sweet, no 
sugar, an’ dat sugar, right by me, did look so nice, 
an’ my Missus’s back turned to me while she was 
fightin’ wid her husband, so I jes’ put my fingers 
in de sugar bowl to take one lump, an’ maybe she 
heard me, an’ she turned an’ saw me. De nex’ 
minute she had de raw hide down; I give one jump 
out of de do’, an’ I saw dey came after me, but I 
jes’ flew, an’ dey didn’t catch me. I run, an’ I run, 
I passed many a house, but I didn’t dare to stop, 
for dey all knew my Missus an’ dey would send me 
back. By an’ by, when I was clar tuckered out, I 
come to a great big pig-pen. Dar was an’ ole sow 
dar, an’ perhaps eight or ten pigs. I was too little 
to climb into it, but I tumbled ober de high board, 
an’ fell in on de ground; I was so beat out I couldn’t 
stir. 

“An’ dere, I stays from Friday till de next Chues- 
day, fightin’ wid dose little pigs for de potato 
peelin’s an’ oder scraps dat come down in de 
trough. Do ole sow would push me away when 
I tried to git her chillen’s food, an’ I was awful a 
feard of her. By Chuesday I was so starved I 
knowed I’d got to go back to my Missus, I hadn’t 
got no whar else to go, but I knowed what was 
coinin’. So I went back.” 

Frederick Douglas wrote her in 1868: “The dif¬ 
ference between us is very marked. Most that I 
have done and suffered in the service of our cause 
has been in public, and I have received much en¬ 
couragement at every step of the way. You, on 
the other hand, have labored in a private way. I 
have wrought in the day—you in the night. I have 
had the applause of the crowd and the satisfaction 
that comes of being approved by the multitudes, 
while the most that you have done has been wit¬ 
nessed by a few trembling, scarred, and foot-sore 
bondmen and women, whom you have led out of 
the house of bondage, and whose heartfelt “God 
bless you” has been your only reward. The mid¬ 
night sky and the silent stars have been the wit¬ 
nesses of your devotion to freedom and of your 
heroism.” 

Harriet Tubman lived to a ripe old age and was 
always, even after freedom, the friend of the down¬ 
trodden. Her house was always full of dependents, 
who were supported solely by Harriet’s “Faith.” 



16 















OSCAR WILLIAM ADAMS 

MONG the enterprising young men 
who threw their weight into mak¬ 
ing the Negro Birmingham a suc¬ 
cess, none has fought harder or 
more creditably than Oscar W 
Adams. On graduating from 
M. College, Normal, Ala., Mr. 
Adams cast his lot with “The Birmingham Report¬ 
er,” now without question the leading Negro News¬ 
paper of Alabama. For a number of years he liv¬ 
ed out pretty faithfully the advice of Horace Giee- 
ley to the young aspirants to Journalism to sleep 
on paper and eat ink.” But in time the paper came 
into Mr. Adams’ possession, and the struggle was 
even more bitter, if possible. Business did not 
hum in Brmingham then as now and so his sub¬ 
scribers were few and his advertisers small, and 
uncertain, and payment for both subscriptions and 
advertisements very slow in coming in. 

To keep the paper alive, Mr. Adams gave up his 
lodgings and slept in the office on a lounge. He ate 
a full meal whenever he could afford to do so. 

“But, ” says he, “I always paid my helpers. I 
didn’t think it right to keep them waiting. It was 
none of their affair if the paper failed.” However 
the Reporter is on its feet today. It has passed 



Normal A. and 


through the day of test for twelve years, and r 
Negro paper that survives the test that length of 
time can be said to be fully established. 

Of course, Mr. Adams had been thoroughly 
schooled for the struggle with The Reporter, and 
from this schooling one would expect nothing but 
victory to the end. Mr. Adams was born in Gulf 
Crest, one time known as Beaver Meadow, a com¬ 
munity about 25 miles out of Mobile. He attended 
the district school to the 8th grade and then made 
his way to Normal, Alabama, to the A. and M. Col¬ 
lege. To make his way through school, both in 
public school and for the first year in College, Mr. 
Adams worked as a laborer on a turpentine farm. 
During his life in College he served now as agent in 
the Commissary, now as the assistant bookkeeper 
and finally as the Editor of the Normal Index, the 
official paper of the Normal College. Going through 
so many experiences and coming out of each suc¬ 
cessful, Mr. Adams built the character which has 
stood him in such good stead as editor of The Re¬ 
porter, as a business man, and a leader in the fra¬ 
ternal orders. 

Mr. Adams is most loyal, even enthusiastic 
fraternity man. As has already been stated, his 
paper is the official organ of the Knights of Pyth¬ 
ias, Odd Fellows, and Masonic Order of Alabama. 
He holds membership also in the Masonic Lodge, 
in the Elks, in the K. L. of H., and in the Mosaic 
Templars. He is Secretary of the United Brothers 
of Friendship, as well as its spokesman in his jour¬ 
nal. 

Second only to his interest in his journal is Mr. 
Adams’ interest in education. He is present at all 
educational gatherings he can reach and gives free¬ 
ly space in his paper to the reports upon all schools 
and school work, both in the city and in the state. 
He is very loyal to Normal, not only because this 
is his Alma Mater, but because he really knows 
what it means for most of our boys and girls 
to secure even a fair education, an education ris¬ 
ing but little above the three R’s. 

Oscar W. Adams, though a young man, has filled 
some of the most important speaking engagements 
of any member of his race. He is a man of rare 
quality in this special line of work. He is a stu¬ 
dent of history and his delivery is easy and pleas¬ 
ant. At present he is Chairman of the Four Min¬ 
ute Men Speakers of the State of Alabama, direct¬ 
ed by the United States Government, and is a mem¬ 
ber of the State Committee on War Savings Cer¬ 
tificates. He has, no doubt, appeared before more 
audiences in the past five years than any man in 
the race of his age. 

Mr. Adams ‘was married to Miss Mamie Tuggle 
in 1910. The happy union, happy in sympathy and 
co-operation as well as in affection, for both were 
very hard workers, lasted but five years, Mrs. 
Adams dying in 1915. He lives now for his paper, 
for his school, for his lodge and for Negro enter¬ 
prise in every direction. 











BISHOP JOHN WESLEY ALSTORK, D. D, LL. D. 


M 


ISHOP John Wesley Alstork was 
born in Talladega, Alabama, Sep¬ 
tember 1st, 1852. From the date 
of his birth we gather that he was 
born early enough to see a little 
of Negro Slavery. But the Bish¬ 
op was fortunate in the place of birth and in his 
parentage. Talladega is a conservative college 
town. It was one of the first places to be given 
colleges for the higher education of the Negro 
after the Civil War. Here in his own home town 
he had advantages of education that were denied 



to many men born in the same period. The advan¬ 
tage in parentage is seen from the fact that his 
father was a minister and was willing and an¬ 
xious to see his son have better educational advan¬ 
tages than he himself had been able to enjoy. Bish¬ 
op Alstork is the son of Rev. and Mrs. Frank Al¬ 
stork, who were greatly loved and honored. 

Bishop Alstork did not confine his studying to 
the courses laid down at Talladega. Livingston 
College, Salisbury, North Carolina, conferred D. 
D. upon him in 1892. The Degree of LL. D. was 
conferred upon him by the Princeton College in 
Indiana in 1908. Though born a slave, Bishop Al¬ 


stork persevered in acquiring an education till he 
had thoroughly prepared himself for the work he 
had to do in life. 

Bishop Alstork was married to Miss Mamie Law- 
son in 1872 when only twenty years of age. Mrs. 
Alstork has been a true helpmate to the Bishop 
and has helped in his development. Ten years after 
his marriage he was ordained in the A. M. E. Zion 
ministry. In 1884 he was elected Financial Secre¬ 
tary of the Alabama Conference This position 
he held till 1892. In 1892 he was elected Financial 
Secretary for the A. M. E. Zion Connection. In this 
position he served till 1900. His excellent manage¬ 
ment keeping the finances of the church in good 
condition. 

Bishop Alstork had the usual gradual ri<e from 
the ministry to the position of Hi si op. He served 
as a regular pastor from the time of his ordina¬ 
tion to 1889. In that year he was made Presiding 
Elder and he served in this capacity till 1900 when 
he was elected Bishop. Many of the honors within 
the gift of his church have come to Bishop Al¬ 
stork. Pie was Delegate to the Ecumenial Confer¬ 
ence, which met in London, England, in 1901. He 
was sent as a delegate to the Conference in To¬ 
ronto, Canada, in 1911. 

Although Bishop Alstork is thoroughly interest¬ 
ed in the church and in all the work of the church, 
he has still had time to show a great deal of interest 
in all the phases of education. He is a trustee of 
the Livingston College, of the Lomax-Hannon In¬ 
dustrial College. Indeed Bishop Alstork was the 
founder of the last named institution which is lo¬ 
cated at Greenville, Alabama. He is Trustee of 
Langridge Academy at Montgomery, Alabama and 
a Trustee of the Hale Infirmary also of Montgom¬ 
ery. Bishop Alstork is a member of the Federa¬ 
tion of Churches, a member of the Southern So¬ 
ciological Congress, Director of Loan and Invest¬ 
ment Company, Montgomery, Alabama, member of 
the Board of Control of the Good Shepherd So¬ 
ciety, Inspector of the General G. G. A. Order of 
Love and Charity, National Grand Master of F. 
A. A. York Masons Colored of the United States, 
Lieutenant Commander of the Supreme Council 
33rd degree Masonry. In fact Bishop Alstork 
lives a very full and a very useful life. 

Bishop Alstork has traveled over the whole 
of this country and extensively in foreign lands. He 
is a loyal citizen of his country. During this war he 
has been a faithful worker in all the war activities. 
His patriotism has been manifested in every war 
work campaign. He is a heavy purchaser of bonds, 
and a large contributor to Red Cross and Y. M. C. 
A. work. He owns a great deal of real estate and 
lives in his own beautiful home at 231 Cleveland 
Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama. 


18 









BENJAMIN H. BARNES 


sLrnw .ftEI OR fully a score of years Booker 
S j T. Washington thundered from 

^ TUSkegGe InSti . tUte P latform 

■A lil jPPlI y° ur l lomes ’ P u f a hinge on the 

gate, a latch on the door. Don’t 
stand around and whine. Get into the church, in 
the school, into the shop and help. Own your own 
homes and become a tax-paying, respectable citi¬ 


zen.” 

Benjamin PI. Barnes after graduating undei his 
father’s teaching, sat beneath the voice of the lus- 
kegean and caught the vision that the gieat leadei 
sought to impart. He did not pick out any one of 
of these suggestions but seemed to absorb them all. 
While at Tuskegee Mr. Barnes excelled not only in 
his studies both in trade and in books but also in 
music. He played the violin, the piano and sang. 
For part of three years he traveled as a Tuskegee 
singer. Returning to Tuscaloosa his native town, 
he accepted work as a teacher in the city public 
school and began to live to the full the life that 
Booker T. Washington had so ardently preached. 
Mr. Barnes immediately connected himself with 
the work of the town church, the First African 
Baptist Church. He had been in attendance here 


but a short time when he was elected superinten¬ 
dent of the Sunday School, a post at which he 
served for twenty-five years. Not long after this 
Mr. Barnes was made church organist: and for 
twenty years the Baptists of Tuscaloosa have sung 
to his playing in the church. 

Some years ago this church set out to erect a 
new building. The cost of the house was to be 
$25,000.00. Mr. Barnes along with his church and 
Sunday School work had demonstrated that he was 
a business man. The church members placed him 
at the head of the Committee, rallied to his sup¬ 
port and put up a splendid brick structure. Tho’ 
ministers came and went, Barnes stayed by his post 
till the last brick was laid. He is now financial sec¬ 
retary of the church, secretary of the board of trus¬ 
tees and one of the strong active deacons. 

However, his biggest service as a Christian work¬ 
er is being rendered among the young people of the 
state. Alabama is peppered with Negro Baptists. 
Blow your Baptist trumpet in the remotest hamlet 
and a regiment of loyal followers will come for¬ 
ward to bear up the standard. Among their organ¬ 
ization is a Baptist Young People’s Union. Mr. 
Barnes has been the president of this organization 
for sixteen years. In recognition of his religious 
services and of his exemplary scholarship, Selma 
University some years ago conferred upon him the 
honorary degree of Master of Arts. 

All through his life Mr. Barnes has been a very 
intense student, both in books and in affairs. He 
spends many hours in home study, in a very excep¬ 
tional home library. From time to time he has tak¬ 
en home correspondence courses from the Univer¬ 
sity of Chicago. In addition to this he keeps tho¬ 
roughly abreast with all educational movements in 
the state. No convention or gathering of educators 
in the state is likely to assemble without finding 
Benjamin H. Barnes on hand ready to give advice, 
time or money to make things go. 

The home of Benjamin H. Barnes, all paid for, 
is one of the most handsome of the half dozen ex¬ 
cellent Negro homes of Tuscaloosa. As one pur¬ 
chase whets the appetite for another Mr. Barnes 
after paying for his home, bought other buildings 
and now owns property to rent. 

This is not the full business story of Prof. 
Barnes. The Union Central Life Relief company 
of Birmingham is one of the comparatively few 
Negro firms of the kind to stem the tide of bus¬ 
iness adversity. Casting about for a manager of a 
branch office in Tuscaloosa, the Union Central Re¬ 
lief found the man they wanted in Prof. Barnes. 
In this office and in visiting patrons Mr. Barnes 
spends his summer and spare hours when not on 
duty in the school. 

One dominant trait is unmistakable in the Barnes 
family, that of holding fast to the duties in hand— 
a father, school teacher in one place forty-two 
years: a son, school teacher for nearly twenty 
years, Sunday School superintendent twenty-five 
years, president of Young People’s Baptist Union 
sixteen years. 

Mr. Barnes is married; his wife is his partner. 
She has rendered valuable service in all of his en¬ 
deavors. They have celebrated their crystal wed¬ 
ding with much pomp. 


19 














JEREMIAH BARNES 


HEN you go to Tuscaloosa, Ala¬ 
bama, on school matters, the 
County Superintendent, the bank¬ 
ers and other people will tell you 
to “see Jeremiah Barnes”. Mr. 
Barnes is principal of the Negro 
Public Schools of Tuscaloosa, and is most likely the 
oldest Negro School man today engaged in active 
service. He began his career as a school teacher 
back in 1874, when a Negro school master was in¬ 
deed a rare person. From that date scarcely a day 
has passed during the school session without find¬ 
ing the veteran at his post. Indeed, he goes to 
school whether he teaches or not; for he keeps the 
keys of the Tuscaloosa High School and almost 
daily, even in summer, you will find him about the 
school going over the grounds, attending the school 
garden, inspecting the rooms inside. 

The veteran school master of Tuscaloosa was 
reared a slave, on the farm of Judge Washington 
Wood, eight miles west of Tuscaloosa. Here he 
learned to read and write and found some opportu¬ 
nity to improve himself generally. He was a brick 
mason back in the 60’s. Ten years later he was 
running a variety store, at which time he became 
alderman of Tuscaloosa, grand juror of the county 


and a teacher in the public schools. In 1874 the 
same year that he began his school work, Mr. 
Barnes became a Master Mason and later was 
made Worshipful Grandmaster for three . terms. 
Since that time he has been made Secretary of fore¬ 
ign correspondence for his Grand Lodge, a posi¬ 
tion which he held for fourteen years. He was one 
time grand patron of the Alabama Order Eastern 
Star and is a charter member of the Oak City 
Lodge No. 1785. Grand United Order of Odd Fel¬ 
lows. He twice served his own district rgand 
lodge as deputy grand master. 

All this wealth of life experience along with con¬ 
stant study of books Mr. Barnes brought to the 
school room. For years he was a teacher, being 
promoted step by step until he reached the highest 
post in the Negro schools of his native city. In his 
work as teacher he has taken rightful pride in the 
graduates he has turned out. Some have gone to 
college, some to industrial schools, some settled 
to trades, some to school teaching after leaving 
him. Wherever they have gone they have made 
their mark as very useful hightoned citizens. 

In his school curriculum Prof. Barnes balances 
his courses pretty well between class room work 
and industrial work. His courses run into studies 
in Algebra, Geometry and Latin; out under the 
window you will see a flourishing school garden, 
and a place for cooking in the basement. He teach¬ 
es the children by deed as well as by word, that 
work is honorable and intellectual, just as solving 
a problem in Algebra or constructing a verb in En¬ 
glish or Latin. 

To this, too, he adds a most needed phase of ed¬ 
ucation, that of beautifying one’s surroundings. 
The Negro High School building of Tuscaloosa 
happens to be in a rather unhappy section of the 
city. A railroad yard is nearby, so also is the city 
refuse pile and the city stables. Yet by setting out 
trees, constructing fences and laying out walks, the 
veteran educator has managed to shut out pretty 
nearly these obnoxious features of his school en¬ 
vironment, thus showing the pupils that their own 
lives within need not be disturbed by the lives with¬ 
out. 

Along with helping the students of his school, 
Prof. Barnes has reared and educated several child¬ 
ren of his own. His son, Benjamin, is the strong 
assistant of his father in the Tuscaloosa school 
work, is the great Negro Baptist Young People’s 
Union leader of Alabama, church organist, and bus¬ 
iness man. The other son is the treasurer of the 
Snow Hill Normal and Industrial School of Snow 
Hill, Alabama. *17 

How long Prof. Barnes will remain in the school 
work none but a higher power can tell. So far he 
shows no signs of retreat. He is vigorous, active, 
both in body and in mind. Best of all as a school 
teacher he is very cheerful and very optimistic for 
himself and his people. 













EDWARD AUSTIN BROWN 

HERE are about 800 Negro law¬ 
yers in the United States. Some 
of them have occupied positions 
of trust and prominence, political, 
judicial and diplomatic. Yet 
whenever a colored man thinks of 
entering the legal profession he is instructed to 
have well in mind Socrates’ definition of courage. 
Said the sage, “He who rushes into battle without 
knowing all the consequences does not represent 
genuine courage but rashness.” Thus it is with the 
law for the Negro. Of all the professions it is very 
probably the least hospitable to the black man. As 
a rule, he is not accorded a square deal in the courts 
of the South, while in the North he finds himself, 
for the most part, up against the most lively com¬ 
petition. He, then, who enters here must weigh 
between courage and rashness; and he who suc¬ 
ceeds in compelling a fair measure of success is 
either a giant in intellect or a wizard in tact and 
diplomacy. 

That Edward A. Brown did not enter the law 
through rashness, through not knowing the at¬ 
tendant dangers, can be fairly inferred from the 
fact that he was born in the South, where the sit¬ 
uation is quite patent. Mr. Brown was born in 

21 


Raleigh, N. C., forty odd years ago. After com¬ 
pleting the public school course in his native town 
he had private tuition in order to prepare himself 
for college, and soon thereafter entered Lincoln 
University, in Pennsylvania, where four years later 
he finished the collegiate course, graduating with 
honors. Just as Mr. Brown was about to enter a 
New England Law school he was offered an oppor¬ 
tunity to study law in the office of Judge Henry 
McKinney, who was at the time one of the ablest 
lawyers at the Cleveland, Ohio, bar. This offer was 
accepted and in due time the young law student was 
admitted to the bar by the Supreme Court of Ohio. 
Incidentally, it may be mentioned that of the 108 
applicants for admission at the time, Mr. Brown 
offered the best examination. 

After practicing his profession for a while in 
Cleveland Mr. Brown came to Alabama, where 
again he made a record in his examination for ad¬ 
mission, winning from the presiding judge the 
statement that this was the best examination he 
had ever witnessed. Ever since his admission to 
the Alabama bar Mr. Brown has pursued the active 
practice of his profession in Birmingham, where 
he resides, except for the period of eight months 
during which he was an army officer at the time 
of the Spanish-American War, serving under a 
commission of First Lieutenant in the 10th U. S. 
Volunteer Infantry. 

Mr. Brown enjoys a lucrative practice and, like 
thousands of the best lawyers of the country, is 
what is known as a “civil” lawyer, giving no at¬ 
tention to criminal practice. He is regarded by the 
judges and members of the bar generally as an able 
lawyer and as a man of the highest personal char¬ 
acter. His clients and friends believe in him, in his 
knowledge of the law, his integrity and his unfail¬ 
ing sane judgment. To illustrate the unselfish 
public spirit of the man a single incident may be 
related: The commissioners of the city of Bir¬ 
mingham, following the example of certain other 
municipalities, undertook to enact a law providing 
segregation of residences based upon race. Mr. 
Brown, without being employed or even requested, 
went before the commissioners with a strong pro¬ 
test against the adoption of the proposed ordinance 
and made such a forceful argument against its con¬ 
stitutionality as to defeat it then and there. Here 
was an example of his unselfish spirit, for although 
this was legal service of the highest order and deal¬ 
ing with a matter of far-reaching importance to his 
race, not a dollar was charged by him or accepted. 

Mr. Brown has succeeded in accumulating a com¬ 
petency, owning a residence valued at $5,000 and 
other real estate; and besides, he has some money. 
For several years he has served as general attorney 
for the Knights of Pythias of Alabama, of which 
fraternal order he is a leading and influential mem¬ 
ber. He is active in all movements touching the 
welfare of his people and is one of the really strong 
and substantial men of his community and state. 

The Brown family is small, consisting of Mrs. 
Brown and one son, Edward, Jr. Mrs. Brown, who 
was Miss Nettie Jones of Cleveland, Ohio, is active 
in club work and various charities. Edward, Jr., 
is a quiet, studious lad, having made first year 
high school at the age of thirteen. 













MISS CORNELIA BOWEN 


N a certain day in May if you are 
anywhere in Montgomery County, 
Alabama, you will see wagons 
from the country, cars and car¬ 
riages from the city, crowding 
and jamming along the road, all 
going in one direction. On inquiry you will learn 
that they are making their way toward the Mt. 
Meigs Institute, to attend the commencement ex¬ 
ercises. When you reach the school, there will 
break on you a sort of vision of a new city, sudden¬ 
ly peopled. This is the work of Miss Cornelia 
Bowen of Mt. Meigs. 

Miss Bowen went to Mt. Meigs in 1888 to plant 
a school in the wilderness, as it were. To reach 
the rural man and woman as well as the small boy 
and small girl was a demand which both Miss Bow¬ 
en and the late Dr. Washington felt it a sacred duty 
to answer. To use Miss Bowen’s own words in 
“Tuskegee and Its People”—“a call reached Dr. 
Washington in 1888 for a teacher to begin work in 
the vicinity of Mt. Meigs, Alabama, similar to the 
work done at Tuskegee, but of course on a smaller 
scale. Mr. E. N. Pierce of Plainville, Connecticutt, 
had resolved to do something in the way of pro¬ 
viding better school facilities for the colored people 
living on a large plantation, into the possession of 


which he had come. Mr. Washington answered the 
call while in Boston, and telegraphed me that he 
thought me the proper person to take charge of 
and carry on the settlement work Mr. Pierce and 
his friend had in mind.” 

The place itself is far away, out of contact. The 
people were weighted down with debt, mild peon¬ 
age, morals were at a low ebb. Miss Bowen set 
out to improve the lives of the old people while 
building a school for the young. She taught Bible 
classes in the leaky country church and held meet¬ 
ings and conferences for the mothers and fathers. 
In a little while the people began to know that there 
were ideals of health, of family, of property own¬ 
ership. Thus it is that today they troop on horse 
back, in buggy, in wagon to Mt. Meigs Commence¬ 
ment. Here along with the diversion offered they 
come upon the first impulse to do good. 

It has become quite common nowadays to speak 
of the pioneer, but the Mt. Meigs school was in a 
very real sense a pioneer in its own kind of work. 
To set up in the country a school which was a 
community center: a school which called in the 
country women to teach them cooking, sewing, 
and house-keeping, to teach them how to rear and 
treat their children; to instruct them in finer man¬ 
ners towards their husbands and towards their 
neighbors; to persuade them to eliminate certain 
habits, like dipping snuff and smoking and chew¬ 
ing tobacco, as unfeminine and un-womanly; to 
have done all this in those early days of any kind of 
Negro school in Alabama was genuinely pioneer 
work. 

The same constructive program was adopted 
with the men and boys. Men were better farmers, 
better husbands, fathers, cleaner in their habits, 
more ambitious in their ideals because of Mt. 
Meigs. They formed more definite ideals of home, 
of family, of church, from this teaching and from 
their contact in the school. Where there was no 
farm ownership, they began to buy farms. Where 
there were no flowers, flowers began to grow: an 
air of refinement and of taste began to assert itself. 

There is nothing so new about this now, for we 
begin to see the very definite results of this train¬ 
ing. Mt. Meigs opened a boarding department and 
rooms for the children and taught them new les¬ 
sons of life. It fired them with zeal to go back to 
their village and teach what they themselves had 
learned. This situation now so prevalent was at 
first a most startling innovation when Mt. 
Meigs began. It was the first trumpet call to the 
man in the fields that somebody really cared for 
him, for the life he lived, whether or not he was 
really happy. 

While thus laboring among the elders, Miss 
Bowen was founding a school. She bought her 
land, forty-odd acres, and began to put up buildings. 
She put on the curriculum, not only grammar, 
arithmetic and the like, but the study of practical 
industries, such trades as the boys and girls could 
use immediately in their homes. Thus she teaches 
her own school gardening, farming, poultry-rais¬ 
ing, the care of live stock and bee-culture. 



22 







VIEW MT. MEIGS INSTITUTE 


In the meantime she was not forgetting her own 
education. She had attended school at Tuskegee 
Institute, where Dr. Washington was examiner, 
school teacher, principal, lecturer and a good many 
other things. Under him she sat, got her Tuske¬ 
gee diploma, then spent some time as principal of 
the “Children’s House”, of Tuskegee Institute. To 
the education of experience, which her principal 
and friend. Dr. Washington, so ardently believed in, 
Miss Bowen added study in New York City and fur¬ 
ther study in Queen Margaret’s College, Glasgow, 
Scotland. 

Miss Bowen is through and through a product 
of Tuskegee Institute. She was born on what is 
now the Institute Campus. The little cottage in 
which she was born was the first building of Tus¬ 
kegee Institute to be used for teaching girls’ in¬ 
dustries. “And never do I go to Tuskegee,” says 
Miss Bowen, “that I do not search it out among the 
more imposing and pretentious buildings, which 
have come during the later years of the school’s 
history.” 

The cottage in which she was born stood on the 
plantation of Colonel William Bowen, to whom 
Miss Bowen’s mother was a slave. Unlike most 
slave mothers, Miss Bowen’s mother could read, 
having been taught by a former mistress in Balti¬ 
more. She was therefore able to superintend her 
daughter’s education to greater degree than 
most mothers of the time, hence arises, no doubt, 
the daughter’s very strong grasp on people and af¬ 
fairs. 

Miss Bowen was first taught by a southern white 

23 


woman of the town of Tuskegee.: She then at¬ 
tended the public school of Tuskegee until Booker 
T. Washington came and founded the Institute. 
Her school on “Zion Hill” was then closed and the 
children all flocked to the new school. Booker T. 
Washington was then an active teacher. He gave 
her the examination and placed her in the Junior 
class. He taught many of the subjects. Miss 
Bowen looks back with no end of pleasure to those 
days when Dr. Washington taught grammar, his¬ 
tory and spelling. 

She was a member of the first class to graduate 
from Tuskegee Institute. This was in 1885, before 
the school had even conceived of the great indus¬ 
trial idea. Miss Bowen was an honor student, re¬ 
ceiving a first grade diploma and winning one of the 
three Peabody medals; medals which were award¬ 
ed for excellence in scholarship. 

With this foundation she went out to establish 
the Mt. Meigs Institute, full of confidence. Her 
work in the school has made a name for Miss Bow¬ 
en. She has several times held various ofifices in 
the National Association of Colored Women’s 
Clubs, State Teachers’ Association of Alabama, and 
in the Colored Women’s Federation of the State, 
and its president for fourteen years. 

While a very excellent administrator, and a rare 
student of both men and hooks, Miss Bowen excels 
in the mind of many, through her gift of eloquent 
speech. Few persons on the platform today can 
bring so much power to bear, go so directly to the 
point and so eloquently as can Miss Bowen. 
















RICHARD ANDERSON BLOUNT 


T was Robert Browning, who ex¬ 
pressing his fondness for Italy, 
said, “If you open my heart you 
will find the word ‘Italy’ written 
therein.” If you made an incison 
in the heart of Richard Anderson 
Blount of Birmingham, Alabama, you would find 
“Knights of Pythias.” For nearly twenty years 
now Mr. Blount has thought Knights of Pythias, 
talked Knights of Pythias, traveled for Knights of 
Pythias, and what the order of the Knights of Py¬ 
thias in Alabama is today, is traceable very large¬ 
ly to Richard Anderson Blount. 

Back in 1887 Mr. Blount came into Birmingham 
to seek his fortune, attracted by the prospects of 
the town. He found employment with the Lawe- 
son Carpet Company and spent some time in their 
service. He worked also for sixteen years for 
Ben M. Jacobs & Brothers. It was during his em¬ 
ploy with the Jacobs Brothers that Mr. Blount be¬ 
came engrossed in the work of the Knights of Py¬ 
thias. His zeal for the order and his business acu¬ 
men soon attracted attention, with the result that 
in 1898 he was elected Grand Keeper of Records 
and Seal. In three years he had given such good 
service and had established the records on such a 


sound business basis that the body of the state 
made him Grand Chancellor, a post at which he 
has served now for fifteen years. 

The records show that when Mr. Blount assum¬ 
ed office there were in the state some sixty-five 
lodges, with a total membership of 16000 people. 
In fifteen years through the efforts of Mr. Blount 
the Knights of Pythias of Alabama have three hun¬ 
dred and forty-five lodges with a total membership 
of ten thousand. The order of Knights of Pythias 
is much better known, more popular, enjoys a wider 
confidence of the people, both of those who are 
members and those who are not. 

Of course the Knights of Pythias of Alabama 
must have a building of their own. It just chances 
that the Alabama Penny Savings Bank is available. 
Mr. Blount and his helpers are pressing home plans 
to secure this building. To secure a splendid four 
story brick structure like the Alabama Penny Sav¬ 
ings Bank Building, which has an office rent of 
several hundred, requires money, backing, appreci¬ 
ation of values, and confidence. All this the Knights 
of Pythias have and they have it very largely 
through Richard Anderson Blount. 

Mr. Blount is not a native of Birmingham. He 
came from Montgomery where he was born in the 
early seventies. He attended the Swayne school in 
his native town. While he was going to school, Mr. 
Blount had to work. He somehow got into carpet 
laying; a trade which did him great service in the 
early years of his manhood. 

His affiliation with and leadership of the Knights 
of Pythias do not blind him to the merits of other 
fraternities and organizations. He is an active 
member of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, a 
staunch member of the Masonic Lodge of the 
Shriners, of the Odd Fellows and of the Elks. 

One of the most conspicuous things about Rich¬ 
ard Anderson Blount is the beautiful home he has 
erected and paid for. In going up Seventh Avenue 
the passer-by turns round to look again and again 
as he passes this residence. This house is by no 
means the extent of Mr. Blount’s ownership of 
property. He owns several rent houses and lots 
in and about town. 

But the home and the home life were a vision 
of long ago. He saw big and handsome homes and 
happy families about. Into his own spirit crept 
the vision of such a home with a happy family. 
Both he now has. He has been married for more 
than twenty years. His first wife who was Miss 
Lucy Massey, died some eight years ago. The 
daughter of this union is now a student at Spelman 
Seminary in Atlanta, Ga. He recently married 
Miss Mary Lue Crawford. Mr. Blount has travel¬ 
ed much in the South and in the East and has to 
do so in the interest of and for the development of 
his lodge. 



24 









CLINTON J. CALLOWAY, A. B. 


RAVELING through t^e rural 
districts of Alabama, especially 
through Macon County, every¬ 
where one sees new up-to-date 
school houses. These schools have 
three and four rooms or more, 
as Model schools in which the 
teacher lives and has around her all the animals 
and other things to be had on a farm. These model 
schools are to train the country boys and girls how 
to live happily amid their native surroundings. In 
some places the old half-decayed school buildings 
are still standing making a marked contrast with 
the new and up-to-date structures. The one man 
who is more largely responsible for this condition 
than any other is Clinton J. Calloway of Tuskegee 
Institute. 

Mr. Calloway was born April 18, 1869, in Cleve¬ 
land, Tennesee. Here in his native town he at¬ 
tended the public school, remaining to finish the 
Grammar grades. For his High School work he 
went to Chattanooga, Tennessee. As a young man 
he had the trait of sticking to a thing and so he 
remained in the school till he completed the course 
in 1889. He then matriculated at Fisk Uuniversity. 
All through his school career he was an earnest, 

25 


careful student, deserving and receiving the praise 
of his teachers. In 1895 he completed the classical 
course of Fisk and graduated with the degree of 
A. B. All through his years of study he gave close 
attention to practical ideas and ideals. 

After graduation Mr. Calloway accepted work in 
the Extension Department at Tuskegee Institute 
and here he has remained ever since. During the 
years spent in the Extension Department of Tuske¬ 
gee, Mr. Calloway has done much to develop and 
make of service his department. In 1895 when Mr. 
Calloway took charge, the work was restricted to 
dealing with the farm and country folk in general. 
It was then in its rudimentary stage. Mr. Calloway 
saw the great need of better schools. It has been 
largely through the demonstrations of Mr. Callo¬ 
way that Miss Jeannes of the Jeannes Fund was 
convinced of the value of outside aid in rural school 
work among Negroes. To this end there are now 
all through Alabama and other Southern States 
workers among the rural teachers who travel back 
and forth supervising the work of the country 
schools. These are the Jeannes supervisors. 

Another great advance in the Rural Schools of 
Alabama and now of other Southern states is due 
to the vision and thought of Mr. Calloway. It was 
he who suggested to Dr. Washington that Mr. 
Julius Rosenwald of Chicago would help in the 
erection of new and up-to-date schools for the rural 
districts of Alabama. Acting on this suggestion 
Mr. Rosenwald has invested the largest sum of 
money set aside for educational purposes. The 
schools built from the fund are known as the Ros¬ 
enwald schools. The suggestion came from Mr. 
Calloway and he is the man who has had to work 
out the detail of the investment and he has also 
had to help the rural people raise their share of 
the money. All of them turn to Mr. Calloway 
when discouraged and expect to be shown the way 
out of difficulties. Never has he failed them. Mr. 
Calloway is now the head of the Extension De¬ 
partment with a number of workers under him, in¬ 
stead of being the whole of the Department as he 
was when he first took the work. 

Mr. Calloway was married to Miss Josie Eliza¬ 
beth Schooler March 12th, 1901 at Ivowaliga, Ala¬ 
bama. To Mrs. Calloway her husband gives credit 
for his success in acquiring property. They own 
their own beautiful home and 1,000 acres of land 
and the implements, stock, etc., that are required 
for this sort of farming. Mr. Calloway is a Con- 
gregationalist in Religious belief. He is a practical 
Christian and commands the respect of all who 
know him. 

Mr. Calloway is through and through a man of 
business. Whatever he undertakes to do is seen 
through the amount of good done for the amount 
of money spent. He is President of Homeseekers 
Land Company, Capital Stock $10,000.00 and mana¬ 
ger of the Tuskegee Farm and Improvement Com¬ 
pany with a capitalization of $25,000.00. 

There are many better schools, better homes and 
better farms in Macon County and in fact all 
through Alabama because of the work of Mr. Cal¬ 
loway in the Extension Department of Tuskegee. 





Some are used 











T. M. CAMPBELL 

ATCHING the spirit of his illust¬ 
rious teacher, Booker T. Wash¬ 
ington, Mr. Campbell, the' pioneer 
Negro Farm Demonstrator is 
bringing to a realization the 
dreams of the late Dr. Seaman A. 
Knapp, the father of farm demonstration work—I 
am thinking, said Dr. Knapp, “of the people of rose 
covered cottages in the country, of the strong glad 
father and his con-tented, cheerful wife, of the 
whistling boy an dthe dancing girl with school 
books under her arms so that knowledge may soak 
into them as they go; I am thinking of the or¬ 
chards and the vineyards, of the flocks and the 
herds, of the waving woodlands, of the hills car¬ 
peted with luxuriant verdure, and the valleys in¬ 
viting to the golden harvest.” Mr. Campbell and 
his large corps of workers are doing all this for 
the colored people of Alabama and the South. 

Born February 11, 1883, just outside the corpor¬ 
ate limits of the little town of Bowman, Elbert 
County, Ga., Mr. Campbell’s life was typical of the 
average boy of that section, and at the age of fif¬ 
teen, he found that he had attended school less than 
twelve months. Hearing of Tuskegee from an old¬ 


er brother who had gone there, the lad determined 
to attend. His father failing to keep a promise to 
let him use the money earned working on a neigh¬ 
boring plantation, the boy walked and worked his 
way to Tuskegee from which he was graduated 
eight years later in 1906. He speaks as follows of 
his Tuskegee experience: “My training was such 
that 1 was unable to make the lowest class when I 
came to Tuskegee, and I sometimes think that my 
only salvation was that I was large and strong and 
my services were needed on the farm. By constant 
study, both day and night, I was able to make a 
class the next year and every year after until my 
graduation. During my eight years stay here as a 
student, 1 received only $2.00 cash and one suit of 
clothes as assistance.” 

When Dr. Knapp came to Tuskegee in 1906 seek¬ 
ing his first Negro demonstrator, he found his man 
in the field following a two-horse plow. This man 
was T. M. Campbell, who had recently been gradu¬ 
ated and was specializing in agriculture. 

“Young man”, said Dr. Knapp, “1 want you to 
travel over a given territory and show the Negroes 
how to prepare land just as you are doing now.” 
This Mr. Campbell did, traveling in the Jesup Ag¬ 
ricultural Wagon, an idea of the far seeing Dr. 
Washington who conceived the idea of taking ed¬ 
ucation to the farmer. This work was later merged 
into the United States Farm Demonstration work 
and has taken Mr. Campbell into every part of Ala¬ 
bama and other portions of the South. 

For the past twelve years, early and late, in sun¬ 
shine and in rain, he has been going about Alabama 
and other Southern States making the waste places 
blossom. Mr. Campbell defining the term demon¬ 
strator says : “A Demonstrator is a farmer chos¬ 
en by the government Agent because of his ability 
to attract the people of his community to himself, 
he is commonly called a community leader.” Mr. 
Campbell, who is now ofticially known as District 
Agent for Farm Demonstraton Work for the col¬ 
ored people of Alabama, possesses these qualifica¬ 
tions in a high degree. He has a very winning per¬ 
sonality, and a rich musical voice which wins 
friends wherever he goes. 

Unlike most public men of the race, Mr. Camp¬ 
bell is not a lodge man, due perhaps to the fact that 
he is so seldom at home; for his duties keep him 
ever on the road. He is a Methodist and zealous 
church worker. 

On June 1st, 1911, Mr. Campbell was married to 
Miss Annie M. Ayers of Virginia, who is also a Tus¬ 
kegee graduate. Four children, Thomas Jr., Car¬ 
ver, Virginia and William help to make the home a 
happy, cheery place. The two older boys are in 
school and promise to follow in years to come the 
lootsteps of their father. 



26 













JAMES HENRY EASON, D. D. 

R. James Henry Eason, the pas¬ 
tor of the very select congrega¬ 
tion of the Jackson Street Baptist 
Church, Birmingham, Ala., is an 
ideal product of his state. He was 
born October 24, 1866 to Channie 
Bingham Eason and Jesse Bigham. Born, reared 
and for the most part educated in Alabama, he has 
turned all his time and his talent—has brought his 
vision to pass in the state of his birth. He was born 
in Sumpterville, Sumpter County. Gaining all he 
could in the Sumpterville public school he entered 
Selma University and after graduation from Selma 
Dr. Eason took his course in theological training at 
Virginia Union University, Richmond, Va., receiv¬ 
ing the degree of D. D. On finishing his studies he 
immediately returned to Alabama to give account 
of his education. Although he earned his way, he 
felt that he owed a great debt to the people of his 
state. In 1884 he began teaching school in Gads¬ 
den. He taught one year in Garfield Academy at 
Auburn, Ala., and seven years in Selma University. 
In the meantime he had been appointed state Mis¬ 
sionary for Alabama by the Home Missionary So¬ 
ciety of New York. In this office, he served several 
years. 


4 he year 1891 saw the formal beginning of Dr. 
Eason’s career as a pastor. In this year he accepted 
the v pastorate of the Union Baptist Church at Ma¬ 
rion, Ala. Here he became moderator of the new 
Cahaba Association. From Marion Mr. Eason went 
to Anniston. Here he really began to assert him¬ 
self as a minister and as a community builder. 
When he accepted the pastorate of the Eleventh 
Street Baptist Church in Anniston, there were 
eighty-five members of the congregation. This 
body was then known as the Galilee Church. 
Dr. Eason held his post here for fifteen 
years. In that time he increased the mem¬ 
bership from eighty-five to seven hundred 
and put, up a new building which cost $25,- 
000.00. While building this church in Anniston, 
he noticed that comparatively few colored people 
owned homes. To aid the people in securing 
homes, he organized the Mercantile Investment 
Company, whose efforts have resulted in hundreds 
of colored people owning their homes in this city. 

His name now spreads abroad as a worker and a 
man of exceptional gifts and rare industry. He was 
for ten years Editor of the Baptist Leader; the 
official organ of 280,000 Alabama Baptists. He ed¬ 
ited and published the Union Leader of Anniston 
Alabama for five years; meanwhile he had written 
and published a book entitled, “Sanctification ver¬ 
sus Fanaticism,” which was the first book pub¬ 
lished by the National Baptist Board, and had writ¬ 
ten articles and historical sketches for the maga¬ 
zines. 

Thus asserting himself, he became a candidate 
for many honors. Guadaloupe College, Texas, and 
Benedict College, S. C., each honored him with the 
degree of Doctor of Divinity. He was given the 
presidency of the Colored Baptist State Convention 
which he held ten years, resigning in 1916. For 
seven years he was vice president of the National 
Baptist Convention. Selma Cmiversity elected him 
a member of the Board of Trustees and for one 
year he carried the presidency of the Anniston In¬ 
dustrial College. June 11th, 1917, Dr. Eason was 
elected president of Birmingham Baptist Col¬ 
lege, Birmingham, Alabama. He was a dele¬ 
gate to the World’s Missionary Conference, 
which met a few years ago in Edinburgh, Scotland. 
He preached in Scotland and traveled extensive¬ 
ly in Scotland, in England, in Belgium and in 
France. For several years now Dr. Eason has been 
pastor of the Jackson Street Baptist church in Bir¬ 
mingham, where he has put in many improvements. 
He takes great interest in the business life of the 
Negro in Birmingham just as he did in Anniston. 
He was a director of the Alabama Penny Savings 
Bank in its early days and a depositor in it to the 
last. He is himself a property owner, owning his 
home and other real estate which are valued at 
$5,000. 

Dr. Eason was married in 1894 to Miss Phoebe 
A. Kigh of Selma, Ala. Of three children born into 
the Plason home, only one, Miss Gladys is living. 
She is married to Mr. Edward A. Trammell. Little 
Phoebe Mae Trammell is Dr. Eason’s only grand¬ 
child. 












ALHOUN Colored School is locat¬ 
ed at Calhoun, in the agricultural 
County of Lowndes, southern Ala¬ 
bama, 27 miles south of Montgom¬ 
ery, on the main line of the Louis¬ 
ville and Nashville Railroad. 
_ Eighty--five per cent of the peo¬ 
ple of the County are Colored, 95 per cent of the 
precinct. 

The School was founded in 1892 by Miss Mabel 
W. Dillingham and Miss Charlotte R. Thorn, 
Northern white workers at Hampton Institute. 
Shortly before nearly forty Negroes of the vicinity 
had lost their lives in a race conflict. After this 
catastrophe the people held religious services for 
two weeks, praying for a school from the North. 

Among the original trustees were Booker T. 
Washington, who continued in that office until his 
death, John Bigelow, and Thomas Wentworth Hig- 
ginson, who was succeeded by Richard P. Hallo- 
well. General Armstrong, though in failing health, 
gave invaluable endorsement and counsel. 

Lowndes and the adjacent Counties south and 
west were of the most neglected regions of the 
South. There was almost no Negro ownership of 
land. The crop lien tenancy conditions were unusu¬ 
ally repressive. The cabins lacked even-the crudest 
sanitary equipment. The meager public school 
funds of Lowndes County were divided between 
White and Colored in the ratio of thirteen to one 
per child. 

Conditions at once shaped the work into the fol¬ 
lowing departments: First, the school centre for 
a limited number of boarding pupils, with farm and 
industries; second, instruction of pupils from the 
cabins; third, community work; fourth extension 
work into the County and gradually beyond. 

Miss Dillingham survived only two years of Cal¬ 
houn’s early toils and hardships. Miss Thorn is still 
principal. 

In 1896, 3,283 acres adjoining the school were 


28 


purchased for resale to Negroes for $21,565.00. 
The resale was virtually at cost price, with the legal 
rate of 8 per cent interest on notes. Lots aver¬ 
aged 40 acres. Notwithstanding the purchasers’ 
lack of capital, tools, and stock, and against a series 
of unfavorable seasons, all payments were com¬ 
pleted within seven years. 

In 1907, 600 additional acres in the vicinity were 
brought under Negro ownership. There are now 
83 proprietors on a tract of about 4000 acres, of 
whom two-fifths have built cottages of from three 
to seven rooms. Nearly all these homes are paid 
for. 

The result of this land movement is a community 
which is described by standard books on the South 
as exceptionally moral, intelligent, and progres¬ 
sive, with far-reaching influence, and intimately 
co-operative with all the work of the school. The 
enlargement of this Negro land ownership under 
Calhoun’s direction is earnestly desired by the 
people and urged by educational authorities South 
and North. 

Calhoun had in the year 1916-17, 35 salaried work¬ 
ers, White and Colored, in nearly equal numbers. 
405 pupils were enrolled, 32 in excess of any previ¬ 
ous year. There are 92 boarding students, boys 
and girls. Over 150 additional applications were 
refused for lack of room. The graduating class 
numbered 18 

The endowment May 31, 1917, was $107,039.25. 
The value of land, 21 buildings, and equipment was 
$95,307.36. This includes a water system with com¬ 
plete fire protection. The library numbers 3,853 
volumes, and is well supplied with daily papers and 
periodicals. The following buildings have been 
contracted for: new barn, silo, grist and saw mill 
with tractor engine, and a three-room school. The 
rapid and permanent increase of pupils demands 
an addition of three large buildings for assembly 
hall, class rooms, shops, and dormitory space for 
200 boarding pupils. 



















SEWING ROOM 

The property is vested in an independent board 
of trustees: H. B. Frissell, president, Hampton In¬ 
stitute; Paul Revere Frothingham, vice-president, 
Boston; Charlotte R. Thorn, Treasurer, Calhoun; 
Pitt Dillingham, Secretary, Boston; Henry W. Far- 
naw, chairman Investment Committee, New Ha¬ 
ven ; N. Penrose Hallowed, member Investment 
Committee, Boston; William Jay Schieffelin, mem¬ 
ber Investment Committee, New York; Henry 
Ware Sprague, Buffalo; Joseph O. Thompson, Bir¬ 
mingham. 

The support is mainly from contributions. There 
is no State aid. The total income of the last fiscal 
year was $73,236.26. Of this sum $31,803.07 was 
for endowment, buildings, permanent improvement, 
and equipment. 

The purpose of Calhoun is the progress of the 
agricultural region of southern Alabama. The first 
obligation is to its own neighborhood, then to th.£ 
County, then to further sections as its work ex¬ 
tends and develops. It is in intimate and uncom¬ 
petitive co-operation with the larger institutions 
which serve the Colored population of the South 
generally, and with schools of higher education. 

The academic course, originally limited to the 
six lowest grades, has gradually increased to ten 
with the progressive needs of the people. Thor¬ 
ough drill is united with inspirational teaching, with 
training is given as far as the limits of the course 
outlooks into the world’s life and thought. Normal 
will permit, as graduates are in great demand for 



MILKING TIME 

29 


public school teaching. Calhoun graduates teach 
more than 1400 public school children in Lowndes 
County alone. Teachers of Calhoun’s higher aca¬ 
demic grades have all been trained in Northern col- 
lges and universities. Those in charge of the lower 
grades are graduates of colleges or standard normal 
schools. Moral and religious training is prominent, 
in which the school’s undenominational character 
is an advantage under the conditions of the field. 

Agricultural training is of chief importance. The 
school farm has 388 acres under intensive cultiva¬ 
tion ; 300 acres of this are rented, from necessity. 
There are three expert farmers and teachers. A 
fourth directs the people’s farming and business. 
The Colored farm demonstrator of the County is 
paid in part by the school. This department held 
last year a County Fair and eight farmers’ confer¬ 
ences. Its counsel is sought continually by farm¬ 
ers of the region. Public conferences and exten¬ 
sion lectures on farming are increasing through an 
enlarging number of communities. The response 
to President Wilson’s appeal for more food produc¬ 
tion to meet the needs of the world war was an¬ 
swered by Calhoun with a doubling of farm acre- 



BLACKSMITH SHOP 

age, large increase in buildings, equipment, stock 
and summer force of working students. 

The trades taught are carpentry, house building, 
repairing and painting, blacksmithing, cobbling, 
with harness repairing, cooking, sewing, laundry, 
and domestic crafts. Certificates are given in 
blacksmithing, cobbling and domestic arts, also in 
agriculture. The addition of a year to the course 
ensures the equivalent of two years’ trade school 
instruction in carpentry and building. 

Community and extension work is no less prom¬ 
inent than the school work proper. Community 
clubs and classes are held. Medical assistance is 
given by the school nurses at a low cost. Commu¬ 
nity sales held weekly through the term provide 
second-hand clothing from the North. The school’s 
community and extension workers and others of 
the force are continually among the people, whose 
visits to the school are frequent for meetings, en¬ 
tertainments, and private counsel. The life of 
home, farm, church, public school, and lodge is 
open to the school’s directive influence through 
an ever widening area, in a way to develop initia¬ 
tive. The County and extension work is largely 
done through approved persons, graduates and oth¬ 
ers, who render enthusiastic and unintrusive serv¬ 
ice. 











GEORGE W. CHANDLER 

EORGE W. CHANDLER is a 
produce of Talladega College, 
though a farm lad by birth. He 
is a member of the Masonic, Mo¬ 
saic Templars, Rising Sons and 
Daughters of Protection, and 
United Order of Good Shepherds. To these con¬ 
nections add that he is Notary Public of Mont¬ 
gomery County, a trustee and steward of the C. 
M. E. Church of Montgomery, Trustee of Miles 
Memorial College of Birmingham, and founder 
and trustee of the Good Shepherd’s Home of Dal¬ 
las County, Alabama, Editor Good Shepherd’s 
Magazine, and you have the list of services a man 
in quiet life can perform. 

Mr. Chandler was born on a farm some six miles 
from the town of Talladega. He attended the 
country school until he was twelve years old, after 
which he entered the preparatory department in 
Talladega Coollege. Five years here fitted him in 
a measure to begin to earn a livelihood. 

At the age of nineteen he left Talladega and 
found employment in a grocery store. On spending 
three years at this he became inspector for an in¬ 
surance company. This position he held for four 
years. From this date he began his life work, 


that in connection with the United Order of 
Good Shepherds. He is now Supreme Pres¬ 
ident of this organization, which operates pretty 
generally in the South and which owns some 3100 
acres of land in Dallas County, Alabama, owns a 
Shepherd Home and does a great deal of useful 
work among its members. 

His great achievement is the establishment of 
this order. Mr. Chandler founded this order in 
the town of Eufaula, Alabama, the third Wed¬ 
nesday in July, 1904. Those who stood by Mr. 
Chandler and were joint founders with him were 
Clark Richardson, Thomas Williams, Mary A. Jack- 
son, Ellen Turner, J. A. Ward, P. H. Harmon, and 
John L. Thomas. The body at that time had one 
little book of eight pages and a financial card. Its 
largest membership was one hundred and fifty. 

Very clearly re-organization was urgent, if the 
order really hoped to take its place among the 
substantial orders of the race. With some misgiv¬ 
ing but with ardent persistence Mr. Chandler set 
to work. Exactly one year later he called a meet¬ 
ing in Montgomery, offered fifty-six resolutions, 
one of which let the organization be incorporated, 
the membership had increased, confidence had been 
gained. All that he asked was done. 

Year by year the order began now to gain more 
members and a wider usefulness. It established an 
endowment system one year; another year it rais¬ 
ed its policy: a third year it established several 
additional Fountains, another year it passed reso¬ 
rptions to buy and build a home for old and decrepit 
members, widows and orphans. With seven hun¬ 
dred dollars in his pocket Mr. Chandler set forth 
to buy land for this home. Two thousand acres 
were bargained for in Dallas County, for which a 
first payment of $2000 was made. The order was 
now extending its arm into other States. It had 
Fountains in Georgia, in Florida, in Mississippi, in 
Oklahoma, as well as in Alabama. In 1910 the 
trustees added 1060 acres of land to that already 
purchased, making a tract of 3060 acres. 

Thus has the Order grown and fought its way to 
its feet. Its two farms have cost $36,000 with in¬ 
terest at 8%. The home for the aged and decrepit 
has been under continual improvement and care. 
During the last five years more than $6,000 has 
been raised and expended on the Home. All this 
goes to show that the trustees and George W. 
Chandler have not been idle to the opportunities 
of the man on the land. About one thousand acres 
of the land is improved, the remainder is good tim¬ 
ber land, land on which flourish white oak, pine, 
poplar, cedars, ash and red oak. Taken for all and 
all, this land which cost the Good Shepherds $34,000 
with interest, is now valued at $150,000. 

The Order has gained the confidence and good 
wishes of many of the leading citizens of Mont- 



30 



















NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS OF THE UNITED ORDER OF GOOD SHEPHERDS 


gomery, its headquarters, both white and black. 
Everywhere, it has kept its obligations and made 
friends, and employed reliable people as its rep¬ 
resentatives. A letter from Bishop J. W. Alstork 
will illustrate the good standing the Order of Good 
Shepherds has gained through the hard work of 
G. \Y. Chandler. 

Bishop J. W. Alstork of the A. M. E. Zion Church 
says in part: 

If men are to be commended and rewarded for 
what they have done, you deserve a place in the 
first rank of those who have done something for 
the advancement and general uplift of the people. 
I regard the project of purchasing the Good Shep¬ 
herd Home as one of the most advanced steps evei 
taken for the race in this Country. W hen it comes 
to Agriculture and economics it stands far above 
any Neg'ro Society for broadness in scope and 
comprehension in arrangements. 

Mr. Chandler believes in real estate as one of 
the best investments for anyone, especially for the 
colored people. He believes that such investments 
tend to raise a man in the esteem of his fellows 


in a community, and to make him feel on the other 
hand responsibility. Through very close economy 
which he learned to practice early in his career, 
Mr. Chandler has been able to make many very 
happy investments in the business of real estate. 
His investments and property holdings are rated 
at $20,000. 

For both business and pleasure he has been able 
to travel much, having covered practically all the 
Southern States and a few Northern States in his 
journeys. Mainly his trips have been in the in¬ 
terest of the Order of the Good Shepherds which 
owes to him much credit for its success as an or¬ 
ganization. 

Mr. Chandler’s family is small, consisting of 
three, himself, Mrs. Chandler and daughter. He 
was married in 1904. Mrs. Chandler was Miss Liz¬ 
zie Redding of Macon, Georgia. The daughter. 
Nettie Lena Chandler; is a pupil in school. 

Mr. Chandler has the confidence and the good 
wishes of the leading citizens of the State of 
Alabama, 


31 













S. N. DICKERSON 


PTIMISM and pessimism are to 
be found in all the walks of life 
and are not confined to any race, 
class or profession. While this is 
true to find a business enthusiast 
among the colored race is a rarity, 
is Samuel Newton Dickerson of 
Talladega, Ala. A business rather than a profes¬ 
sional life appealed to him and he has put into his 
business that energy, zeal and intelligence which 
wins success. 

Mr. Dickerson was born in Talladega, the city 
where he began his business career and which has 
been the field of his business activities. 

He was born at the close of the civil war and 
received his education at the Talladega College. 
He first entered the public school where he was 
prepared for the college course. Like most young 
colored men his way to an education was not a 
rosy path. 

The educational facilities of the town were am¬ 
ple for his purposes but the question of a livelihood 
made it difficult for him to avail himself of them. 

In addition to his own support he had the care of 
his mother and sister to whose comforts he devot¬ 


ed his life. One of his outstanding traits is his de¬ 
votion and loyalty to his family. 

Difficulties are not fatal to a strong man but act 
as a tonic to spur him on so it is not surprising 
that Mr. Dickerson succeeded in the face of diffi¬ 
culties in securing an education. 

Mr. Dickerson’s first business venture was that 
of a painter which he followed for fifteen years 
from 1890. He then entered the Drug business 
which he continued for ten years with marked suc¬ 
cess. 

From this line of business he entered the gen¬ 
eral mercantile business which now occupies his 
time and attention. 

While push is his watchword in business con¬ 
servatism steadies his place and it is to these two 
characteristics that he has scored so great a suc¬ 
cess. 

Concerning life as a poor man through thrift 
and good management he has accumulated a good 
property. Besides his home he owns a store, six 
rental houses, several city lots and one hundred and 
ten suburban lots. He also owns a share of stock 
in the Chinabar Cotton Mill. 

He is a great advocate of the Negro entering the 
marts of trade and encourages the establishment of 
individual firms but his ideals of business take a 
wider range than the individual and reaches out to 
the community life. He believes in co-operation 
and takes the position that the colored citizen has 
a part to play in the development of the civic life 
of the community and should take part in all en¬ 
terprises of a public nature which has for its end 
the upbuilding of the community life. 

He sees in this way the best method to win re¬ 
cognition and respect for the worthy colored citi¬ 
zens. 

Mr. Dickerson’s talent as a business man and 
promoter is recognized by his friends who con¬ 
stantly come to him for advice, and they always 
find in him a friendly and sound adviser. 

Aside from his personal business connections he 
has headed a number of business associations. 

He has served as President of the Talladega 
Business League, President of the Farmers Invest¬ 
ment and Benevolent Association, President of the 
Negro Merchant’s Association, and Vice-President 
of the Alabama Negro Business League. He has 
given much time and thought to these organiza¬ 
tions and they have profited through his wise coun¬ 
sel. 

In business matters he is a leader, but in the do¬ 
main of religion he prefers to follow. He is a 
member of the Baptist Church and does his part in 
keeping up the church enterprises. He is also a 
Mason and has served as Worshipful Master of the 
Mariah division. 

Mr. Dickerson’s home life is happy though de¬ 
prived of children. In 1890 he married Miss Alice 
Camp of his home city. Although they have no 
children of their own, childhood makes a strong ap¬ 
peal to them and they spend much time and money 
in helping the children of others. They are the 
children’s friends. 

He gave his sister, Mrs. T. B. Barnett, the best 
of educational advantages and fitted her for teach¬ 
ing. She is now a teacher in the Swayne College, 
Montgomery, and ranks high in the profession. 



32 





JOHN WILLIAM BEVERLY. 



EFORE SLAVERY was abolished 
there was born in Hale Comity, 
Alabama, not far from Greens¬ 
boro, a baby boy who was destin¬ 
ed to play a large part in the edu¬ 
cational advancement of the col¬ 
ored race of Alabama. That babe 
was John William Beverly. 

Nature endowed him with a bright mind which 
was largely developed through the agency of the 
Lincoln Normal College, then located at Greens¬ 
boro, where he received his education. 

After reaching that period of life when he must 
decide upon a calling he chose the profession of 
teaching and his first work in the school room after 
his graduation was at a school near Demopolis, 
Alabama. Here he served during the years 1886 
and 1887. 

From 1887 to 1890 he taught in the Lincoln Nor¬ 


mal College 


and from there he went to Brown 
University, Providence. R. I. 

He returned to Alabama in 1894 and became the 
Assistant Principal of the State Normal School. 

This school was established as Lincoln Normal 
University at Marion, Perry County, by act of the 
Alabama Legislature in 1873. It was moved to 
Montgomery in 1889 and the name changed to its 
present title. 

When Professor William B. Patterson, a white 
man, who for forty years had presided over the 
school and contributed much to its development, 


33 


died in the year 1915, Prof. Beverly was called to 
take his place and since that time he has devoted 
his time, energy and talents to its welfare. Under 
his leadership the school has not only maintained 
the high standard to which his predecessor had 
brought it but has advanced beyond it. 

Having a good foundation to build upon he has 
proved himself a master builder. 

While his main thought is concentrated upon the 
school room his interest in the welfare of his peo¬ 
ple does not end there. His vision carries him 
beyond the domain of the college and he finds op¬ 
portunities to serve his people on the outside 
through the medium of his pen. 

He possesses exceptional talent as a writer and 
it has served him well in the preparation of pamph¬ 
lets for distribution among those who are denied 
educational advantages. In this way many who 
are denied privileges are kept in touch with the ed¬ 
ucational progress of the day and are influenced to 
make sacrifice in the interest of the education of 
the children. 

He is the editor of “Practical Ethics for Children” 
and “Guide to the English Oration.” 

His writings have taken a broad range but pos¬ 
sibly the work which has brought him into greater 
prominence as a writer is his History of Alabama. 
This work has been adopted by the State Board as 
a supplementary study of Alabama History. Prof- 
fessor Beverly is a man of deep thought and con¬ 
siders well his plans before executing them. 

He is a farmer and owns and cultivates farms in 
Elmore and Montgomery Counties. He has studi¬ 
ed closely the advanced theories of farming and 
has watched their practical test and has adopted 
those which appealed to his judgment. In this 
way he has brought his farming operations to a 
higher standard of success. 

He owns his home which is located at 105 Tatum 
Street, Montgomery, the refined elegance of which 
is the reflection of the refined taste of the occu¬ 
pant. 

Associated with Professor Beverly in the opera¬ 
tion of the State Normal Institute are a corps of 
teachers, gifted in their particular branches and 
who render valuable assistance to the Principle in 
promoting the welfare of the college. 

Through the splendid system of operation put 
into effect by the Principle and forcibly carried out 
by the faculty, the pupils are thoroughly ecpupped 
to fill their places in life in their chosen fields of 
endeavor. 

The faculty of the State Normal College is as 
follows: J. W. Beverly, Principal; Annie W. 
Doak, Secretary; Mary L. Strong, Literature; 
Rev. E. E. Scott, History; Miss Mary F. Mon¬ 
roe, Mathematics; J. L. Kilpatrick, Science; Venus 
H. Lewis, Supervisor Study room; Albert H. Bev¬ 
erly, English; Christine L. Graves, English; Rosa 
L. Shaw, Drawing; Gertrude L. Watkins, Domestic 
Science; Josie Murray, Domestic Art; E. M. Lewis, 
Carpentry; Annie L. Brown, Music; Bertha I.. 
Smith, Supervisor of Model School and Peda¬ 
gogics ; H. S. Murphy, Agriculture; Camille High- 
tow er, Sewing and Physical Culture; Minnie J. 
Lewis, first grade; Josie Govan, second grade; 
Bertha West, third grade; Merillo T. Garner, 
fourth grade ; Dora D. Beverly, fifth grade; Bessie 
L. Nelms, sixth grade; Mary F. Terrell, seventh 
grade; M. J. Moore, eighth grade. 










LINCOLN LACONIA BURWELL, M. D. 

1NCOLN LACONIA BURWELL, 
of Selma, Alabama, is, like the 
other professional men in these 
pages, an answer to the query: 
“We give money to educate Ne¬ 
groes, but what becomes of them 

As a boy in Marengo County, Alabama, where 
he was born, he was all but destitute. He was 
given away to rear when eight years old, to his 
brother, Charles A. Burwell. While working on 
the farm in the usual way of a country boy, he 
showed ability to grasp more than the rural school 
had to offer. 

Accordingly, in 1883, he went to the Alabama 
Baptist Normal and Theological School, now Sel¬ 
ma University. By 1886 he finished the college 
preparatory course as valedictorian of the class. In 
the same year he entered the Leonard Medical Col¬ 
lege, Shaw University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 
completed in three years the course in medicine 
which usually covers four years. Here, again, he 
was valedictorian. 

With no money and no backing Dr. Burwell re¬ 
turned to Selma. At first he worked as a pharma¬ 
cist. Having an opportunity to buy a business, he 


entered into a partnership to purchase a drug 
store equipment and stock. He borrowed one hun¬ 
dred dollars, which each partner was to pay in 
cash, from his brother-in-law, and gave notes for 
the balance. In a little while, however, he sold his 
share, and devoted all his attention to the practice 
of medicine. Four months after this step, the 
business failed. But Dr. Burwell felt that the col¬ 
ored people ought to have a place to have their 
prescriptions filled and to get soda water without 
embarrassment, and therefore set up a business 
for himself. The store was a room, twelve feet by 
fourteen, which he built near his home. Perfume 
bottles took the place of regular stock bottles, and 
the tinctures were made in spare hours. 

As the business grew Dr. Burwell moved, always 
getting larger quarters and nearer the center of 
town. On April 20, 1895, when steady develop¬ 
ment had brought much increased volume, the drug 
store was destroyed by fire. In two months, how¬ 
ever, the store was open again, notwithstanding 
the small insurance. In 1904 he put up a splendid 
brick structure opposite the City Buildings in the 
business section of Selma. Here are all the attrac¬ 
tions and accommodations that the best drug 
stores anywhere offer, with four persons regularly 
employed. There is a large soda fountain, chairs 
and tables in the center of the room, telephone 
booth, offices for medical consultation and treat¬ 
ment. Everything is so well arranged and kept 
that it makes a Negro a little proud of himself 
just to enter here. 

Dr. Burwell has constantly kept in view his duty 
of service to his fellows. Educated under Christian 
auspices, he felt, indeed he knew, that accomplish¬ 
ment, talent, knowledge, and wealth were but 
loans to be repaid in helping others. So, he taught 
pharmacy to Drs. G. W. Clark, T. L. A. Tomlinson 
and C. W. Reid. These young men were thus able 
to pass the Alabama Pharmacy Board without the 
expense of attending the schools. Several others, 
now doctors, were able to shorten their course in 
college because of help from him. 

In the late nineties, yellow fever invaded the 
lower South, and, of course struck Selma. The rich 
and well-to-do fled northward, leaving their homes 
and property to the mercy of those who remained. 
The white citizens organized a protective league to 
see that no vandalism was practised in the city. 
Dr. Burwell organized a similar league among the 
colored people, which detailed seven men. to patrol 
the colored sections and any other district assign¬ 
ed to them. No vandalism was practiced, and both 
races to this day point to the incident with pride. 
Another evidence of the public spirit of our sub¬ 
ject is the fact that he raised a group of thirty 
three men who enlisted in Company C. Third Ala¬ 
bama Volunteers, for service in the Spanish- 
American War. 



34 










BURWELL’S INFIRMARY 


Notwithstanding the heavy burden of business 
activities, Dr. Burwell does not neglect his 
religious duties. He is a devout Christian work¬ 
er. During the twenty-seven years of his life in 
Selma his interest has constantly followed both 
church and school. For thirteen years he was Sec¬ 
retary of the Board of Trustees of Selma Uni¬ 
versity, of which he is still a member, giving to his 
Alma Mater time and service and often carrying 
financial responsibilities with no thought of re¬ 
turn. 

The city of Selma is one of the few in which 
Negroes have an infirmary. The average colored 
patient must stay at home, however inconvenient it 
may be for him, and expose his family. Dr. Bur- 
well it was who founded the infirmary in Selma 
in 1907, providing competent trained nurses to give 
the colored people the same chance at health and 
recovery that others may have. At present, be¬ 
sides the founder, nine white physicians take their 
colored patients here for operation and treatment. 
Incidentally, this is no inconsiderable haven for the 
Negro nurses. 

When Dr. Burwell announced the opening of 
the Infirmary, an announcement which gave him 
no little pleasure, as it voiced the consummation 
of a noble achievement, he took occasion to speak 



DR. BURWELL’S RESIDENCE 


of another of his enterprises in the following sig¬ 
nificant words: 

\\ ith a big store erected and paid for, where the 
Negro can come and does come, without any timi¬ 
dity 01 fear, with such business as gives employ¬ 
ment to four Negroes daily, and with six young 
men inspired and prepared to do life’s work as thev 
may choose, the fondest hope of what I wanted to 
do for my race is realized.” 

1 hese words evince a commendable pride for 
achievements in the interest of his race. 

Dr. Burwell possessed of a zeal in the interest 
of his people and devoting much of his time and 
talent to their advancement was not unmindful of 
his life calling and the steady development of his 
practice bears testimony to his popularity as a 
physician. 

With all these big things, Dr. Burwell is a rather 
intense family man. You will not talk with him 
long before you are informed that to Mrs. Burwell, 
who was Miss Lavinia Richardson, is due the great¬ 
est credit for his success. His two daughters were 
educated in Oberlin, Ohio. Miss Almedia L. Bur¬ 
well was graduated from the College, having taken 
also extensive work in the Conservatory of Music 
of the same institution. She is now teacher of 
music in the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical 
College, Tallahassee, Florida. The other daughter, 
Miss Elezora L. Burwell, is interested in business. 



DR. BURWELL’S LIBRARY 


She was graduated from the Oberlin Business Col¬ 
lege in 1915, and is now Secretary to the President 
of Selma Univeristy. 

Thus it appears that this man, starting rather 
destitute in Marengo County, has given a good 
account of his stewardship. Being a member of 
the Baptist State Convention of the Order of 
Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, trustee of 
Selma University, builder of a big drug store busi¬ 
ness, helper of the poor student and the poor peo¬ 
ple, founder and promoter of a Negro infirmary, he 
has certainly earned the title of big and public- 
spirited citizen. Add to this the splendid education 
of his children and his erection of one of the finest 
homes in Selma, and you will see why Dr. Burwell 
is pointed to with pride by members of the race, 
and you will also read the answer to the query 
with which we began. 


35 



































WILLIAM HENRY COLEMAN, M. D. 


R. WILLIAM HENRY COLEMAN 
of Bessemer, Alabama, follow¬ 
ed in the wake of many of our 
leading men in getting his educa¬ 
tion, only he used a greater varie¬ 
ty of occupations perhaps than 
most of those who have made 
the bottom. Born in Montgomery, 
Alabama, January 9th 1877 he attended school for 
a while in his native city. 

Finishing such training as he could get here at 
that time he became a student in Payne University, 
Selma, Alabama. From Payne he finally made his 
way into Meharry Medical College at Nashville, 
where he was graduated in 1900. 

His ambition to fit himself for the medical pro¬ 
fession did not lead him along a smooth path but 
he won the victory when he formed the purpose to 
succeed and his subsequent efforts were more inci¬ 
dents in his plan. 

In order to complete the courses both in college 
and medicine he found it necessary to put his hand 
to a variety of tasks. One session he taught school 
but the revenue from this source was inadequate to 
meet his expenses so he gave up this employment 
and sought another. His next employment was 
that of Bell boy in a hotel and while not so digni¬ 
fied a position as teaching school it added to his in¬ 
come and served his purposes better. 

From Hotel bellman he became a Pullman porter, 


covering in his journeys the greater part of the 
United States and going into Canada and into Mex¬ 
ico. 

From this latter work he v/as enabled to save 
\ 

sufficient money to pursue and finish his medical 
studies, though he had to practice the greatest 
economy and added to his fund by working as jan¬ 
itor of the college and filling other posts that would 
yield him a penny to carry forward his education. 
Having to work hard for an education he learned to 
appreciate its value more and the very sacrifices he 
made to secure it added to its impelling forces 
in his after life. Graduating from Meharry in 1900, 
he first began practice in Crawfordsville, Arkan¬ 
sas. While the life of a country physician brought 
a rich reward in health and strength he felt 
the call of a larger field and so after one years re¬ 
sidence in Crawfordsville he removed to Bessemer, 
Alabama, where he opened an office in 1901 and 
where he has continued to reside until now. 

His practice has grown wonderfully during his 
eighteen years residence in Bessemer as has his 
popularity as a man and physician. He is inured 
to hard work and notwithstanding his large prac¬ 
tice he finds time to devote to his social, civic and 
religious duties. 

He is an active churchman and makes his per¬ 
sonality felt in the religious body to which he be¬ 
longs, Allen Temple A. M. E. Church. 

He is also actively identified with a number of 
secret orders, the Masons, Knights of Pythias, Mo¬ 
saic Templers and others. 

While giving close attention to his patients and 
not neglecting the manifold duties crowding into 
the life of busy men he still continues his studies 
and often the product of his pen finds its way to 
the medical journals. 

He made it a rule to consider the problems of life 
with calmness and wisdom and never to yield to the 
suggestions of worry. He realized that all action 
is followed by equal reaction and so he fortified 
himself against all depressive influences. 

The reason why he is enabled to accomplish so 
much is that he carefully plans his work and works 
to a definite point. 

One of his theories is, that the margin between 
success and failure is very small and that success is 
not so much due to great ability as the use you 
make of the ability you have, whether it be great 
or small. 

He loves his profession and has given to it the 
best that is in him. 

The domestic life of Dr. Coleman is very happy 
and it is an abiding joy to care for his aged mother, 
who makes her home with him. 

He was married in 1914 to Miss Mattie Kirk¬ 
patrick of Nashville, Tennessee, who is a help meet 
in every sense of the word. 

They live in a modern home worth about $5000.00 
and have investments in both residence and busi¬ 
ness property. 

The atmosphere of hospitality and good will per¬ 
vades their home. 



36 









ARTHUR WILLIS DAVIS, B. S„ M. D. 

N the year 1875, in Marion Ala¬ 
bama, Dr. Arthur Willis Davis 
was born. At that time for a 
black man to aspire to the study 
of medicine was to approach a 
field shrouded in awe and mys¬ 
tery. But notwithstanding- the veil of mystery 
covering the profession, Dr. Davis decided to enter 
its domain. 

The facilities offered to the colored youth in this 
line of endeavor in his section of the country was 
much beclouded, the teachers few and not espe¬ 
cially competent, which made the road that young 
Davis had to travel to reach his aspiration full of 
difficulties. 

Difficulties discourage the weak but brace the 
strong so Dr. Davis made his way through them 
to a gratifying success. 

Marion, the birth place of Dr. Davis and where 
he received a public school education, was an edu¬ 
cational center, the very atmosphere of the place 
breathing the spirit of education, which no doubt 
contributed to his aspirations. He had seen many 
young men and women leave the educational insti¬ 
tutions located there achieve success in life and 


naturally he attributed their success to the prepa¬ 
ration they had received in college. He formed the 
determination to secure a good education himself 
and having come to that decision he left home in 
search of his goal. 

He first attended the Talladega College at Tal¬ 
ladega, Alabama, where he received his B. S. de¬ 
gree. 

He specialized in the sciences for the good it 
would serve him in his life work. 

After completing his course at Talladega Col¬ 
lege he next entered Meharry Medical College and 
completed his course of study there in 1903. 

He was now ready to hang out his shingle and in 
casting about for a place to begin his life work 
his eyes .turned towards his native State, ambi¬ 
tious alike to serve his own people as well as him¬ 
self. 

Tuscumbia won his favor and it was in this town 
that he began the practice of his profession which 
extended to the near-by City of Sheffield. 

It proved to be a wise choice. In the section he 
had selected as a field of labor the colored man liv¬ 
ed in great numbers and stood together in all 
efforts towards advancement. It is hardly neces¬ 
sary to add that he soon had a number of patients. 

When he opened his office in Tuscumbia his sole 
wealth was $25. This nest egg has multiplied 
many times. 

After fourteen years of practice his list of assets 
show that he owns a comfortable home, a drug 
store and stock, two farms and a residence in Shef¬ 
field which he rents. To have accumulated such a 
property in so short a time shows business ability 
as well as professional skill. He had learned the 
art of saving which is the first lesson in permanent 
success. 

His term at the Talladega College left a religious 
impress upon his life which remained with him. In 
his religious belief he is a Congregationalist though 
in sympathy with all religious bodies. 

In Fraternal matters Dr. Davis is a Mason and 
a member of the Mosaic Templars. 

He is the State medical examiner for the Mosaic 
Templars and is also the medical examiner for the 
Conservative Life Insurance Company of West 
Virginia, the Standard Life Insurance Company of 
Atlanta, Georgia, and for the Lincoln Reserve 
Company of Birmingham, Alabama. 

Dr. Davis was married December 26th, 1905, to 
Miss Hattie Lee Jackson of Nashville, Tennessee, 
a Christmas gift, which has always appealed to his 
heart. They have one child, a daughter, who 
makes sunshine in their home. 

Miss Sadie May Davis is still a young Miss in 
school, seeking like her father to fit herself for a 
life of service. No doubt under his guiding hand 
she will find her place and fill it with the same 
credit that he has filled his. 



37 










JAMES OLIVER DIFFAY. 

NE of the quietest, most courteous 
and most humble men of Birming¬ 
ham, Alabama is J. 0. Diffay. Mr, 
Diffay has the habit, more com¬ 
mon in the country than in town, 
of seeing strangers. In a quiet, 
easy way he soon manages to get them by the hand 
to find out what they are looking for and to help 
them secure the object of their search, whether this 
be a lodging house, a good meal, a business prop¬ 
osition or a railway station. 

Of course there is more or less reason for this 
on the part of Mr. Diffay. He is one of the oldest 
citizens of the giant Southern city. He knew Bir¬ 
mingham when the town was near rural, when 
there were few if any street lights, no cars or tax¬ 
icabs, and no street signs to guide the stranger. 

How rural it was is brought out by a few facts 
of Mr. Diffay’s early childhood. Mr. Diffay was 
born back in the early sixties in what is now Bir¬ 
mingham. He attended the county school up to 
the fifth grade, attending about 4 months in the 
year. While going to school Mr. Diffay worked on 
the farm. 1 hus the setting hereabout was closely 
akin to rural in Mr. Diffay’s early days. 


At the age of twenty-four Mr. Diffay entered 
the business of selling produce. Finding this not 
so much to his liking he next set up a barber shop 
for colored people and set out to grow with the 
town. Mr. Diffay always felt that the colored peo¬ 
ple should have just as attractive shop, just as com¬ 
petent and polite service as any other people. Thus 
as Birmingham grew he improved his shop. Here 
is a $10,000 emporium with some twelve odd revolv¬ 
ing chairs, large mirrors, hot and cold water, 
baths, electric fans, pool room parlors, social club, 
indeed all that makes a barber shop pleasant to look 
upon and a refreshing place to visit. Twelve bar¬ 
bers, neat and alert, are employed steadily here to 
wait on the colored customers. Probably taken 
all in all there is nowhere a better shop for col¬ 
ored people than this of Mr. Diffay’s in Birming¬ 
ham. 

For years Mr. Diffay labored here, working be¬ 
hind the chair himself superintending his helpers, 
acting as cashier and watching for and putting in 
improvements. His big shop in recent years has 
become well known, his business secure. He has 
therefore for a good while been free to look about 
the city, to watch the progress of the people and to 
play a formidable part in the growth of Negro bus¬ 
iness. Finding himself comparatively free, Mr. 
Diffay turned much attention to real estate, with 
the result that before the hard times came on his 
business in real estate almost rivaled that in the 
barber shop. 

When the late Dr. Pettiford, sometimes spoken 
of as the Nestor of Negro Bankers,” started the 
Penny Savings Bank, Mr. Diffay was among the 
first whose good will and cooperation were sought. 
He seconded Dr. Pettiford in all his actions, was 
for years the vice-president of the bank. When Dr. 
Pettiford died, Mr. Diffay succeeded him, becoming- 
president of the Alabama Penny Saving's Bank and 
the Prudential Bank which had combined their in¬ 
terests. 

Though his education was not far advanced dur¬ 
ing his youth, Mr. Diffay, besides the advantages 
of very good local contact, has embraced every 
chance of self-improvement. He is especially zeal¬ 
ous of race education, of knowing what colored 
people are really doing. Then, you\vill find him in 
a teachers convention, a farmers’ conference, a Y. 
M. C. A. cabinet meeting, a doctor’s gathering, lis¬ 
tening and quietly questioning. In this way he 
keeps himself young, well informed and surrounded 
by a host of warm friends. 

These meetings are not on Mr. Diffay’s required 
list. His Grand Fodge meetings, his church meet¬ 
ings are. Few men are seen oftener in their pews 
of the famous 16th Street Baptist Church than Mr. 
Diffay. Few are more liberal towards it with sup¬ 
port, time and counsel than he. 

Mr. Diffay owns and lives in a beautiful new 
home near the rush of the city, yet removed from 
the noise of traffic and cars. Here Mrs. Diffay, for¬ 
merly Miss Soselle Bradford, makes stranger or 
friend feel perfectly at ease. Indeed, the Diffays 
have a cordial way of turning you loose, to go when 
you please and where you please and to come back 
when you please. Very likely there is no colored 
man in Birmingham who has made as many friends 
for the city as has J. O. Diffay. 



38 








DARIUS H. HENRY, D. D. 


R. Darius H. Henry is a type of 
that Emersonian American who 
does a great many things pretty 
well. He has taught school, been 
a farm demonstrator, an editor 
and a pastor. Of these he still 
holds one or two pastorates and he still farms. 

Dr. Henry was born in 1866 in Coy, Alabama. 



At a tender age he was given to his grandparents 
who spared no pains in trying to train him up in 
the fear of God and educate him to become a useful 


citizen. To them he owes all his education and all 
the inspiration that he received in his youth. The 
lad was first sent to the public school of Coy, Ala¬ 
bama where he remained till he needed more ad¬ 
vanced work and he was then sent to the public 
school at Camden, Alabama. From Camden he en¬ 
tered Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute 
and was graduated from the Normal department 
in 1890. 

On leaving Tuskegee, Dr. Henry returned to his 
native town, Coy, and for two years taught the 
public school there. Thinking to enlarge his use¬ 
fulness and better himself at the same time, he left 
Coy and went to Avenger, Texas. Here for five 
years he taught the public school and, with Mr. J. 
W. Friday edited a school Medical Journal. He was 


later editor-in-chief of the Watchman, a paper pub¬ 
lished in Texarkana. 

Giving up his work as editor and teacher in Tex¬ 
as, Dr. Henry returned to Alabama, to Coy, and 
began to farm. Dr. Henry owns his own farm of 
1240 acres, and valued at $25.00 per acre and runs it 
himself. His average cotton yield is seventy-five 
bales a year. He runs on his plantation a saw mill, 
a ginnery and a grist mill. In the ginnery alone he 
does a great business, for there passes through his 
mill from 250 to 300 bales of cotton a year. Mr. 
Henry has not neglected to put around himself and 
family all the comforts of country life. The fam¬ 
ily lives in their own home which is valued at $1800 
and they have around them all those comforts of 
fruit trees, vines, garden and stock that make life 
in the rural districts content. Indeed so successful 
has Dr. Henry been as a farmer that the late Dr. 
Washington once sent him to a Governor of Ala¬ 
bama as an example of Negro progress in agricul¬ 
ture. For two years he served the Government of 
his country as United States Demonstration Agent 
in Wilcox County. 

Dr. Henry’s work as pastor is not eclipsed by his 
labors as a farmer. He was introduced to the 
Baptist State Convention by the Rev. L. S. Stein- 
bach. And he has proven worthy of the trust put 
in him. He is a member of and pastor of the Little 
Zion Baptist Church, at Coy, Alabama, his native 
home. Dr. Henry divides his time as pastor with 
the Magnolia Baptist Church at Camden, where as 
a boy he attended school. Nor is the labor of Dr. 
Henry confined solely to his locality. He is Mod¬ 
erator of the Star Hope Association of his section 
and he was for eighteen years clerk of this asso¬ 
ciation. He has served on boards for the asocia- 
tion and for the convention as well. Indeed so 
freely has Dr. Henry given himself to the cause 
of the Baptists of the state and so great has been 
his development along these lines that Selma Uni¬ 
versity conferred upon him the degree of Doctor 
of Divinity in recognition of his growth and of his 
service. 

In fraternal membership Dr. Henry belongs to 
the Masonic Lodge 195 of Coy, Alabama, and to the 
Eastern Star 75. He is Master of the former and 
Worthy Patron of the latter. Dr. Henry was 
married in 1897 to Miss Julia A. Brewer. There 
are no children in the Henry family. 

When it was known that I. T. Vernon was to re¬ 
sign his post as Register of the United States 
Treasury, Dr. Henry’s friends highly recommend¬ 
ed him for the vacancy. This application was en¬ 
dorsed by both Democrats and Republicans as well 
as the leading colored men of Alabama. His cre¬ 
dentials arrived too late but the effort served to 
show him the high esteem in which he was held 
by his fellow citizens. 


39 























WILLIAM J. EDWARDS 


MONG the men who sat under 
Booker T. Washington and 
caught his vision of service in the 
uplift of the unfortunate in out- 
of-the-way places, William J. 
Edwards is a brilliant example. 
Hill, Wilcox County, Alabama, in 
the year 1870, his career has been marked with pri¬ 
vation and difficulties almost impassable. Diffi¬ 
culties either make or break a man and in the case 
of Professor Edwards they proved his making. 

His mother died when he was only twelve months 
old and his father left Snow Hill when he was 
about six years of age and in a short while the 
message came that he too was dead. Left an or¬ 
phan at the early age of six he was placed in the 
care of his old grand-mother who did her best to 
meet the responsibility and provide for the devel¬ 
opment of his mind as well as his body. 

She sent him to the neighboring school but often 
with only bread for his lunch. The lack of food, 
however, did not quench the thirst for knowledge 
and he applied himself to his books with great 
energy and determination. 

When he reached the age of twelve this friend 
and protector was also taken from him and he was 

40 


left to shift for himself. Perplexed and almost 
bewildered he consulted a minister in the com¬ 
munity and through him learned of the Tuskegee 
Institute. He at once determined to attend this 
school and in order to provide the means for his 
tuition he rented two acres of land, cultivated it 
and in the fall when his crop was gathered he en¬ 
tered the Institution. He not only entered the 
school but finished his course and finally stood out¬ 
side of its walls to face the problem which con¬ 
fronts most young men who graduate and are 
ready to take up the active duties of life. “What 
next?” Law and the Ministry both made a strong 
appeal to him and he gave them the closest con¬ 
sideration but the vision of service to the unfor¬ 
tunate which Booker T. Washington had placed 
before his mind had gotten too strong a hold upon 
him to be easily cast off so it decided his life work. 
The outcome of this plan was the founding of the 
Snow Hill Normal and Industrial Institute. 

When his purpose was formed his mind instinc¬ 
tively turned towards Snow Hill, the place of his 
boyhood struggles. He moved cautiously, how¬ 
ever, not wishing to make a mistake at the incep¬ 
tion of his plans. He wanted to be sure of his 
ground. To this end he canvassed several of the 
Black belt centers, noting the condition of the peo¬ 
ple, the relation of the races and the educational 
advantages enjoyed by them. 

When he first went to the Tuskegee Institute he 
made most of the journey on foot and the initial 
journey through the counties of the black belt in 
the interest of his proposed enterprise was made in 
a like manner. It was best to travel in this way 
from two standpoints. It was cheaper, and money 
was a consideration with him at that time, and by 
this method of travel it gave him an opportunity to 
meet more of the people among whom he hoped to 
labor. 

The result of this journey decided him where to 
locate his school and also determined its character. 

He found that there was a colored population in 
the Snow Hill district of more than 200,000 and a 
school population of 85,499. The people he found 
to be ignorant and superstitious and that strictly 
speaking there were no public schools and but one 
private one. That they were being taught by min¬ 
isters and teachers not far above them in intelli¬ 
gence. 

Visions are given us to inspire to noble effort 
so Professor Edwards immediately set to work to 
translate his vision into reality and the Snow Hill 
Normal and Industrial Institute is the monument 
to his labors. To this institution he has given his 
life. He has expanded it, developed its courses, 
added many buildings and best of all has realized 
his dream of a school for the people. 

The founder of this school must have kept before 
his mind the line “Tall oaks from little acorns 
grow” and had learned well the lesson “not to de¬ 
spise the day of small things.” When his school 
started in the year 1894 its housing was an old log 
cabin, its teaching force one and the number of 








SNOW HILL NORMAL AND INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTE 


pupils three. This equipment backed by a capital 
of fifty cents marked its modest beginning. 

By the way of contrast we quote from the Gov¬ 
ernment Bulletin No. 39 issued in 1916: 

“Total attendance 293; male 145 and female 148. 
Total teaching- forces 29; all colored; male 15. and 
female 14: academic 14, boys’ industries 5, girls in¬ 
dustries 2, matron 1, executive and office workers 
6, agriculture 1. 

The acorn has become a tree and proudly stands 
as a monument to faith, energy and an abiding pur¬ 
pose to serve the people among whom the founder 
was born and reared. 

As stated above the school was founded in the 
year 1894 and is the outgrowth of a vision which 
came to the principal, Professor William J. Ed¬ 
wards, while a student at the Tuskegee Institute. 
The school is owned and controlled by a board of 
capable Northern and Southern men. 

Its material growth has been very rapid and 
while it has contributed to the pride of the insti¬ 
tute its chief glory lies in the educational advant¬ 
ages it has given the community and the prepara¬ 
tion it has given its pupils for their life work. 

It has given them especial training in the literary 
branches but in addition has given them the choice 
of thirteen trades. 

Being located near the center of a rich agricul¬ 
tural belt it has laid emphasis upon the Agricul¬ 
tural Department. 

Farming is the chief industry of the people and 
it was realized that a very large per cent of the 
graduates would turn to the soil, so it was deter¬ 
mined to teach them the science of farming so that 
they would make better farmers and win from the 
land larger and more diversified crops. It has 
been slow work to teach the pupils the advantage 
of scientific farming over the old methods but the 

41 


leaven is beginning to work and ere long the whole 
community will see the advantage of the Scientific 
method. 

The school has a large acreage of land (about 
2000 acres and considerable industrial equipment. 
It hs twenty-one buildings and a property valua¬ 
tion of about $90,000. Its org-anization com¬ 
prises Elementary, Industrial and Agriculture. The 
elementary work covers eight years, divided into 
primary school of six years, and the preparatorv 
and junior classes of one year each. There are 
four upper classes which include some elementary 
subjects, called “B middle,” “A middle,” “Senior 
preparatory” and “Senior.” 

The secondary subjects are english, chemistry, 
physics, biology, agriculture, geometry, algebra, 
civil government, moral philosophy, school "man¬ 
agement and psychology. 

In the Industrial department is taught carpentry, 
blacksmithing, printing, leather work, masonry, 
tailoring and commercial. 

In the agricultural department the chief thing 
taught is agriculture. 

To this school its founder and principal has given 
his entire time, his best thought and his physical 
strength. In its development he has not spared 
himself. He has traveled far and wide in its inter¬ 
est and has often been heard on the platform in its 
behalf. Possessing oratorical powers he has been 
much in demand as a speaker which has given him 
many opportunities to keep his school before the 
public. His theory is that a teacher should ever 
be a student and acting upon this theory he at¬ 
tends the summer school at Chicago, Harvard and 
other places. 

Snow Hill Institute has been conducted in such 
a manner as to win the confidence and respect of 
the entire community, white and black alike. 














RICHARD BYRON HUDSON, A. B. 


OR a score or more of years few 
activities in any kind of up-lift 
work have existed either in Ala¬ 
bama or elsewhere among color¬ 
ed people without the enthusiastic 
support of R. B. Hudson, of Sel- 
He has been prominent in Sunday 
School work, in Baptist Church work, in Masonic 
Lodge, and in the State and National Association 
for Colored Teachers, holding at one time or an¬ 
other prominent and responsible offices in all of 
these bodies. 

In working in Alabama, Mr. Hudson is on his na¬ 
tive heath. He was born in Uniontown, Alabama, 
Feb. 7, 1866. He received his first education in 
the Uniontown District Academy. From here he 
entered Selma University, whence he received the 
Degree of Bachelor of Arts. He has taken Post 
Graduate courses in the College of Liberal Arts in 
Chatauqua, N. Y. 

Like most men of the earlier days, Mr. Hudson 
had to work his way through school. In Selma 
University he paid for a great deal of his education 
by working at the printer’s trade, and by tutoring 
mathematics. This tutoring led him to choose a 
life career. From tutoring he went to teaching in 


Selma University, where he taught mathematics 
from 1889 to 1890. 

Of course Prof. Hudson is best known in the 
State of Alabama and in the educational world 
through the Clark School of Selma. This is known 
throughout the State as one of the best kept build¬ 
ings and one in which some of the most thorough 
teaching is done anywhere in the South. Inspec¬ 
tors, State Supervisors, and State Superintendents 
all point to Clark School as a model public schook 

As has been already stated, Prof. Hudson has 
been a leader in many Secret Orders, in the Church 
and Sunday School throughout his career. He is 
a member of the Knights of Pythias, a Woodman, 
a Mason, and an Odd Fellow. He has been both 
President and Secretary of the Alabama State 
Teachers Association and County Chairman of the 
Alabama Colored Teachers’ Association. He is Sec¬ 
retary of the State Baptist Convention and of the 
National Baptist Convention. He is President of 
the District Sunday School Convention, and a mem¬ 
ber of the Executive Board of the Federal Council 
of Churches of America. He was delegate to the 
World’s Missionary Conference which met in Ed¬ 
inburgh, Scotland, in 1910. He is Endowment 
Treasurer of the Endowment Department of the 
Masonic Grand Lodge of Alabama. 

During the recent war troubles Mr. Hudson has 
been Chairman of the Food Conservation Commit¬ 
tee of Dallas County, and Chairman of the Red 
Cross for Colored people of Dallas County. 

For many years he was the close personal friend 
of the late great leader of the race, Dr. Booker T. 
Washington. It seemed a great pleasure to Dr. 
Washington for him to speak of the high esteem 
in which he held Prof. Hudson. On one occasion 
Dr. Washington writing the “Colored Alabamian,” 
a paper then published at Montgomery, said: “I 
want to thank you most earnestly and heartily for 
your publishing the picture and sketch of the life 
of Prof. R. B. Hudson, of Selma, Ala. I am afraid 
that the people of Alabama do not appreciate the 
real worth and ability of Prof. Hudson in the way 
they should. He has shown himself to be a leader 
of rare ability and especially a clear-headed sys¬ 
tematic thinker and worker. 

The main purpose of this letter is to impress 
upon the people of our State the fact that we have 
a man in our midst, a man of such rare ability, and 
I repeat that you are to be congratulated for pre¬ 
senting him before the public through the medium 
of your paper.” 

Prof. Hudson was married in 1890 to Miss Lula 
C. Richardson who died in 1898. He was married 
in 1900 to Miss Irene M. Thompson. Mr. Hudson 
has two children, Misses E. Leola and Bernice 
Hudson, the former is a graduate of Spellman Sem¬ 
inary, Atlanta, Ga., and Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, 
N. Y. She is at present a teacher in the Florida 
A. & M. College at Tallahassee, Fla. The latter is. 
still a student. 



rna, Alabama. 


42 













REV. JOHN WASHINGTON GOODGAME. 

N Birmingham, Alabama, out on 
Avenue F., stands a monumental 
Baptist Church. The engravings 
on the corner stones outside re¬ 
cord the names of laborers, busi¬ 
ness and professional men who 
joined hands to make this building 
the splendid edifice that it is. It 
has its big pipe organ, its animated well trained 
choir, its pastor’s study, its spacious galleries as 
well as its big audience room. It cost $50,000 when 
it was built, now valued at $80,000. Its organization, 
its distribution of workers, is exceptional. It has of 
course its auxiliary clubs among the women, its 
young people’s societies, its deacons’ board and the 
like. But above all it has a regular man, in ad¬ 
dition to the pastor, whose business it is to visit 
the sick and the needy and to collect, funds and 
minister to their relief. The man behind all this 
work, who raised the funds, very largely from 
working people; who in person superintended the 
construction of the building is Rev. John Washing¬ 
ton Goodgame. 

Rev. Goodgame was born in the country, some 
years after the civil war, and while performing his 
farm duties lie had time for calm meditation., lie 
was a poor lad with no very inspiring environ¬ 
ments ; he was without money, and to boys with¬ 
out grit and ambition, his situation would ha\t exp 
peared hopeless. Not so with Rev. Goodgame. 


He was ambitious to learn and he determined to 
secure an education and he turned difficulties in to 
propellers to bring him to his goal. 

God had raised him up for leadership and whom 
God calls to service He prepares for the work to 
be done. 

Y\ ithout money but with a consciousness that 
he would succeed, he entered Talladega College in 
1885 and spent his first year in college in the work 
department. He finally completed his Grammar 
and Normal courses and entered the Theological 
department. While pursuing the theological 
course he served the country churches in and 
around Talladega as pastor, later accepting a call 
to his home church in Talladega. 

He was next called to pastor the leading Baptist 
church of Anniston for a few years and then came 
to Birmingham, his present home. 

Members of the Baptist church felt that a school 
should be started around Birmingham. Who was 
there so fit to blaze the way as J. W. Goodgame, 
the man who never failed in business as well as in 
religion. Thus Birmingham Baptist College was 
launched with Rev. Goodgame at the head of the 
board of trustees, as the real sponsor for the insti¬ 
tution. 

The Alabama Baptist State Convention elected 
him treasurer, and the Mosaic Templars placed up¬ 
on him the task of carrying the money for its or¬ 
ganization. This then is the load he carries—the 
personal interest of two Baptist institutions the 
exchecjuer of the Mosaic Templars and of the Ala¬ 
bama State Baptist Convention and the charge of a 
big city church. To this have been added many 
other responsibilities. He was stock holder and 
one of the directors of the Alabama Penny Savings 
Bank and one time secretary of the Atlanta, Bir¬ 
mingham Mutual Aid Association, the latter an in¬ 
surance company which flourished under his ad¬ 
ministration and which was recently merged with 
another company. 

Unlike many ministers, Rev. Goodgame has 
changed pastorates but seldom, preferring to build 
substantially in one place. Growing as Birming¬ 
ham grew he has had opportunity to judge prop¬ 
erty and to invest wisely. He owns, thanks to his 
business acumen, nine rent houses, and eight va¬ 
cant lots in this city of high priced property. 

All this time Rev. Goodgame has been rearing and 
educating a large family. He was married to Miss 
Mollie Bledsoe in 1890. Five children, now all 
practically grown and well educated form the 
Goodgame family. Miss Fannie B. is a graduate 
of the Talladega Normal course and of Selma Uni¬ 
versity; Miss Minnie of the Barber Seminary, An¬ 
niston, Alabama; Miss Jennie of Cheney Institute, 
Penn.; Miss Lucile, a senior, 1917, at Normal, Ala¬ 
bama; Mr. John Washington, Jr., a student at the 
State Normal School in Montgomery, Alabama. 
Miss Fannie B. who is now Fannie B. Eastland was 
teacher for several years, having taught in the 
Birmingham City Schools a number of terms. 

To protect himself and his family, as well as to 
further good causes, Rev. Goodgame is a Mason, a 
Knight of Pythias, and a Mosaic Templar. Few 
men are harder workers and more optimistic in 
both religion and race progress than is Rev. John 
W. Goodgame of Birmingham, Alabama. 



43 











REV. PRICE S. LENTON HUTCHINS. 



HE REV. PRICE S. LENTON 
HUTCHINS, of Mobile, Alabama, 
is the seventh child of Reuben and 
Sylvia Hutchins. He was born in 
C'owikee, Barbour County, Ala¬ 
bama, October 13th. 1862.. At 
. _ an early age he was given to his 

grandparents who sent him to school and did evei y 
thing to encourage his intellectual growth. But 
his grandparents died and he was returned to his 
parents. They were poor and unable to send him 
to school. Accordingly he was put on the farm 
where he worked with his body but his mind was in 
the school room he had left. His thirst for know¬ 
ledge was satisfied to a small extent by a white 
playmate and co-laborer, Mr. Walter T. Harwell, 
but he soon passed beyond the information that his 
teacher could impart and he was again facing the 
problem of where to turn for an education . I his 
young man’s development was not one sided for 
along with the development of the mind and body 
he was not neglectful of the spirit. At an early age 
he was converted and was baptized into the fellow¬ 
ship of the Pleasant Grove Baptist chur^K Eu- 
faula, Alabama, by the Rev. Jerry Short. Re- 
lio-ion became the dominant factor in his life which 
finally led him into the ministry. 

June 12th. 1882 he was licensed by his church to 
preach, but dissatisfied with his preparation for 
his work he entered the Selma University Febru¬ 


44 


ary 3rd. 1884 where he finished a two years Eng¬ 
lish course and received his certificate for same 
from Rev. E. M. Brawley D. D., President. 

Four years later, 1890, he graduated with honors 
from the Collegiate Course under C. L. Puree, D. D. 
having taken at the same time a partial course in 
Theology under C. S. Dinkins, D. D., and C. L. Fish¬ 
er, receiving the equivalent of a year’s Seminary 
work in Church History, Theology, New Testa¬ 
ment, Greek and Old Testament Hebrew. He con¬ 
tinued his study of Hebrew under Rabbi E. M. B. 
Brown, Columbus, Ga., who speaks of his work in 
the highest terms. Among his pastorates was the 
Bethlehem Church, Gallion and the First Baptist 
Church of Newberne, Alabama. He served both 
churches seven years and built a house of worship 
for each costing more than $2000.00. 

The recorded number of his baptisms during 
these pastorates was over five hundred. Septem¬ 
ber 28th, 1891, he baptized into the fellowship of 
the First Baptist Church, Newberne, one hundred 
and twenty-eight persons in one hour and thirty 
minutes. 

June 3rd. 1897 he became Pastor of one of the 
largest churches in Columbus, Ga., and during his 
period of service he added to its membership 185 
members and reduced a debt upon the church sev¬ 
eral thousand dollars. He also served the Taber¬ 
nacle Baptist Church of Eufaula and the First Bap¬ 
tist Church of Hurtsboro, Alabama, as pastor and 
was serving these churches when called to Franklin 
Street Baptist Church, Mobile, which church he is 
now serving. His call to the Franklin Street Bap¬ 
tist Church was extended August 2nd, 1917, and 
was unanimous. This church is one of the leading 
Baptist Churches in the State and he enters upon 
his work under the most favorable conditions. He 
has already endeared himself to the members of 
the church and is held in high esteem by the entire 
community. 

It has been his good fortune to retain the con¬ 
fidence and love of the people he served, an evi¬ 
dence of work well done. In addition to his Pas¬ 
torates, Rev. Hutchins, has held a number of of¬ 
ficial positions in his denomination. He is a life 
member of the National Baptist Convention and a 
strong supporter of all its interests; a Trustee of 
the Selma University, Selma, Alabama, and of Cen¬ 
tral City College, Macon, Ga. 

He served as Sunday School State Missionary 
under joint appointment of the National Baptist 
Publication Board and the State Sunday School 
Board, and as State Organizer for Georgia under 
joint appointment of National B. Y. P. U., and 
State B. Y. P. U. Boards. 

Rev. Hutchins is a man of family and is blessed 
with a wife devoted to his interests and the proud 
mother of eight children. These bring joy and sun¬ 
shine to his home and has inspired that economy 
in the conduct of his afifairs that has enabled him to 
accumulate a nice property. 

His possessions are scattered from Alabama to 
New York and consist of improved and vacant city 
lots and farm property. Rev. Hutchins is yet com¬ 
paratively young. His zenith may not be reach¬ 
ed for years ; many more such startling strides as 
he has made in the past thirteen years, will lift him 
easily to the rank of ministerial wonders. 












JOHN A. KENNEY, M. D. 


OHN A. KENNEY, M. D., was 
born June 11, 1874, in Albemarle 
County, Virginia. Here he lived 
on the farm and did the work of 
a farm lad, enjoying at the same 
time the pleasures that come to 
those who live in the country, till he was sixteen 
years of age. During the last two years of that 
time he was practically the head of the family, run¬ 
ning the farm which his father left to his care and 



also the grocery store which his father had kept 
during his life time. Although born on the farm and 
although he remained for such a number of years 
in the country, his mother had other plans for him. 
She inspired him with the ambition to live his life 
away from the narrowing effect of the farm life, 
away out in the world where he could make him¬ 
self felt. 

After spending a great deal of time in the pub¬ 
lic schools of Albemarle County and Charlottsville 
he went to Hampton Institute, Virginia and latei 
to Shaw University, North Carolina. In order to 
attend school he had also to work. Nothing that 
would turn an honest penny was turned down by 
this ambitious young man. He worked as a waiter, 
he worked in the family of one of the professors 
of the University or Virginia, and he kept giocer^ 


store. After leaving Shaw University Dr. Kenney 
went to Leonard Medical College from which he 
was graduated with the degree M. D. in 1901. 

I his was the beginning of Dr. Kenney’s real 
career. He served the first year as interne at 
Freedmen’s Hospital, Washington, District of Col¬ 
umbia and then came to Tuskegee Institute. At 
1 uskegee he is Medical Director of the Tuskegee 
Institute Hospital and Nurse Training School. For 
the past sixteen years Dr. Kenney has labored in 
this field and the work has grown steadily under 
his management. When he took the work there 
was a frame hospital, not very well equipped and 
not large enough to accommodate the number of 
patients that come to Tuskegee. During his stay 
the John. A. Andrew Memorial Hospital has been 
built, and the Nurse Training Course strengthened. 
The hospital is well equipped and the nurses turn¬ 
ed out are efficient. 

While developing the material side of the work 
at Tuskegee, Dr. Kenney has himself developed 
in skill. He is now looked upon as one of the lead¬ 
ing surgeons of the race and people from all over 
the south come to Tuskegee to John A. Andrew 
Memorial Hospital in order to have Dr. Kenney op¬ 
erate on them. This is true fame—that speads from 
one patient to another and brings more work, 
which in turn means added skill. 

The profession will probably know Dr. Kenney 
best as Secretary of the National Medical Asso¬ 
ciation. In this position he served for eight years 
in succession. He then gave up the work because 
he was over worked. Contrary to his expreseed 
wishes he was unanimously elected in 1912 as pres¬ 
ident of the National Medical Association 
Dr. Kenney with Dr. C. V. Roman of Nashville 
Tennessee founded the Journal of the National 
Medical Association. This is today one of the most 
important publications among the Colored People 
and it takes high rank as a professional journal. 
What this periodical is today and in fact very large¬ 
ly what the National Medical Association is today 
is due to the energies and unbounded faith of Dr. 
Kenney. At the last meeting of the N. M. A. in 
Richmond, Va., 1918, Dr. Kenney by action of the 
Executive Board was made editor-in-chief and 
manager of the Journal. 

Since entering the medical profession he has done 
constructive work. 

Dr. Kenney had direct charge of the health of Dr. 
Booker T. Washington during all the years he was 
in Tuskegee. During the last years of Dr. Wash¬ 
ington’s life Dr. Kenney spent a great deal of time 
with him, accompanying him on the various trips 
made over the South. It is a source of great pride 
to Dr. Kenney that when Dr. Washington, ill in 
the hospital in New York was examined by famous 
specialists they said that Dr. Kenney had done all 
that any one could have done for the great educa¬ 
tor. 

Dr. Kenney was married to Miss Alice Talbot of 
Bedford County, Virginia in Dec- 27, 1902-^ Dr. 

Kenney was married a second time to Miss Frieda 
F. Armstrong of Boston, Massachusetts, in 1913. 
There are three small sons, John A. Kenney, Jr., 
Oscar Armstrong Kenney and Howard Washington 
Kenney. 


45 









GEORGE W. LEWIS, A. M, D. D. 

E who is inclined to grow doubtful 
of rare strength, scholarship, 
force, personality should look up¬ 
on a company of Methodist Minis¬ 
ters and Bishops. Gathered in 
convention they make a grand 
substitute for an assembly of 
statesmen. They are grave and scholarly, stal- 
warth of physique, pictures of health and prosperi¬ 
ty. They are analysts and orators and logicians 
with splendid touches of the visionary. Dr. George 
W. Lewis A. M., D. D. is one of these Methodist 
Episcopal peers. There are few riper scholars, few¬ 
er better orators than he. 

Dr. Lewis is a thorough going Georgian. He 
was born in Burke County shortly after slavery. 
He was born during the reconstruction period after 
the war when the efforts of the South were direct¬ 
ed mainly in caring for the body and but little at¬ 
tention was given to the development of the mind. 
It was a day of poor schools, unprepared teachers 
and short school terms. The opportunities for the 
negroes to obtain an education were but meager 
but the very difficulties in their way acted as a spur 
to the ambitious and developed a number of strong¬ 
men intellectually. 

Dr. Lewis was among this number. When a 
mere boy Dr. Lewis started life as a farm laborer 
which he followed for sixteen years but during this 
period he attended school two or three months each 
year. 


The activity of the mind would not permit him to 
remain on the farm so he left the farm and attend¬ 
ed the Haven Normal School at Waynesborough, 
Ga. Here his real development began. Here the 
leading of his mind and heart decided his future. 
Here he was converted and here he responded to 
the call to the ministry. 

Lrom Haven Norman school at Waynesborough 
he went to Clark University at Atlanta and after 
finishing his course of study there he turned to the 
study of theology in Gammon Seminary in the 
same University. 

After completing his theological course he took 
up the active duties of Pastor and served a num¬ 
ber of churches in his active native State. He join¬ 
ed the Savannah Conference at Augusta, Ga., and 
was sent to Mt. Vernon church. Lrom Mt. Vernon 
he went to Readsville, from Readsville to Valdosta, 
thence to Atlanta and from Atlanta to Rome. 

In 1895 Dr. Lewis was transferred to the Ala¬ 
bama Conference and served churches in Mont¬ 
gomery, Mobile and in Pensacola, Lla. 

It was during his residence in Llorida that Dr. 
Lewis branched out in educational work. 

Seeing a grave need for a school in Pensaco’a 
he set his mind to work to supply it and in 1901 he 
founded the Pensacola Normal, Industrial and Agri¬ 
cultural school. Lor nine years he was the Prin¬ 
cipal of this school, shaping its policies and giving 
it the benefit of his rare gifts as an orator. He 
possessed in a remarkable degree the powers of 
oratory which greatly aided him in raising money 
for his enterprises, a work in which he succeeded 
to a most satisfactory degree. 

His talent as an orator and writer brought him 
into great prominence and his services were sought 
from all over the country. Lor stirring and search¬ 
ing addresses, such as are required on memorial 
and emancipation occasions, he probably has no 
equal on the platform of today. He has delivered 
addresses of this character at Montgomery, at Mo¬ 
bile, at Evergreen, at Tampa and at Pensacola, 
many of which at the request of his hearers were 
printed and distributed. 

Dr. Lewis was frequently elected to represent the 
M. E. Conference at the General Conference. He 
was a delegate to the Omaha General Conference 
in 1894 and to the conference at Saratoga in 1916. 
Lor years he has been the Secretary of his Annual 
Conference and chairman of the Old Ministers 
fund. His brethren were not slow to recognize in 
him a wise leader a man of sound judgment and 
one whose devotion to religion and education and 
unexcelled oratory gave him unbounded influence 
among them. He won their confidence early in his 
ministerial life and still holds it in a most flatter¬ 
ing degree. 

Dr. Lewis family consists of a wife and one child, 
a daughter who has inherited his mental vigor. 

He married in 1889 Miss Lucy Griffin, of Tusca¬ 
loosa, Ala. Their daughter, Miss Emma C. Lewis, 
received her B. A. degree from Clark University, 
Atlanta, Ga., and wears it with as much ease and 
grace as the average man. At present she is teach¬ 
ing in New Orleans University. 

While the church is his chief consideration Dr. 
Lewis is also interested in the benevolent orders of 
his people and has membership in the Masons and 
Knights of Phythias. 



46 
















HENRY ALLEN LOVELESS. 


MONG the foremost colored citi¬ 
zens of Alabama is Henry Allen 
Loveless of Montgomery who 
has proved to his people that they 
can make a marked success in 
their business ventures and still 
preserve the respect and esteem of the entire com¬ 
munity, both white and black. 

Mr. Loveless was born in Bullock County, Ala¬ 



bama in the year 1854 near the town of Union 
Springs. 

He had no educational advantages until he reach¬ 
ed his eighteenth year. Spending the day in man¬ 
ual labor he attended a night school which gave 
him the foundation upon which he built to a limit¬ 


ed extent. 

Some years after his first marraige he attended 
the Selma University but for only two terms. At 
the end of the second term he returned home to 
arrange his business matters so that he could com¬ 
plete his course but found that the requii ements of 
his business were such that he had to foiego his 
plans for a finished education. 

His first business was that of a butcher which 
he plied for several years but gave up to enter the 
Undertaking business. Here he had to meet strong 
competition from a long established business 


controlled by a member of his race who had much 
influence with the colored people. 

He saw the difficulties in his way but instead of 
deterring him they nerved him to push forward. 

Meeting competition upon fair grounds he forged 
to the front and not only built up the large busi¬ 
ness over which he now presides but finally pur¬ 
chased the business of his competitor. 

He has been in this business for twenty-five years 
which together with its adjuncts is easily valued 
at $25,000.00. In connection with his undertaking 
business he runs a transfer and hack line and has 
among his patrons a number of white citizens. 

His business has brought him a comfortable liv¬ 
ing and enabled him to secure a home worth ten 
thousand .dollars. In addition it has enabled him 
to give employment to a great many of his people. 

Mr. Loveless is a deeply religious man and takes 
an active part in his church life. 

He has been connected with the Dexter Avenue 
Baptist church from its organization and is its lead¬ 
ing deacon. He is also the Church Treasurer and 
a member of the Board of Trustees. The minis¬ 
ters who have served the church have always 
found in him a friend and helper. 

Mr. Loveless’ activities do not end with his 
church and his business. He has countless affilia¬ 
tions with various other bodies and is interested in 
the educational interests of his people. 

He is a King Solomon Mason, Knights of Py¬ 
thias, member of Wm. J. Simmons Lodge, No. 34, 
the Eastern Star, Knights of Tabor, Eureka Lodge 
of the Mosaic Templars, Sisters and Brothers of 
Tabor, Daughters and Sons of Zera, and the United 
Order of Good Shepherds. He has held office in a 
number of these orders. 

He is a member of the Negro business men’s 
league, Treasurer of the Alabama Realty Company 
and a Trustee of the Swayne school of Montgom¬ 
ery. 

Mr. Loveless has been married three times. He 
married his first wife, Miss Lucy Arrington of 
Montgomery, in 1885. She died after bearing him 
five children, three of whom are living. His son 
John H. Loveless and daughters, Miss Mary G. 
and Bertha L. Loveless, are associated with him in 
his business and have contributed no little to his 
success. 

In 1913 he married Mrs. Emma A-. Anderson, 
who lived but a short while with him when death 
claimed her. 

His present wife, formerly Mrs. Dora Evelyn, 
was married to him in 1916. She was a resident of 
Eufaula, Ala. 

Mr. Loveless is a successful man and in sum¬ 
ming up his traits of character which con¬ 
tributed to his success we would mention first his 
quiet, courteous hut positive demeanor. He never 
gets unduly excited but is not slow to take in a 
situation and to face it with a calm determination 
which impresses others that he means business. 
He is a just man and honest which gives him a 
good standing in the business world. Then he is 
sympathetic, helpful and dependable and above all 
is recognized as din humble Christian. 


47 









REVEREND WILLIAM MADISON. 

HEN asked for Tnatter for a bio¬ 
graphical sketch, Rev. Wm. Madi¬ 
son sent in such scant material 
that the required length for a 
page was not to be gotten. When 
asked for matter for his church, 
the matter came in so freely that it had to be con¬ 
densed. Such is the modesty of the man that he 
takes to himself very little of the credit for the 
very splendid church which he built and which 
under his administration has grown by leaps and 
bounds. But the church is a reflection of his 
boundless energy and great business ability. 

Rev. Madison was born in Marion, Dallas County, 
Alabama, in 1873. As a small boy and as a young 
man, he toiled in the cotton and corn fields on a 
Dallas County plantation. Here he received his 
early training in the public schools. Whatever the 
schools of the country may have failed to give him 
in accurate book knowledge was more than made 
up by the ambition which filled him because of this 
contact with books and thoughts. He felt most 
keenly the preparation that he needed to make him¬ 
self happy, and at the same time render those about 
him glad. He entered Selma University in 1905, 


and was graduated in the class of 1910 at the head 
of the class in the Theological Department. This 
gave him the place of valedictorian. This and other 
honors bestowed upon him by his Alma Mater be¬ 
speak his life and conduct as a school boy and his 
efficiency as a student. 

Rev. Wm. Madison has climbed all the way from 
the bottom to the top of his profession. He is at 
present and has been for some time pastor of the 
Day Street Baptist Church, Montgomery, Alabama. 
This church represents the capstone in his career 
as the builder of splendid houses of worship. Be¬ 
ginning his ministry back in his home village of 
Marion, Alabama, he has raised and put into 
churches $45,000.00. He has 'built churches at Un- 
iontown, Sawyerville, Grove Hill and Montgomery. 

In the meantime he has pastored, held evangelis¬ 
tic services, baptized thousands, held conspicuous 
offices in his church and denominational bodies, 
been orator and Commencement speaker at many 
important school celebrations and gatherings and 
traveled extensively over the country as preacher 
and worker. 

Rev. Madison did not get his fame as a speaker 
and able builder without a struggle. Leaving Sel¬ 
ma University, he followed the profession of school 
teaching in both Dallas and Hale counties. Later 
he studied bookkeeping and was a bookkeeper for 
five years. In filling these two posts he got for 
himself experiences that were destined to be of 
untold good to him in his pastoral work later. His 
five years spent in bookkeeping cannot be underes¬ 
timated as to the good effect they have had on the 
building and organizing of churches. At the age of 
twenty-two. Rev. Madison was ordained and he 
has held a most constructive career in his church 
ever since. He has followed the circuit of his na¬ 
tive state, having occupied pulpits at Marion, L T n- 
iontown, Sawyerville, Lanesville, Newberne, Jack- 
son, Grove Hill, Birmingham and his present post 
in Montgomery. 

The great work that Rev. Madison is doing in 
Montgomery is recorded elsewhere under the 
sketch of Day Street Baptist Church. He is well 
known as a leader, for his executive skill and also 
for his ability to follow details. Rev. Madison has 
for years occupied high places in his church and in 
secular and fraternal bodies. Lie is a member of 
the Allen Temple Lodge, of the Knights of Py- 
thians and of the Good Shepherds. In his church, 
which is missionary Baptist he has served as 
Treasurer of the Publishing Board; chairman of 
the State Mission Board; Treasurer of the Selma 
Alumni Association ; President of the Baptist Min¬ 
isters Conference of Montgomery and Member of 
the National Baptist Convention. 

Rev. Madison was married in 1899 to Miss Mary 
Soloman of Saffold, Alabama. There are six chil¬ 
dren in the Madison family, all of whom are at¬ 
tending school. 



48 









DAY STREET BAPTIST CHURCH. 



EEING what they considered a 
great need of another church in 
the City of Montgomery, in 1884, 
Mr. T. H. Garner and Mr. Ed¬ 
ward Patterson secured the ser- 
__ vices of Rev. J. C. Casby, organiz¬ 
ed a church and erected a frame building in-which 
to serve God. Thus we have Day Street Baptist 
Church, one of the best managed institutions of 
its kind in the South. Among the ministers who 
administered to the needs of the people fiom the 
pulpit of Day Street Baptist Church, who deserve 
special mention in these pages is Rev. T. C. Groom, 
who took charge of the church in 1894 and pastor- 
ed it till his death in 1906. During his administra¬ 
tion the membership was greatly increased and the 
church building remodled and enlarged. Succeed¬ 
ing Rev. Croom, Rev. T. J. Flood gave the rest of 
his life to the development of the Day Stieet Bap¬ 
tist Church. His pastorate was a short one, last- 
ting but one year and four months. During this 
short time he raised $1200 for the new chuich. At 
the death of Rev. Flood, Rev. Wm. Madison was 

chosen leader of this flock.. 

The church business is administered by the Pas¬ 
tor and Board of Trustees, composed of 4. H. Gar¬ 
ner, M. D. Easterly, C. Posey, J. J. Neal, C. Lewis, 
Morris Smith, F. S. Starks, Mathew Wallace and 
J. S. Gregory. • 

The present structure was completed in 1910. 
The Pastor supervised the building of it and rais¬ 
ed the money for its erection. It cost $36,000, but 


with the lot is valued at $50,000. The church also 
owns a parsonage valued at $3,000. 

Rev. Madison has changed the entire system of 
running the affairs of the church. This was done 
in 1909. It has been put on a business basis. He 
incorporated the church holdings on a capitaliza¬ 
tion of $25,000. 

While directing the finances of the church the 
Rev. Madison has not eebn unmindful of its activi¬ 
ties. He believes in a division of work and respon¬ 
sibilities and has divided up the work so as to get 
the highest results. The Sunday School with an 
excellent teaching force is placed in the hands of 
PL Neal, the superintendent. The Baptist Young 
People’s Union is in charge of Miss Lula Mattox, 
the President. The Woman’s Missionary Society 
is presided over by Mrs. A. Easterly, while the Ju¬ 
nior Missionary Society is committed to Miss Al- 
metta Goldsmith. 

In addition to these there is a Dorcas Sewing 
Circle for girls from four to twelve years of age. 
This circle makes garments for poor children 
Then there is a Cadet Department for boys from 
four to sixteen years of age. 

The Sun Beam Band is under the direction of 
Mrs. Mary Taylor and is composed of children 
from four to eight years of age. Fnally there is 
the Cooks, Washerwomen and Porters Club, under 
direction of Mrs. Laura Hollis, President, the ob¬ 
ject of which is to promote efficiency along these 
lines. In connection therewith an employment bu¬ 
reau is operated with great success. 


49 
































Robert Lee Mabry 


OBERT LEE MABRY was born in 
Tuscaloosa, Alabama October 1st 
1874, and at an early age moved 
with bis parents to Birmingham, 
Alabama. Here in Birmingham, 
he received the foundation for his 
education through the excellent 
school system of the city. After finishing his course 
in the city public schools of Birmingham he entered 
the Tuskegee Institute for the final touches. While 
taking the Academic work he specialized in the 
Tailoring division of the Institute. Having to de¬ 
pend upon his own efiforts for paying his tuition 
he learned to take advantage of his opportunity and 
applied himself diligently to his studies and con¬ 
sequently left the Institute thoroughly equipped for 
his life work. 

He spent his first year after graduating at the 
Tuskegee Institute in teaching but his inclination 
and gift did not lead him into that profession so he 
seized upon the first opening to enter a business of 
his liking. 

He was offered a position with the People’s Tail¬ 
oring Company which he promptly accepted and 
which was the beginning of a career which has 
brought him reputation and financial success. 

While in College he took orders for clothing 
from his fellow students and in his new position the 
experience he thus gained stood him well in hand 
and made his work comparatively easy. 

While the connection with the People’s Tailoring 
Company was pleasant he decided to sever his con¬ 
nection for purposes of his own. He aspired to 
head a business bimself so in 1898 he formed a par¬ 
tnership with four other salesmen and opened a 
cleaning and pressing shop at No. 103 North 19th 
Street. This partnership continued for only a 
short time Avhen Mr. J. W. Taylor and Mr. Mabry 
purchased the other’s interest and became the sole 
proprietors of the business. Even this arrange¬ 
ment was unsatisfactory to Mr. Mabry who was 
ambitious to have absolute control of the business 
which he finally acquired, and associated with him 
his brother. Since that time the business has been 
known as the “Mabry Brothers.” 

In the conduct of his business Mr. Mabry has 
proved a most excellent executive and by close at¬ 
tention and honest service has built up a trade 
which enables him to live and lay up in store 
against the day of adversity. 

His investments are mostly in real estate and 
real estate mortgages and here as in the conduct 
of. his business his good judgment directed him 
unerringly. Mr. Mabry is fortunate in having a 
help meet who is in sympathy with his purposes 


and plans and whose wise economy has aided in his 
effort to accumulate an independence. 

His wife was Miss Nettie Faith of Mobile and 
they were married in Birmingham August 23rd. 
1899. 

The issue of this marriage is an only son who is 
now attending the Public Schools of Birmingham. 
It is the ambition of Mr. Mabry to give this boy a 
fine education and fit him for some useful occupa¬ 
tion in life. Like most men who have struggled 
for an education he knows its value and has learn¬ 
ed that it is necessary to any marked degree of 
success along any endeavor. 

Mr. Mabry is something of a traveler and his 
travels have carried him over a large portion of the 
United States. He has visited practically all of the 
Southern States, the Middle Atlantic States and in 
New England and has lived in Alabama, Tennessee 
and New Jersey. 

Mr. Mabry is a religious man and in affiliation a 
Baptist. He became a member of the church in 
1906 and in his church life as in his business life he 
was not content to be a passive member. 

His membership is in the 16th Street Baptist 
church where he is actively engaged in religious 
work. 

Mr. Mabry is greatly interested in the welfare 
of his people as is evidenced by the fact that he is 
connected with a number of orders which seek 
their uplift. 

He is a member of the Knights of Pythias, An¬ 
cient Free and Accepted Masons, Knights and 
Ladies of Honor of America, the Eastern Star, 
United Order of Odd Fellows and of the I. B. P. 
O. E. 

His worth as an executive has been recognized 
by these different orders in which he has advanced, 
to official distinction from time to time. 

At this time he is Most Worshipful Master of the 
Free and Accepted Masons, Past Exalted Ruler of 
the I. B. P. O. E. and Past Grand Director of the 
Knights and Ladies of Honor of America. He is 
also the Grand Master of the Exchequer of the 
Knights of Pythias. 

Possibly Mr. Mabry’s chief characteristic is his 
love of his fellow man and he never tires in his en¬ 
deavors in their behalf. He gives of himself and 
his means to their service and it is this which ac¬ 
counts for his great influence and popularity. 

I otget thyself, console the sadness near thee, 
Thine own shall then depart, 

And songs of joy, like heavenly birds, shall 
cheer thee, 

And dwell within thy heart.” 



50 






GEORGE E. NEWSTELL. 

HE only Negro dry goods mer¬ 
chant in Montgomery, Ala. wor¬ 
thy of the name is George E. 
Newstell. Mr. Newstell keeps his 
store on Monroe Street, in the 
Newstell building, meaning that 
the building is owned bv the merchant. Here one 
sees clothing for men and women as attractively 
displayed as they are in the big stores up town. 

Mr. Newstell is out and out a product of the city 
in which he does business.' He was born here, at¬ 
tended the Swayne school here, and has made all 
his ventures in business here. Graduating from the 
Swayne school in 1886, Mr. Newstell began his 
career as a porter in a store working for $2.50 per 
week. On completing three years as a porter he 
was promoted to manager at a salary of $15 per 
week. From this post he went to another at a larg¬ 
er salary. By this time he had accumulated money 
and bought property. As he rose in the business 
world and gained insight into the workings of bus¬ 
iness he decided to launch out for himself. This 
he finally did, buying out his former employers. 

He continued in this business for some years and 
by giving it his personal and close attention he not 

51 


only added to his wealth but gained additional bus¬ 
iness knowledge which enabled him to score a 
marked success in his last and present business 
venture. 

Mr. Newstell has very decided convictions re¬ 
garding business ventures. He holds that one 
should engage in a business which appeals first to 
his inclination and for which he has an aptitude, 
and even then he should give the matter close 
consideration before he comes to a decision. 

Following this rule he considered various 
branches of trade and decided in favor of the dry 
goods business. It had been his rule to study from 
the ground up every business into which he enter¬ 
ed but in the selection of the dry goods business he 
entered a field entirely new to him, but to which 
he brought his general knowledge of business and 
ripe experience in other lines. 

The rapid development of the Newstell Dry 
Goods Store is a tribute to his business sagacity 
no less than to his great popularity. 

In addition to his dry goods business, Mr. New¬ 
stell carries on a Real Estate business under the 
firm name of Newstell and Beverly. Here again 
he showed his business sense. Before venturing 
this field of operations he studied the business for 
two and a half years under two competent and 
practical teachers and even then he moved slowly 
until he had mastered it. 

Few men have been wiser and more fortunate 
in their investment. Thirty years in business have 
yielded him, besides a comfortable living for him¬ 
self and family, and besides his dry goods and fur¬ 
nishing store, ownership of property valued at ap¬ 
proximately $40,000. His income from rents is 
about $250 per month. This he attributes to two 
main sources; first, a loyal and very helpful wife; 
second, the careful study of a business before mak¬ 
ing investments. 

Success in business has brought to Mr. Newstell 
honors in many other walks of life. For fifteen 
years he has been an Executive officer in the order 
of the Knights and Daughters of Tabor. He is a 
Mason, Odd Fellow, a Knight of Pythias. He has 
been a member of Endowment Board of the 
Knights of Pythias, and is at present treasurer of 
the Odd Fellows of Alabama. He is chairman of 
the Board of Trustees of Mt. Zion A. M. E. Church, 
a trustee of the Lomax-Hannon Industrial School 
of Greenville, Ala., a trustee of the Swayne school 
of Montgomery, and chairman of the Republican 
county Executive committee of Montgomery 
County. 

Mr. Newstell was married in 1894 to Miss Belle 
Saunders of Montgomery County. It is worth re¬ 
peating, as Mr. Newstell never tires of repeating, 
that much of this man’s success is due to her. 








ALBERT FRANKLIN OWENS, D. D. 

EASURED-from the depths whence 
he came and the heights he has at¬ 
tained Dr. A. F. Owens is one of 
the most remarkable men of the 
race- Born a slave fifty-six years 
ago in Wilcox county, Alabama, 
and left an orphan at six years of 
age, he has steadily climbed from 
the position of a boy porter in a book store in New 
Orleans, Louisiana, to the post of Dean of the Theo¬ 
logical Department of Selma University, Selma 
Alabama. 

Dr. Owens early education was picked up in night 
schools while he worked for a living during the 
day. Soon he began to teach and preach in St. 
Landry Parish, Lousiana. Realizing the need of 
better preparation for the work of the ministry, 
he entered Leland University, New Orleans, in 
1873, and finished in 1877. 

From the first of his career Dr. Owens has been 
interested in newspaper work. While attending 
the University, he edited the “Baptist Messenger,” 
the organ of the State Convention in Missionary 
work in Louisiana. In 1885 he was editor of the 
“Baptist Pioneer,” the official organ of the Alabama 
Baptist State Convention. Because of his exper¬ 
ience as a journalist he is now a special corres¬ 
pondent for the great white dailies published in 
Mobile, Montgomery, and Birmingham. 

Dr. Owens has pastored in such cities as Mobile, 
and Montgomery. He is no less an educator, hav¬ 


ing served as a Trustee and teacher of Selma Uni¬ 
versity. After resigning his pastorate in Mobile 
in 1906, he accepted the position of Dean of the 
Theological Department of Selma University 
where he remained until 1908, when he accepted a 
similar post in the Phelps Hall Bible Training 
School, of Tuskegee Institute. In 1913 Dr. Owens 
returned to his former work at Selma University 
where he is now located. 

During the year 1911, Dr. Owens representing 
the State Federation of Colored Women’s clubs, 
went before the Alabama Legislature and secured 
an appropriation of $8,000 for the Mt. Meigs Re¬ 
formatory for colored boys and induced the legisla¬ 
ture to incorporate that reform school as a state in¬ 
stitution. Up to this time it had been supported 
wholly by the colored women of the state by whom 
it was organized. The following letter will show 
something of the labors and the esteem in which 
Dr. Owens is held by the white people of Mobile,—- 
The Mobile Register. 

GOVERNOR O’NEAL’S TRIBUTE TO DR. 

A. F. OWENS. 

Birmingham, Ala., June, 1918. 

During my administration as Governor I be¬ 
came acquainted with Dr. A. F. Owens. He ren¬ 
dered me very active and efficient service in se¬ 
curing the passage of the bill establishing the 
Mount Meigs School for the Reformatory of Ju¬ 
venile Negro Delinquents. After the establishment 
of this institution, I appointed Dr. Owens as one 
of the trustees, and came in contact with him very 
frequently in many matters affecting the interest 
of both races. I was deeply impressed with his 
broad and liberal culture, his high ideals and his 
sincere devotion to the cause of education and the 
betterment of both races. 

I soon learned to rank him with the lamented 
Booker T. Washington and W. H. Council, as a 
man who had a clear and comprehensive concep¬ 
tion of those measures which would best promote 
the most amicable and friendly relation between 
the races. I early learned to recognize him as a 
man whose councils and teachings if followed, 
would create the very cordial and friendly relation 
between the races so essential to the interest of 
both. 

As a public speaker, Dr. Owens has rare gifts 
of oratory, is polished and forceful and by his 
clear and intelligent conception of public questions 
never fails to make an impress upon his auditors. 
He is unquestionably a worthy successor of 
Washington and Council, and I earnestly believe 
his influence will only redound to the benefit of his 
own race and to the creation of that cordial rela¬ 
tion and the removal of that friction between the 
races which is too often the result of ignorance 
and prejudice. 

Very respectfully, 

EMMET O’NEAL. 

When the Spanish-American War broke out, 
Dr. Owen rendered valuable service in organizing 
the Third Alabama Colored Regiment in Mobile. 

Dr- Ow^ens has been twice married. His first 
wife, Mrs. Mary Mims Taylor of Mobile, Alabama, 
died in 1900. His present wife is Miss Sallie Mae 
Pruitt of Leighton, Alabama. 



52 



















LAWRENCE L. ROWELL 


L. POWELL, State Grand Mas¬ 
ter Mosaic Templars of America, 
was born near Conyers, Ga., Oct. 
1876 and educated in the city of 
Atlanta. After spending his boy¬ 
hood days in Atlanta, he decided 
first stop was in the State of Ala- 
some interesting investigation of 
many places as to their future worth, Mr. Powell 
decided to locate in the Northern part of the state 
in the little city of Sheffield, which at this time 
seemed the most prominent industrial city. There 
he entered the mercantile business and was a suc¬ 
cess from the start. He was successful in making 
a number of friends not only in Sheffiield but in all 
the adjacent towns, many of whom he remembers 
with gratitude, and many of whom to this day are 
his strongest indorsers and supporters in his work 
as Grand Master. 

He owns some very valuable property in Mont¬ 
gomery and Birmingham and is regarded as one 
among the Negores who have made good in Ala¬ 
bama in the face of many disappointments and 
difficulties. 


Mr. Powell is identified with many leading 
Lodges, the one in which he is most promi¬ 
nent being the National Order of the Mosaic Temp¬ 
lars. He has been identified with it now for 
twenty years and has filled many places of honor 
and trust. Slowly he has climbed to the top of this 
organization in his state, and today is State Grand 
Master of the Alabama Jurisdiction, master over 
600 Lodges with a membership of quite 15000. 

As to honorary positions few men of his race 
have received so many pleasant returns. For eight 
years he has represented his state as a delegate at 
large in the National Assembly of his order, and 
for eight years has been a fraternal delegate to 
visit all the Grand Lodges in the National Juris¬ 
diction. 

In the fall of 1911 he was married to Mrs. Willie 
R. Lee, a widow of many splendid qualities, and a 
mother of two children, a boy and a girl, both of 
whom are making a place for themselves. The 
young man Clarence W, Lee has reached his ma¬ 
jority and is filling a very important position in the 
Mosaic 1 emplars of Alabama. The young woman, 
Miss Annie Helen Lee is a student at the State 
Normal. 

L, L, Powell, State Grand Master of the Na¬ 
tional Order of Mosaic Templare of Alabama has 
in eight years built from 45 lodges and 900 mem¬ 
bers, quite 600 Lodges and 1500 members. This 
organization has added many features for the bet¬ 
terment of the members: Namely the burial de¬ 
partment. When Powell Avas made State Grand 
Master Wm. Alexander (deceased) was the Na¬ 
tional Grand Master. Having Wm. Alexander’s 
friendship and confidence he was able to get Alex¬ 
ander’s co-operation in many ways. It was pre¬ 
dicted by no few that this department would never 
be able to sustain itself, but its success the past 
several years has proven by careful management a 
“Great Boon” to unfortunate members, and today 
this department alone receives between nine and 
ten thousand dollars annually and is self-sustaining. 
This burial department is exclusive of endowment. 
It is said that the Mosaics is the only lodge of its 
kind that makes the last resting place of its dead. 

The Mosaic Lodge was organized in Little Rock 
in 1882 by the Hon. J. E. Bush and Hon. C. W. 
Keatts., Since date of organization it has entered 
thirty-one states and has grand Lodge in South 
Africa, Central America and Panama Zone. It has 
a total membership of between 80,000 and 100,000. 
It has stood every crisis and is said to have more 
cash money in hand than any colored organization 
of its kind in the world, with no outstanding in¬ 
debtedness, having to its credit over a quarter of 
a million dollars. 



to travel. His 
bama. After 









I. T. SIMPSON, B. D„ D. D. 


R. I. T. SIMPSON is present pas¬ 
tor of the African Baptist Church 
at Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Dr 
Simpson was born in troublous 
times, troublous historically and 
troublous for Dr. Simpson per¬ 
sonally. He was born in the late 50’s in Conecuh 
County, Alabama. 

Even in this enlightened day Conecuh County is 
not wholly peppered with school houses. In the 
50’s, 60’s and 70’s chances for a black boy to learn 
the mere rudiments were exceedingly rare. They 
were worse for the Tuscaloosa pastor. Dr. Simp¬ 
son was an orphan. Very early in his childhood he 
was “bound out”, as the phrase used to run. He 
was given a sort of stint ; namely he had to milk 
twelves cows a day and chop an acre of cotton. 
When this was done he could go to school as the 
case might be. When going to school was not pos¬ 
sible he prevailed upon the sons of the man he 
was “bound to” to teach him. 

Arriving at young manhood, Dr. Simpson set 
out for himself. His first real training was received 
at the State Normal School in Montgomery, Ala¬ 
bama. From Montgomery he entered Selma Uni¬ 


versity, finishing from each department in the 
school, the last being the Department of 1 heologv 
and was later made a trustee of Selma University. 

Equipped now for life work, he set out to find 
a field. His first charge, as the clergymen speak of 
it, was found at Evergreen, the First Baptist 
Church near the town. This, while it was the be¬ 
ginning of his life work as pastor marked also the 
beginning of a round of charges, some very long, 
some of comparative short duration. From Ever¬ 
green he went to Mt. Arrirat, thence to Selma, 
thence to Friendship at Marion. Leaving that sec¬ 
tion of the country, he next accepted the pastorate 
of the First Baptist Church of Opelika and of the 
Ebenezer Baptist Church, of Auburn, Alabama. 
Over both of these churches he presided at the 
same time, holding Opelika fourteen years and Au¬ 
burn ten years. 

During the four years of his pastorate at Tus¬ 
caloosa, Alabama, where he now presides, Dr. 
Simpson has been engaged mainly in raising funds 
to complete a handsome brick church. He has been 
able to assemble the aid of the white people and 
colored people to the extent of raising $17,000 in 
four years. 

During his pastorate and career, Dr. Simpson 
has held many important offices in his denomina¬ 
tion in the state. As has been stated he is a trus¬ 
tee of Selma University, a place he has held for 
twenty years. He was at one time a state mission¬ 
ary, and was the state treasurer of the Missionary 
Baptist Convention for twelve years. He lifted a 
debt of $2,800 from the Chattanooga Baptist church 
in a short pastorate of fifteen months. At present 
he is treasurer of the N. W. Baptist state conven¬ 
tion. In his life as a preacher he has baptized 
6000 souls. 

The Tuscaloosa pastor has tried to make himself 
secure for the day when he will no longer be vigor¬ 
ous and full of health. He owns a lot in Birming¬ 
ham, three lots in Tuscaloosa, where he is now pas- 
toring and one lot in Steel City, St. Clair County. 

Dr. Simpson has been married more than a quar¬ 
ter of a century. His wife was Miss Julia A. Cun¬ 
ningham of Bellville, Conecuh County. The fam¬ 
ily group is happiest when Dr. F. R. Simpson of 
Ensley, the son, runs down to Tuscaloosa for a 
short stay with his parents. 

To quote Dr. C. O. Boothe in his Alabama Bap¬ 
tists, “He (Dr. Simpson) is peculiarly himself and 
not another—clear headed, comprehensive, reason¬ 
able, self-reliant, genial in his home as well as in 
the public harness.” 



54 









ELIJAH STRONG SMITH. 



EGRO insurance is still in its in¬ 
fancy. Though the first company 
is said to have been established 
in 1810, the genuine Negro insur¬ 
ance business could not have tak¬ 
en form until after 1865. Even 
then, there were vascilations, timidity, mistrlist. 
The Negro had to he converted to his own. More¬ 
over, he had to be educated to the point to be in¬ 
sured and he had to develop earning power to pay 
the premium. Finally, the aspirant to insurance 
business had to be educated to conduct and man¬ 
age such an undertaking—an education which one 
is inclined to admit the black man came, by clan¬ 
destinely, peeping out of the corner of one eye 
while dusting the counters or adjusting the ele¬ 
vator. 

Elijah Strong Smith of 1 uscaloosa, Alabama, 
seems, however, to have been to the manor hoi n. in 
insurance as well as in other forms of busifiess. 
While yet a boy in his home town, Henderson, Ken¬ 
tucky, Mr. Smith was paying his expenses in school 
by selling books, and he who can sell books has 
already made his business career secuie. Finishing 
the public school in Henderson, he entered the 
State University in Louisville. Again the selling 


55 


of books and merchandise furnished tiie money to 
defray the expenses of his education. 

Finishing College, Mr. Smith went to Alabama 
and joined the Mutual Aid Association of Mobile, 
the company over which C. F. Johnson presides. 
Finding Mr. Smith already seasoned in business, 
much unlike the average school graduate who had 
entered the service of the company, Mr. Johnson 
sent Mr. Smith to Pratt City to he district agent. 
In one year’s time the young man had risen from 
district agent to district manager. Seven years 
later he was made district auditor. In 1911, the 
company having developed a large business in Tus¬ 
caloosa, appointed Mr. Smith manager of the dis¬ 
trict. 

Though a stranger in Tuscaloosa, a town in 
which Negroes are keenly alert in business, Mr. 
Smith took immediately a leading place among the 
business men. He had been in the city but one 
year when he was chosen President of the Negro 
Business Men’s League of the city- From this time 
on he has represented Tuscaloosa in all the Negro 
business gatherings of Alabama. He was delegate 
to the National Negro Business League in 1912 and 
was chosen Secretary of his State League in 1916. 

Useful in business circles, Mr. Smith is also a 
vital force in the church and in the big organiza¬ 
tions of Alabama. He is an active member and 
worker of the First Baptist Church. For four 
years he has been President of the Tuscaloosa Bap¬ 
tist Young People’s Union, and for two years As¬ 
sistant^ Superintendent of the Sunday School. In 
1914 and 1915 he was President of the District Bap¬ 
tist Young People’s Union. He is a member of the 
Advisory Board of the Federation of Colored Wo¬ 
men of Alabama. 

To be sure Mr. Smith came to business and to ev¬ 
ery day life well equipped. He had enjoyed ex¬ 
ceptional advantages of travel and contact," having 
traveled all over the United States as an advance 
representative for the Eckstein Norton University 
of Cane Springs, Kentucky. The officials of the 
government striving to select leading men in differ¬ 
ent localities to lead in war activities, eagerly 
sought for and selected Mr. Smith to assume the 
office of Chairman of the Food Conservation cam¬ 
paign in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. 

The whole county of Tuscaloosa fell in behind his 
leadership and the result was that the war depart¬ 
ment realized that it had made no mistake in se¬ 
lecting him and the result of his activities along 
this line will always be a bright spot in his work 
for his country. 

He was also selected as one of the four minute 
speakers for his county and he was everywhere in 
the city of Tuscaloosa and Tuscaloosa County 
where any gathering was being held to impress 
upon the people their full duty in whatever mo¬ 
mentous work was being pushed by the govern¬ 
ment at that time. In fact he was always a lead¬ 
ing factor in all war work activities. 

In all his endeavors, Mr. Smith relies much on 
Mrs. Smith, his wife, to whom he was married in 
1896, before taking residence in Alabama. Mrs. 
Smith was Miss Nellie Montgomery, of Starksville, 
Mississippi. 










Soloman Sharp Sykes 


F course I don’t look at the books 
every day, but I keep pretty good 
track of things both outside and 
in the court house here. As far 
as I know, Sykes owns all this 
property without one cent of 

1 hese were the words of an officer of the court 
of Decatur, Alabama, in speaking of Soloman 
Sharp Sykes, self-made, self-educated. 

Even these details are not germain. The essen¬ 
tial question is what this exslave, almost illiterate 
man, accomplished during these 50 years of his 
freedom. Of course Mr. Sykes is the most modest 
of men. You have to wrest facts from him about 
himself. Even then he gives only fragments. To 
know about him you have to go to his neighbors. 
These neighbors tell you that Sharp Sykes is al¬ 
ways doing something for his people, helping some¬ 
body through school ,contributing to buy a church, 
to help a school, to give somebody a start. They 
tell you further, white or black, that Mr. Sykes 
carries a thousand or two of dollars in each of 
the several banks of the town. Then you go to the 
records and along the streets and find his proper¬ 
ty holdings about as follows : His neighbors and 
the books all confirm this. He owns his home, a 
real residence. He owns his undertaking estab¬ 
lishment. He owns his seven stores, eighteen rent 
houses, one farm and a seven acre cemetery. This 
is the property of which the officer of the court 
said, “As far as I know there is not one cent of 
mortgage on it.” 

He gives without ceasing. Moreover, he has 
reared and has educated an unusually large family. 
And Mr. Sykes lives for, and in a sense, in, these 
children. The man does not grow old. He has been 
able to grow with his children, to get much of their 
education, to absorb from contact with them an 
abundance of the culture which he in his youth 
and later struggle had to miss. 

Mrs. Sykes has had more education to start with, 
having had a pretty good common school educa¬ 
tion. They are both religious people, being- 
members of the First Baptist Church, where Mr. 
Sykes is a deacon. Mr. Sykes is a lodge member, 
holding membership in the Masonic Lodge and in 
the Eastern Star. His real life interest, however, is 
centered in the church, in his family and in mak¬ 
ing people about him happy and content. 

Mr. Sykes was born in Lawrence County, Ala¬ 
bama, about ten years before emancipation and 
lived at a time when it was hard to get an educa¬ 
tion. He made the best of his opportunities, how¬ 


ever, and managed to secure one or two months of 
schooling each year. The balance of his time was 
devoted to manual labor. 

In 1878, while still a young man in his early 
twenties, he saw an opportunity to enter business, 
which he was quick to seize, and started upon his 
business career with only a strong body, a quick 
mind and a large endowment of common sense. 
This trio of gifts was sure to win success and the 
sequence of his life shows that in his case they did 
make a successful score. It is unnecessary to fol¬ 
low his rise step by step. Sufficient to say that 
he won out and that today, after twenty years of 
business life, he is the proprietor of a number of 
business enterprises. Among his business ventures 
is that of Undertaker and Embalmer, a large busi¬ 
ness in which his son is associated. 

Mr. Sykes is not only a money getter, but a lib¬ 
eral spender. He does not spend his money fool¬ 
ishly, but in a way to help others. He has learn¬ 
ed the joy of service and to him money has open¬ 
ed up a wider avenue to this blessed state. Money 
is a good servant but a hard master and Mr. Sykes 
has relegated money to its proper place of ser¬ 
vant. Mr. Sykes also appreciates the uncertainty 
of riches and instead of hoarding them to leave to 
his children when he is gone he employs his money 
in giving his children the best advantages of edu¬ 
cation and to fit them for useful lives, knowing 
that what he gives them in this respect cannot be 
taken from them. 

Mr. Sykes was married to Miss Ada Garth of 
Morgan Coounty, Alabama, in 1880, and for forty 
years they have labored side by side for the good 
of their community and the welfare of their chil¬ 
dren. God has blessed them with a large family 
of children, eight in number, who constitute their 
pride of life and in whose interest their lives are 
devoted. They have grown with their children and 
the reflex influence of the educational advantages 
they have given their children are seen in their 
own mental advancement. 

Several of his children have entered the profes¬ 
sions and the others are being fitted to fill well 
any position in life that they may elect. 

Miss Rebecca is a graduate of Fisk University; 
Miss Mamie Estelle is a graduate of Spellman 
Seminary, Atlanta, Georgia; his son, Newman M., 
is a graduate of Fisk University and is now pursu¬ 
ing graduate studies for a medical degree in the 
University of Illinois. Another son, Leo M. Sykes, 
is now a student at Howard University and is tak¬ 
ing a course in Dentistry. Carl M. is a student at 
Moorehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia, while Mel¬ 
vin and Eunice are pursuing their studies in the 
public schools of their home city. When their 
foundation is laid they will no doubt receive a col¬ 
lege training also. Children with such advantages 
and springing from such a sire are sure to make 
their impress upon the world, and will be pointed 
to as a monument to the wisdom of the parents 
who trained them for service. 



56 





JOHN LEVY THOMAS. 

N Union Springs, Alabama, the 
county seat of Bullock County, 
lives a colored man who for a 
quarter of a century has been 
judge, jury and court regarding 
all matters pertaining to the pub- 
Negro. Step by step from a poor 
and unlettered farmer, he has made his way to the 
post. At every stage he has had to stop and de¬ 
monstrate. It was doubted in that section if a 
colored man could own and operate a farm suc¬ 
cessfully. J. L. Thomas bought a farm and de¬ 
monstrated. It was thought that a Negro could 
not own and operate a city business successfully, 
the prophecy being that business equipment, Ne¬ 
gro and all would in a short time be back in the 
hands of the white people. 1 homas bought a block 
and set up a grocery and provision store and prov¬ 
ed the fallacy of this notion. 

Some years ago advanced thought and democ¬ 
racy poked their heads far enough in some sec¬ 
tions of the South to declare that a Negro County 
Fair would be a very helpful, indeed an inspiiing 
thing. In and around the home of Mr. d homas 
timidity and inexperience asserted that such a no¬ 
tion was little short of preposterous. Taking his 


own hard earned money from the bank, Mr. 
Thomas financed the Negro Fair, showing that the 
thing could be done. Last year the white citi¬ 
zens of Union Springs gave one hundred dollars 
for prizes for fairs between two small Negro com¬ 
munities. Today Mr. Thomas is preaching veg¬ 
etable, poultry and stock raising. Once more he 
demonstrates with his own products, and once 
more his doctrine is being heeded by the masses 
around him. 

Mr. Thomas was born in Pike County, Alabama, 
March 5th, 1863. A farm lad, he had but a slight 
chance to gain even the rudiments of education. 
What education he got was gained by night study 
after plowing all day. The following is told by Dr. 
Washington regarding Mr. Thomas’ getting a foot¬ 
hold : 

“Thompson contracted to pay Thomas five dol¬ 
lars per month, with the privilege of coming to 
town very other Saturday afternoon to see his 
mother. He was allowed to stay over Sunday, but 
was obliged to be on hand at sunrise Monday 
morning to catch his mules and go to plowing. He 
was always on time early Monday morning. 

“The colored farmer took such a liking to the 
boy that the gave him a little patch of land to cul¬ 
tivate himself. This land was planted in peanuts, 
and yielded between ten and fifteen bushels, which 
were carefully dried and housed. 

“At that time it was the custom among the col¬ 
ored people to give corn shuckings and suppers 
were attended by people from ten miles around. 
Whenever Mr. Thomas heard of one of these 
events he would parch about one-half bushel of his 
peanuts and carry them to the gathering to sell. 
By offering them at five cents a pint he was able 
to make as much as three dollars per bushel. He 
often walked as far as eight miles with his peanuts 
to a big supper or dance, after plowing hard all day, 
and with another hard day before him. He parch¬ 
ed them during dinner hour, when other hands 
were resting, and was often up as late as three 
o’clock in the morning to sell them, although he 
had to go to work at daybreak.” 

Although his education was small in book learn¬ 
ing he had a fund of practical knowledge which 
backed by a wealth of common sense has enabled 
him to do things of great worth and to be a help 
and blessing to his race. After all this is the se¬ 
cret of a successful life and measured by this 
standard he has not lived in vain. 

Mr. Thomas is a large real estate owner; his 
possessions comprise about two hundred city lots 
and several farms. While interested in the city the 
farm is his first love. He lives on his farm and 
rakes great delight in his cattle, poultry and gar¬ 
den and from the waving corn and snowy cotton 
field he finds his chief joy. 

Mi. 'Ihomas is ambitious to see his people ad¬ 
vance r long all right lines and he never tires in 
giving them the word of encouragement and in ex¬ 
tending the helping hand. 

“A friend in need is a friend indeed,” and Mr. 
Thomas tries to be that friend and has learned as 
so many have that a life of service is the only life 
worth living. 



57 











MISS GEORGIA WASHINGTON. 

ISS Georgia Washington, the 
founder and Principal of the 
Peoples’ Village School, Mt. 
Meigs, Alabama, was born a Vir¬ 
ginia slave, and with her mother 
and brother, was sold away from 
her father when she was a mere child. 

After their emancipation the problem of a live¬ 
lihood confronted her mother, for the new condi¬ 
tions imposed new and untried responsibilities. 
Following the course pursued by many ex-slaves, 
the mother worked out with her old master and 
left her daughter to care for the other children in 
the family and look after the household duties. 
This was a grave responsibility to place upon 
young shoulders but the struggle for existence left 
no other alternative. Who can say that the hand 
of Providence was not in this early direction of 
her life. The discipline she received through du¬ 
ties thus early placed upon her no doubt played an 
important part in her selection of a life work. 
Home cares stood as a barrier to school privileges 
and often she stood at the window of her home and 
watched the children pass too and fro from school 
and longed to i e vlth them. The thirst for knowl¬ 
edge was born in her and would not be quenched 
because of difficulties. She felt that the time 
would come when she, too, could attend school and 



she made the most of the little instruction that 
her mother gave her. 

Pier mother had somewhere learned the alpha¬ 
bet and some few words, mostly from the Bible, 
and these she taught her daughter. 

It was a proud day for Miss Georgia when she 
could read the Bible and this daily companion not 
only served to in part satisfy the cravings of an 
active mind but its principles became so instilled 
into her being that her after life was moulded by 
them. 

Miss Georgia’s ambition to learn could not be 
satisfied with what she had attained. The knowl¬ 
edge she possessed gave her a keen appetite for 
more. She applied to a white lady to further her 
instructions who gladly complied with her request 
and who took pride in her eager and successful 
pupil. 

The expense of city life became too great for 
the meager income of the family and it was neces¬ 
sary to make a change in order to reduce the ex¬ 
pense of living. With this end in view her mother 
moved to the country. 

This move brightened the hope of Miss Georgia 
for an education, for there was a good school in 
the vicinity of their new home. 

However, disappointment again met her. Grim 
necessity of earning bread thrust her back to all 
of those myriad duties attendant upon keeping 
house. 

Her mother noting her daughter’s disappoint¬ 
ment and recognizing the activity of her mind, was 
as eager as she for her to have a chance for its de¬ 
velopment, and determined at the first opportunity 
to give her this chance. The opportunity came be¬ 
fore her mother felt herself in a position to act. 

It chanced that the school teacher here was a 
Hampton graduate. By hard persuasion the moth¬ 
er was prevailed upon to let the daughter go to 
school for a few months. Thus in October, 1876, 
she entered the country school. By Christmas 
time, necessity in the home caused the mother to 
declare against further attendance. Again the 
mother was prevailed upon and allowed the 
daughter to go on until Spring. However, Miss 
Washington had scored another triumph in her 
career. She had learned to write with pen and 
ink, a feat of magic to her, one which she had de¬ 
spaired of accomplishing. 

Then came other scenes of persuasion and of 
triumph in the Washington cabin. The teacher 
wished Miss Washington to go to Hampton. Once 
more necessity stood in the way. She went, not¬ 
withstanding, but it was agreed that she would 
have to return in a little while, as funds would soon 
run out. But she did no such thing. She entered in 
1877; saw the Indians come to the school in 1878; 
saw new buildings go up and old ones torn down ; 
was graduated in 1882; joined the teachers’ staff 
and taught and helped the Indian girls in what is 
known as “Winona Lodge” for ten years after 
graduation. 

Proud as Miss Washington was of her detention 
at Hampton, yet such an engagement did not 
square with her ideals. She had dreamed of form¬ 
ing a school in some out-of-the-way place. This 
she found finally in Alabama. At the end of her 
ten years service at Hampton, she was asked to go 
to Calhoun, Alabama, to aid Miss Mabel Dilling- 








CAMPUS SCENE PEOPLE’S VILLAGE SCHOOL 


ham and Miss Charlotte Thorn, two Hampton 
teachers, to found a school. Remaining here a year 
Miss Washington set out to realize her own vis¬ 
ion, to establish a school. 

Dr. Washington knowing her desire chose her 
a spot near the village of Mt. Meigs, Alabama a 
spot forty miles from the Calhoun Institute, and 
twenty-five miles from Tuskegee Institute. Hith¬ 
er in 1893 Miss Washington went. Miss Washing¬ 
ton came to the village in cotton picking time, 
thus she found that no place had been provided for 
either herself or the school and that very few peo¬ 
ple were interested in either her or the school. 1 he 
pastor of the colored church gave her lodging for 
the first month. By October, 1893, she had been 
able to rent a cabin, 12 by 13, and to open the pub¬ 
lic village school at Mt. Meigs. Four small boys 
completed the enrollment for the first month. 
Shortly after this they were crowded out of the 
cabin and went into the Negro church. 

A quarter of a mile from the school cabin, she 
rented another cabin for herself. Here during the 
first year she lived alone, cooking and keeping 
house for herself and paying four dollars a month 
for rent and laundry. On Saturdays, her holidays, 
she taught sewing classes and wrote to the North 
seeking to interest friends in the school. She had 
mothers’ meetings Sunday afternoons. 

By February the people had bought and partly 
paid for two acres of land and built a small school 
house, 18 by 36. The enrollment the first year was 
one hundred, representing thirty-five families. As 
the children had to pay 50c or 75c according to age, 
a great many faded to enroll. Indeed, the one 
hundred represented scarcely a third. After the 
first year, however, the school grew rapidly. Out¬ 

59 


side aid came, new buildings were added. Two 
Hampton teachers joined Miss Washington, who 
was now able to distribute the work and to teach 
more industries. A Board of trustees was incor¬ 
porated, two white men of the community being on 
the board. 

Miss Washington has fully realized the vision 
of her school days at Hampton. She has planted a 
school in the wilderness. From an enrollment of 4 
small boys and one teacher in 1893, the school en¬ 
rolled in 1916, 225 students and had five teachers. 
From no place at all in which to assemble the pu¬ 
pils, Miss Washington has put up a two-story 
school house with three recitation rooms, an as¬ 
sembly hall, and rooms for teaching industries to 
both boys and girls. Twenty-seven acres of land 
are now owned and cultivated by the school, fur¬ 
nishing a means of teaching the boys and girls how 
to farm and live a farm life and at the same time 
supply food for students and teachers. All and all 
the school has a property valuation of $9,000.00. It 
has touched and lifted old and young in many ways 
during these twenty-four years of its existence. 
It has taught mothers better house keeping and 
fathers to buy land and to put their farms on a bus¬ 
iness basis. Among the young people, it has turned 
out 85 graduates, many of whom have gone to 
Hampton, Tuskegee, Normal, Meharry Medical 
College, Talladega College, Spelman Seminary, 
Howard University and many other schools. These 
are now filling places of leadership where they are 
living. Those who did not elect to study further 
have gone back home and are applying their 
knowledge gained at the Village School in living 
clean, useful lives. 














VICTOR HUGO TULANE. 



RAVELLING around on the south 
side of Montgomery, Ala., you 
come all at once upon a two-story 
brick building which you feel 
ought to be down town. It is 
clean, wholesome, spacious, up-to- 
^date in all appointments. This is 
the 'l'ulane Grocery on the corner of South Ripley 
and High Sts. The building and business alike are 
owned by Victor H. Tulane, who in many ways is 
the foremost colored citizen of Montgomery. 

Mr. Tulane is a farm lad by birth, coming from 
Wetumpka, Ala. When a lad of fifteen having 
amassed the sum of $13.60 from picking cotton, he 
left his native heath and walked into Montgom¬ 
ery in his bare feet. It took but a little while to 
find employment. In a year’s time he with the as¬ 
sistance of a hard working mother, had saved 
$100.00. With this sum he resolved to enter busi¬ 
ness for himself. 

Now this was back in the late eighties—1888, to 
be explicit, when a Negro grocer, indeed a Negro 
anything worth while in business was a very rare 
creature. However, investing his savings in a rust- 
eaten set of scales, a broken meat knife, a lamp, a 
peck measure, and a few grocery remnants, he set 
forth on his business career. 

Being a pioneer he proceeded upon anything but 
a pretentious basis. His first purchase of new 
stock consisted of one five pound bucket of lard 
and ten cents worth of salt. As can be readily 
seen his fifteen feet by twenty feet store was far 


60 


too large for his merchandise. To meet a local de¬ 
mand he turned one side of the store into a char¬ 
coal bin and sold charcoal along with, or perhaps 
in excess of his groceries. 

There were other embarrassments for the pion¬ 
eer. Mr. Tulane had not been in business long be¬ 
fore he decided that plowing and picking cotton 
taught one very little about dealing in weights 
and measures. Nor were there skilled Negroes in 
business as there are now who could give instruc¬ 
tions. Mr. Tulane found out, however, a lad who 
had worked around a grocery store. This boy 
taught his employer the use of scales and many 
other points about the grocery business. It was in 
this early business that he went from house to 
house to solicit trade that crediting people well 
nigh closed out his then petty business, that he 
closed his store to deliver orders, carrying on his 
back bags of meal, half barrels of flour, and the 
like. 

In four years the light began to break. He had 
gotten some education in grocery keeping; his 
business had grown. A Texas pony hauled around 
the goods. A fifteen by twenty feet building was 
growing too small, but the store now leaked pain¬ 
fully. The young grocer had by this time saved 
three hundred dollars. He resolved since the 
landlord would not repair to buy a place of his 
own. Thus began the spacious business quarters 
on the coroner of South Ripley and High Sts. Here, 
after twenty odd years he keeps stock worth sev¬ 
eral thousand dollars, employs regularly seven as¬ 
sistants, not counting himself and wife, both of 
whom give their time to the store, runs several 
grocery wagons—in a word, does from twenty- 
five thousand to forty thousand dollars worth of 
business a year. Besides this, Mr. Tulane has 
branched out into other businesses and in public 
service work. He is the owner of many pieces of 
real estate in Montgomery. Lor some years he 
was the Cashier of the Montgomery Penny Sav¬ 
ings Bank, which of course had to close when the 
parent bank failed in Birmingham. That Mr. Tu- 
lane’s books were above question is shown by the 
fact that both the leading white banks and the big 
stores of Montgomery came forward immediately 
to proffer their assistance. Throughout his ca¬ 
reer he has been interested in uplift work of his 
community. He is Chairman of the Board of Trus¬ 
tees of Old Ship A. M. E. Church, the oldest col¬ 
ored church in Montgomery. Lor years he has 
been a member of the Swayne School Board and 
is one of the chief promoters of a new building 
and better surroundings for this school. He is an 
honorary member of the Montgomery Chamber of 
Commerce, the only Negro enjoying such an honor, 
a member of the Executive Committee of the Na¬ 
tional Negro Business League, and a member of 
the Board of Trustees of Tuskegee Institute, as 
well as of other smaller schools. 

Mr. Tulane bases his business success around 
which all other distinctions hover upon straightfor¬ 
ward dealings, giving full measure for value re¬ 
ceived, meeting all obligations promptly, avoiding 
cheap goods, studying needs of customers, keeping 
his surroundings clean, in letting his business ad¬ 
vertise itself. Par above all this are, two, Mrs. Tu- 
lanes to whom this business man expresses lasting- 
gratitude for all that he has achieved, his own 
mother and also his wife, Mrs. V. H. Tulane. 








CHARLES WINTER WOOD, A. B., B. D„ M. A. 


E is a reader, an orator, an educa- 
tor and a Gentleman.” It is with 
these words that the Chicago De¬ 
fender characterizes Charles Win¬ 
ter Wood. So far as they go they 
do well enough. But the man 
whom all call “Charlie,” who is known for his 
generosity to friend and foe, whose unselfishness 
runs to the point of abnegation, who works with¬ 
out regard to hours and with indifference to remun¬ 
eration, who speaks no ill and thinks no ill, who 
never abuses even those who abuse him, can stand 
a good deal heavier coat of felicitation than is laid 
on him in these few words from his good friend 
the Defender. 

Professionally Mr- Wood could fill several posts 
with distinction. So long as all these posts run to 
one tenor; namely the tenor of oratory, Charles 
Winter Wood could come away with great eclat. 
He commenced his course as an actor; but a Ne¬ 
gro actor of the days when Mr. Wood made his 
debut, was as positive of starvation as was the eaih 
founder of a new religion. Stranded on the load 
and smitten with hunger the young Shakespeai ean, 
and Shakespearean he was and is, shook the sack 
and bieskin and besought the muses for some hum- 

61 


bier calling where applause was perhaps not so vo¬ 
ciferous but, bread and broth much more regular. 
Wood’s greatest Dramatic achievement was Al- 
depus Rex of Sophacles which was produced by 
Beloit College at Auditorium of Chicago. This was 
in Greek. 

Then, too, even if the stage had been more lur¬ 
ing, Mr. Wood had in him a virile streak of the 
missionary. Somebody had put him on his feet, 
had shown him the way, Charlie Wood burned with 
the desire to do some sort of thing for another. 
Booker Washington was looking for a man with 
just Mr. Wood’s zeal and ability. Thither to Tus¬ 
kegee, in those early days when men got water by 
allowance and had to get credit for a postage stamp 
Mr. Wood went and began to teach English and 
Public Sp'eaking. Much of the dramatic industrial 
work, which later made Tuskegee Institute famous 
was begun and developed under Mr. Wood- 

But Mr. Washington was too shrewd an observ¬ 
er and interpreter of men to keep Mr. Wood chain¬ 
ed very long to the class room. His talent as an 
orator and as an entertainer was far too marked 
to allow his remaining in the school room. And 
so Mr. Wood went on the road. He trained stu¬ 
dents to speak, he drilled quartets ; he took the in¬ 
terests of Tuskegee Institute to bankers and mil¬ 
lionaires, making friends for the institution and for 
Dr. Washington everywhere. 

This man who has done so much to help make 
Tuskegee Institute of today possible was born in 
Tennessee December 17, 1870. He got what he 
could from the public schools of his native town, 
went to Chicago a poor boy and blacked boots to 
buy his bread and learned and recited Shakespeare 
for extras. One day Gaumsarlens, a preacher 
of great renown, was having his boots blacked. 
Shakespeare was as usual thrown in. The great 
divine saw the worth of the boy at once. Charles 
Winter Wood was soon in school. He was graduat¬ 
ed from the Grammar Schools of Chicago, matricu¬ 
lated in Beloit and came forth a Bachelor of Arts- 
He was also graduated from the Saper School of 
Oratory, was graduated from Chicago University 
Divinity School as B. D., as Master of Arts from 
Columbia University in New York. All these de¬ 
grees he earned by hard work of body and brain 
for he had to pay his own way. 

Today he is a preacher who could fill any pulpit 
with much credit to himself and great delight to 
the congregation. He is one of the best enter¬ 
tainers on the road. He is an orator of great talent. 
Secretary of War Baker and his assistant Emmett 
Jay Scott saw in Wood a power as a special war 
speaker and Wood was called on to do his bit dur¬ 
ing the great war. 

All these he has subordinated to serving Tuskegee 
Institute. All these he uses to be sure, but he uses 
them to win friends and money for the school Book¬ 
er T. Washington gave his life to build. On the 
faculty list he is manager of the Publicity Cam¬ 
paign," and Field Work, but at the school and else¬ 
where in the country he is one of the big men whom 
Tuskegee has made and who has made Tuskegee. 


















MRS. MARGARET WASHINGTON 















M rs. Margaret Washington 


O have been the wife of Booker 
T. Washington, to have stood by 
him in those trying years of star¬ 
vation at Tuskegee, to have been 
of tremendous aid in making Tus¬ 
kegee Institute and making in a 
very literal way its founder would, it appears, be 
distinction—enough for any lady of the land. Yet 
apart from anything that Tuskegee Institute could 
have meant to her save a place giving opportunity 
to expand, Mrs. Washington will go down in Negro 
history as one of the greatest women of her cen¬ 
tury. 

Further, her distinction, though marked, will not 
be a distinction of press clippings and applause. 
Hers will be a personal one, handed on from neigh¬ 
bor to neighbor, from father and mother to child. 
Her real service in the world will be estimated, not 
upon the fact that she was once President of the 
Alabama State Federation of Colored Women’s 
Clubs or of the National Federation of Colored 
Women’s Clubs, not that she spoke to crowded au¬ 
diences or dined with distinguished men and wo¬ 
men- Rather it will be reckoned upon the lost and 
half-wayward girls whom she shielded, encouraged 
and brought to paths of rectitude, upon the kind, 
sympathetic training she gave to young girls who 
knew no wrong and who because of her teaching 
remained always the pure, clean minded persons 
they were in childhood, upon the comfort and sus¬ 
tenance she has taken into the destitute country 
homes around Tuskegee ; upon the country schools 
she has founded; upon the rest room which she 
founded and keeps open for the Negro country wo¬ 
men in the town of Tuskegee; upon the actual 
teaching she has given these women on how to live 
and attend to their homes ; upon the disease eaten 
men and women whom she has had clothed, housed, 
fed and doctored; upon the out-cast children she 
has reared and educated and placed in good posi¬ 
tions. These are the people who will forever place 
her name along side of her lamented husband, not 
because she was partner in all his struggles, but be¬ 
cause she was also a servant to the poor and the 
neglected. 

Mrs. Washington is, like Dr. Washington, bone 
and fibre a Southerner. She loves the South, knows 
Southern people, white and black and prefers to 
live and work in the South. She was born in Macon 
Mississippi, March 9, 1865. She was one of a large 
family, there being in the Murray home ten child¬ 
ren. A frail girl from her youth, she set out early 
to master her physical weakness and secure a thor¬ 
ough education. On completing such couises as 
she could get in the town in which she was living 


she matriculated at Fisk University. Entering here 
in 1889 she spent nine years preparing for and com¬ 
pleting her college course. Though poor in health 
during her school career, she nevertheless made an 
enviable record as a student, took leading parts in 
debates and in all forms of school activities and was 
the student most relied upon to see that good order 
and good behavior prevailed everywhere. On fin¬ 
ishing her work at Fisk she became teacher of En¬ 
glish at Tuskegee Institute. She had not been at 
Tuskegee long before she became lady principal- 
It was in this position even in early days at Tus¬ 
kegee that Mrs. Washington began to show her 
real worth as a leader and helper. She soon took 
over all the problems of the girls and women, not 
only in the school but in a radius of at least five 
miles around the school. When therefore she be¬ 
came Mrs. Booker T. Washington, which was in 
1892, she had grasped the who’e range of problems 
which would confront the wife of the principal of 
Tuskegee Institute. From that day she has been 
one of the greatest forces at Tuskegee Institute, 
and among the Negro leaders and thinkers of the 
country. Practically nothing pertaining to Negro 
home life, is undertaken without a conference with 
Mrs. Washington. 

Mrs. Washington is a prodigious worker. She 
reads much, both popular matter and classic litera¬ 
ture. She sees people by hundreds. From the time 
she goes to her office in Dorothy Flail in the morn¬ 
ing until she literally makes herself leave, she is 
seeing peop’e and helping solve their problems. 
Here is a score of student girls, a dozen country 
women, a half dozen teachers, all in line to confer 
with her about some matter vital to themselves- 

For all this she finds time for the cultivation of 
all those delicate family and friendly relations, per¬ 
sonal touches, a thing which has endeared the 
Washingtons to thousands of people. Dr. Wash¬ 
ington’s two sons, Booker Jr. and E. Davidson and 
his daughter Portia, she has always cared for as 
if they were her own. Though they are now all 
married and have families of their own she still 
cares for them with that deftness of family touch 
peculiar to a few master mothers. Day after day 
you will see her leave her office and go after Book¬ 
er T. Ill, who is the image of his grandfather, and 
take him walking or driving. She is as interested 
in health and manners and education of child and 
grandchild as if they were all but one young fam¬ 
ily just starting in life. Tuskegee owes her more 
than it can ever pay, more perhaps than it will ever 
even know ; for she has wrought directly much that 
will never die ; and indirectly she performed won¬ 
ders by the side of him who blazed legions of new 
tracks in education, in labor, in economics and in 
society for the American Negro. 










JOHN WESLEY WILLIAMS. 


OHN Wesley Williams was born 
July 10, 1881, in Quitman, Ga. He 
received his early education in the 
public schools of Quitman and 
other points in the state of Geor¬ 
gia. His father being a Methodist 
Minister he changed his home frequently and of 
course changed schools at the same time. He went 
to Dorchester Academy, McIntosh, Georgia, after 
getting what he could from the public schools and 
later did some work in Oberlin College, Oberlin, 
Ohio. 



When Mr. Williams went to Dorchester Academy 
he had twelve dollars in his pocket and two suits 
of clothes. He remained seven years at this insti¬ 
tution of learning and during that time did not re¬ 
ceive one cent in help. He worked his way with 
an idea of making the most of his time and of him¬ 
self. After the first year he was put in charge of 
the buildings and grounds. In this way he earned 
his way through the institution. Although a great 
portion of his time was taken up with his work 
he never neglected his lessons. He is in fact a 
proof of the old saying that “Those who labor 
hardest, appreciate most what they get.” He ap¬ 
preciated every opportunity that came his way that 


was for his betterment. He came out of that in¬ 
stitution at the head of the class, graduating with 
highest honors. 

From the age of twelve Mr. Williams had looked 
out for himself. In this early start he learned the 
value of the dollar, and once he had the money, he 
knew how to take care of it. His first business ven¬ 
ture was in Oberlin, Ohio. Here he opened his es¬ 
tablishment with forty dollars as capital. He built 
up a business worth $20,000.00 in five years. He 
did this through attending strictly to the matter 
in hand and letting no opportunity pass him by. 

In 1912 he left Oberlin and went to Birmingham. 
Here he opened a Cleaning and Dyeing Business 
with a capital of $500.00. His business here is 
now worth $15,000.00. Besides what he has put 
back into his business he has invested in real es¬ 
tate and personal property. In all his property 
holdings are valued at $35,000.00. The business of 
Mr. Williams is reputed to be the largest cleaning 
and dyeing plant of any colored man in the world. 
This is very gratifying to him when he remembers 
that he has done it all unaided, that even in his 
childhood he had to be self supporting. 

Mr. Williams is an active member of the A. M. 
E. Church. Here he gives his money freely to the 
support of the gospel and lends his aid in every 
way possible for the advancement of the cause. In 
fraternal matters he is a member of the Knights 
of Pythias. 

Mr. Williams is President and Treasurer of the 
O. K. French Dye and Cleaning Company, incorpor¬ 
ated, Chairman of the Industrial Committee of the 
United States Four Minute men of Birmingham, 
Alabama, Manager of a Land Improvement Com¬ 
pany, in Cleveland, Ohio. In fact most of the time 
and energy of Mr. John Wesley Williams is spent 
in business. And in this field he is a success. 

On business and for pleasure Mr. Williams has 
traveled through most of the middle western States 
and through all of the Southern. He has also spent 
some time in various cities of Canada. In his trav¬ 
els from one place to another, and from one sec¬ 
tion of the country to another section, he has been 
able to compare his business with that of others 
following his line. In every instance he has found 
that he was doing the greater amount of work and 
running the larger establishment. There is nothing 
of the braggart in this estimation he has made of 
his work. Merely a stating of facts. Indeed, wher¬ 
ever Mr. Williams has found a new suggestion he 
has accepted it gladly, eagerly. This is in fact one 
of the reasons for his success. 

Mr. Williams was married to Miss Alice L. Neely 
of Bolivar, Tennessee, October 19, 1915. Two beau¬ 
tiful babies have come to share the home of Mr. 
and Mrs. Williams. Frances is two years of age 
and Baby Alice only six months old. 


64 















ARTHUR McKIMMON BROWN, A. B„ M. D. 

RTHUR McKimmon Brown, phy¬ 
sician, surgeon, was born in Ra¬ 
leigh, North Carolina, Novem¬ 
ber 9, 1867. He came from an 
educated family. He was the son 
of Winfield Scott, and Jane M. 
Brown. His grandmother was one of the first pub¬ 
lic school teachers in Raleigh, North Carolina. 
Both of his parents being educated and moderately 
prosperous they saw that their son got the best 
preparation that the schools of his day could offer. 
His first school days were spent in the public 
schools, at Raleigh. From the public schools he 
entered Shaw University, taking preparatory work. 
He was but twelve years of age, when he first reg¬ 
istered at Shaw. After spending two years he 
returned to the city and pursued advanced study 
in the public schools. It was during the second 
course in the public schools that he began to show 
himself as a brilliant and promising student. By 
competition he won the four years scholarship at 
Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. Entering 
Lincoln University in 1884 he soon became con- 
spicious as a student and talented singer. His ex¬ 
ceptional ability as a musician gained for him mem¬ 
bership in the Silver Leaf Glee Club. 

In 1888 he was graduated from the Lincoln Uni- 

65 


versity with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. In 
the same year he matriculated in the University 
of Michigan for the study of medicine. At Mich¬ 
igan University he applied himself even harder than 
he had done at Lincoln, and became before the close 
of his career there assistant in the office of one 
of the professors. Dr. Brown was graduated as 
doctor of medicine from Michigan University, in 
1891. Of all the men who came out that year he 
was the only one who dared face the rigid exami¬ 
nation of the medical board of Alabama. As is 
well known among the physicians that the exami¬ 
nations of this board are exceedingly rigid, Dr. 
Brown, however, took the examination and passed. 
For two years he practiced in the mining town of 
Bessemer. Subsequently he practiced in Chicago, 
and in Cleveland but returned to Birmingham in 
1894. Here he remained until the beginning of the 
Spanish-American War. Wishing to serve his 
country and his people he enlisted in the United 
States Army, as a surgeon. He was the first Ne¬ 
gro surgeon to secure a commission in the regular 
army of the United States. In 1899 he received 
an honorable dismissal and returned to Birming¬ 
ham. Here he has since pursued a successful 
practice and has become one of the leading citi¬ 
zens in many activities. 

While serving in the army he accumulated 
enough material to join in writing a very fascinat¬ 
ing and informing book, entitled “Under Fire with 
the Tenth United States Cavalry.” This is one 
of the most authentic documents, as well as faci- 
nating reading on the service of the famous Tenth. 

Dr. Brown enjoys an enviable reputation as 
a Surgeon and stands high among the Negro phy¬ 
sicians. 

Throughout his career, Dr. Brown has taken in¬ 
tensive interest in his profession and in many en¬ 
terprises, both social and business, about the city 
of Birmingham. He was interested in the Peo¬ 
ples’ Drug Store, of Birmingham, in 1895. He 
was at one time also chairman of the Prison Im¬ 
provement Board; director of the Alabama Penny 
Saving Bank; at another time he served as surgeon 
in the Provident and John C. Hall hospitals, in 
Birmingham. He is at present surgeon to the 
Home Hospital, Birmingham, and is a member of 
the Surgical Staff oPM. O. A., Andrew Memorial 
Hospital, Tuskegee, Alabama. He is one of the 
leading Baptists of the city. He is a member of 
the Masonic Lodge, Odd Fellows, Elks, and Knights 
of Honor. In his profession, he has been presi¬ 
dent of the National Medical Association; presi¬ 
dent Tri-state Medical, Dental and Pharmaceuti¬ 
cal Association; the Tri-States being Alabama, 
Georgia, and Florida. Socially he holds active 
membership in the Owl, Whist and Advance clubs. 
He is a frequent contributor to the National Med¬ 
ical Journal. 

Dr. Brown has been married t\.ice. His first 
wife was Miss Mamie Lou Coleman, of Atlanta, 
Georgia. They were married June 5, 1895. The 
present Mrs. Brown was Miss Mamie Nellie Ad¬ 
ams, of Birmingham. He married her September 
27th, 1905. They have four children, Arthur, Her¬ 
ald, Walter and Majorie. Dr. and Mrs. Brown live 
in their beautiful home on Fifth Avenue, where 
their generous hospitality is dispensed to friends. 







NATHANIEL JOSEPH BROUGHTON, M. D. 

F all the sections in Alabama to 
produce Negro leaders and men 
and women who have given am¬ 
ple account of their stewardship, 
the locality in and around Marion 
and Selma would no doubt carry 
the palm. These sections are probably just fer¬ 
tile enough to produce men physically strong 
and fit for life’s wagers and yet barren enough to 
make them rise and go forth. Dr. Nathaniel Jo¬ 
seph Broughton was born in Selma. He came 
along in a better day than most men who have 
made their mark. He was born in the latter sev¬ 
enties, when Selma University, Payne University 
as well as a great many Negro institutions both 
in and out of the State were no longer a ques¬ 
tion, but schools fairly well established with cours¬ 
es and policies rather definitely shaped. 

Dr. Broughton was first a student at Payne In¬ 
stitute when his educational foundation was laid. 
From this institute he entered the Selma Univer¬ 
sity, a few blocks away. Here he received addi¬ 
tional training which prepared him for his next 
move. He next enrolled in Walden University, 
Nashville, Tennessee. 

Up to this time Dr. Broughton had but one 


though—to secure a good education and to this 
end he bent all of his energies and applied him¬ 
self with untiring effort. 

As he approached the goal of his ambition the 
question of a career forced itself upon his mind. 
After considering the various vocations he finally 
chose that of medicine, seeing in this profession 
not only honorable calling, but a field of great use¬ 
fulness. 

This decision was no doubt influenced by his 
work in and around a drug store and where he 
had an opportunity to study pharmacy. He labor¬ 
ed in this store as a means to help pay his way 
through college. Thus it often happens that Prov¬ 
idence interposes to lead us to our life work. 

However, there is much distinction between de¬ 
cision and action. It is much easier to plan than 
to execute. To determine upon a course is the 
first and important step and then follows the 
hours, days and often months of patient toil and 
effort to carry out your plans. This was the case 
with Dr. Broughton. He had for years driven 
himself, as he thought, to his limit in securing his 
college training. 

In the summer he was working hard in Pullman 
service and during the school year was putting in 
spare hours in the drug store or anywhere else he 
could find employment. He had elected to be a 
physician and in order to fit himself for his profes¬ 
sion he must assume additional burden and he 
went to his task with a zeal and determination 
which won him the fight. 

In Meharry Medical College, not far from Wald¬ 
en, indeed the two schools are run under the same 
auspices, though with different executives and 
teachers, Mr. Daniel Williams, the celebrated Ne¬ 
gro Surgeon of Chicago, was delivering lectures. 
Dr. Williams often wished to show how plaster of 
Paris was put on and how plaster of Paris and the 
patient behaved. Thus they needed what the artist 
might call a model, somebody who would allow 
himself in part or in toto to be shut up in Plaster 
of Paris. Dr. Broughton secured this rather unde¬ 
sirable post, undesirable for some but most desir¬ 
able for him. The job served him most lucratively 
in two ways. It increased his fund considerably 
to pay his college bills. Far more valuable still 
it gave the doctor his first real lasting incentive 
for medicine. He learned to love the profession; 
he saw its opportunities; he got very helpful in¬ 
struction both from the experience and from the 
lectures. He is one of the comparatively few doc¬ 
tors in the profession who “know how it feels” to 
be cased up in plaster of Paris, a sympathy well 
worth while and one which brings more business 
than can be readily appreciated. 

Though Dr. Broughton is still young, and young¬ 
er yet in his profession, he is well established in all 
that the world terms properous. He began practice 
in Woodlawn. Alabama, one of the suburbs of Bir¬ 
mingham, in 1906. In ten years he has thoroughly 
equipped himself and his office to render the best 
of service in the professon. He owns his home and 
three vacant lots in this town of his adoption. 

A happy head, the family surrounds him. He was 
married in 1906 to Miss Beatrice L. Statton of 
Chattanooga, Tenn. They have two daughters, 
Misses Genevieve and Mary George, both of whom 
are students in Normal School. 



66 







ORION LAWRENCE CAMPBELL. 

R. Orion Lawrence Campbell was 
born in Montgomery County, 
Alabama, December 13th, 1875. 
When quite a small boy it was 
his delight to visit a barber shop 
and watch the barbers at their 
work. Then and there he formed the ambi¬ 
tion to be a barber, but he reached the goal of his 
ambition in later life, and after he had given sev¬ 
eral other lines of business his attention. 

He received his preparatory education at the 
County School, but finished at Tuskegee Institute. 
An incident at the Tuskegee Institute revived his 
ambition to be a barber and no doubt contributed 
largely in the final determination to follow this line 
of work. He had a difficulty with another student 
in which he proved an expert in the use of a razor. 
His room mate joked him about his ability to use 
a razor and suggested that he open a tonsorial shop. 
Acting upon the suggestion of the joker he began 
business and while at the Institute he not only shav¬ 
ed the students but numbered among his custo¬ 
mers, many of the Professors and as he expressed 
it, felt himself a full fledged barber, when Dr. 
Booker T. Washington sat in the chair. 


After leaving the Tuskegee Institute he engag¬ 
ed in the Upholstering business, but soon gave that 
up for the Printer’s trade. Like a great number 
of young men, he was posessed with the false no¬ 
tion that one business was more honorable that an¬ 
other, and lost sight of the fact that all legitimate 
businesses are honorable, and that the honor lies 
in doing well what you undertake. Under the spell 
of this idea he took advantage of an opening to take 
charge of the type stand, and press at the State 
Notmal School, Montgomery, at a salary of $12.00 
per week. He essayed to be a printer but the call 
of the barber shop had become too strongly in¬ 
trenched in his mind to be effaced, and so his good 
common sense came to his rescue, and he gave up 
the press, and type for the barber’s tools. He en¬ 
tered a barber shop on the per centage basis, and 
his earnings the first week only amounted to $1.55, 
but he was not to be discouraged. Other barbers 
were earning from $15. to $20. per week, and of 
they could earn it he could. He more than doub¬ 
led his earnings the second week and at the end of 
six weeks he was earning as much as any barber 
in the shop. By his courteous manner and fidelity 
to his business he soon won the confidence of the 
Proprietor of the shop, who left him in charge when 
absent. After twelve years service in this shop he 
acquired a half interest in the business, but only 
continued partnership one year. After disposing of 
his interest he opened up a shop of his own. He 
opened his shop in 1908, and still operates it. It 
is well equipped with all the modern conveniences 
and is well patronized. His motto is, “Courteous 
and Efficient Service,” and living up to his motto 
has secured for him the best of trade. 

His gross receipts for the year 1918, amounted to 
$14,000-00 Mr. Campbell has made a success of 
his business by following the bent of his inclina¬ 
tion and giving his talent fullplay, and by strict 
and honest attention to his affairs. 

It is a matter of honest pride with him that his 
barber shop ranks with the first class colored shops 
throughout the country, both in management and 
equipment. 

He has accumulated quite a nice property. He 
owns a home of about $4000 value and six addi¬ 
tional houses worth about $800 each, which brings 
him in a good income. 

While giving close attention to his business, Mr. 
Campbell finds time to interest himself in all enter¬ 
prises which have for their object the betterment 
of his race. He belongs to the A. M. E. Church, 
and is a member of the Board of Trustees ; he is a 
member of the Board of Trustees of Swayne Col¬ 
lege ; He is a member of the K. of P. Lodge and 
was a member of the Masons and Odd Fellows. As 
a Pythian he ranks as Past Chancellor. 

Mr. Campbell has been quite a traveler and has 
visited the leadng cities of America. 

January 4th, 1911 he was married to Beatrice 
Gorham, of Montgomery, who is still his beloved 
companion. They have no children. He occupies 
a high position of respect both among the white 
and colored citizens. 



67 













ROBERT RUSSA MOTON 



Robert Russa Moton LL. D. 


R. Robert Russa Moton, who is 
now the distinguished Principal 
of the Tuskegee Institute in Ala¬ 
bama, takes pride in tracing his 
ancestry to pure African lineage. 
He is a direct descendant of a 
young African Prince, who was 
brought over to this country and 
was purchased by a Virginia planter. 

Born on August 26, on a \ irginia plantation ,and 
inheriting some of the taste for knowledge from his 
mother, who had under difficulty learned to read 
and write, Robert Moton early developed a desire 
to broaden and obtain more of the world’s know¬ 
ledge. Accordingly, he set out for Hampton Insti¬ 
tute with a definite goal in view and reached the 
Institute a few years after Booker T. Washingiton 
had graduated. 

Dr. Moton was early endowed with a generous 
supply of common sense and wise judgment. His 
fellow comrades often sought his advice and were 
wisely and sanely directed. He graduated from 
Hampton Institute in 1890 and soon after was em¬ 
ployed by his Alma Mater as Commandant of Ca¬ 
dets, which position he filled creditably for over 
twenty years. 

In 1905 he was married to Elizabeth Hunt Har¬ 
ris, of Williamsburg, Virginia, who died the follow¬ 
ing year, 1906. In 1908, he married Jennie Dee 
Booth, of Glocester County, Virginia. As a result 
of this marriage, four children are living; Cather¬ 
ine, Charlotte, Robert and Allen. 

During his term of service at Hampton Institute 
he became closely allied with Dr. Booker T. Wash¬ 
ington, in their dual efforts to secure funds for the 
maintenance of the Institutions which each re¬ 
presented. In one of his books, Dr. Washington 
said of him, “Major Moton knows by intuition 
Northern white people and Southern white people. 

I have often heard the remark made that the 
Southern white man knows more about the Negro 
in the South than anybody else. I will not stop 
here to debate that question, but I will add that 
colored men like Major Moton, know more about 
the Southern White man than anybody else on 
earth. 

“At the Hampton Institute, for example, they 
have white teachers and colored teachers; they 
have Southern white people and Northern white 
people; besides, they have colored students and 
Indian students. Major Moton knows how to 
keep his hands on all of these different elements, 
to see to it that friction is kept down and that 
each works in harmony with the other. It is a 
difficult job, but Major Moton knows how to nego¬ 
tiate it.” 

“This thorough understanding of both races 
which Major Moton possesses has enabled him to 
give his students just the sort of practical and 
helpful advice and counsel that no White man who 
has not himself faced perculiar conditions of the 
Negro could be able to give.” 

Because of their intimate relationship and the 
mutual ideas of education and human develop¬ 
ment which they entertained, when Dr. Washing¬ 
ton passed away, the name of this friend of his, 

69 


about whom he had expressed himself so beauti¬ 
fully, came into the minds of hundreds of people, 
and almost unanimously, he was chosen to be the 
successor of this illustrious Colored American. 
The following extract taken from Major Moton’s 
inaugural address at Tuskegee, shows in what spir¬ 
it he assumed the “mantle” of his illustrious pre¬ 
decessor. 

“No greater or more serious responsibility was 
ever placed upon the Negro than is left us here at 
Tuskegee. The importance of the work and the 
gravity of the duties that have been assigned the 
principal, the officers and the teachers in the for¬ 
warding of this work cannot be over-estimated. 
But along with the responsibility and difficulties we 
have a rare opportunity; one almost to be envied, 
—an opportunity to help in the solution of a great 
problem—The Human Race problem, not merely 
changing the modes of life and the ideals of a race, 
but of almost equal importance, the changing of 
ideas of other races regarding that race.” 

Going beyond his regular duties, at Hampton, 
Dr. Moon formed what is known as the Negro Or¬ 
ganization Society, in Virginia. Through its in¬ 
fluence, 350,000 Negroes are being helped in the 
fundamentals of life, health, education, agriculture, 
home making. Dr. Moton is the founder and pres¬ 
ent honorary president. He is also the chairman 
of the Executive Committee of the National Ne¬ 
gro Business League and the Chairman of the Ex¬ 
ecutive Committee of the Anna T. Jeanes Foun¬ 
dation. 

During the period of the war, Dr. Moton was 
instrumental in negotiating a loan of five million 
dollars from the United States government for use 
in Liberia. He also was very active in speaking 
to the people on many tours in the interest of War 
Savings Stamps, Liberty Loan Drives and the con¬ 
servation of food. He has recently been appoint¬ 
ed the Negro representatives on the Permanent 
Roosevelt Memorial National Committee. 

Early in December, 1918, at the sacrifice of a 
great many matters of his own which needed im¬ 
mediate attention, Dr. Moton left his own import¬ 
ant work to go to France at the special request of 
President Wilson and Secretary Baker, to do spe¬ 
cial morale work among the colored soldiers, who 
had made such a fine record for valor and courage. 
He spoke to thousands of these soldiers, black and 
white, urging them to return to their homes in a 
spirit of service and firm in their efforts to help 
uplift humanity and establish a real democracy in 
America. 

The degree of L. L. D. has been conferred upon 
him by Oberlin College and Virginia LMion Univer¬ 
sity in Richmond, Virginia. 

To show in what degree Dr. Moton is keeping 
alive the spirit of Tuskegee Institute, and of Dr. 
Washington, the following quotation is taken from 
one of the leading Southern White papers, in Char¬ 
lotte, North Carolina: 

“So long as the Booker T. Washington ideals pre¬ 
vail at Tuskegee, that institution will continue to 
perform a valuable service to the Negroes of the 
South, and under the management of Dr. Moton, 
these ideals have been lived up to in an admirable 
manner.’ 







CADETS ON PARADE AT TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE. 



HE school was established by an 
an act of Alabama Legislature— 
session of 1880, as the Tuskegee 
State Normal School. Two thou¬ 
sand dolars was appropriated to 
VA P a y salaries. The first session, 

VJ July 4, 1881, opened in a rented 

shanty church, with 30 pupils, 
and one teacher. The first prncipal of the institu¬ 
tion, Booker T. Washington, brought to the work 
his own creative ability and the educational ideals 
of his friend and teacher, Samuel Chapman Arm¬ 
strong, the founder of Hampton Institute. He 
continued as principal until his death, in November, 
1915. Through his tact and energy the plant and 
endowment have been increased to an aggregate 
value of almost 4,000,000. In 1893 the institution 
was incorporated under its present name. In 1899 
the United States Congress gave the school 25,000 
acres of mineral land. Of this, 5,100 acres have 
been sold and the proceeds applied to the endow¬ 
ment fund. The remaining 19,900 acres are valued 
at $250,000. The ownership and control of the in¬ 
stitution are vested in a board of trustees compos¬ 
ed of influential white and colored men from the 
North and from the South. 

Since the foundation of the school over ten 
thousand men and women have finished a full or 
partial course. They have gone out and are do¬ 
ing good work, mainly as industrial workers. 

The total enrollment in the normal and industrial 
departments in 1918-1919 was 1,620. This included 
representatives from thirty-five states and eighteen 
foreign countries. This did not, however, include 
242 pupils in the training school or Children’s 
House; and 572 in the Summer School. The total 
number of those who had the benefit of the schools 
training was 2,432. 

There are forty trades or professions taught. The 
industries are grouped under three departments: 


The school of agriculture, the department of me¬ 
chanical industries and the industries for girls. 
There is also a hospital and nurse training school. 
Each of these departments has a separate building 
or group of buildings in which its work is carried 
on. The agricultural school, in addition to its la¬ 
boratories, has the farm and experiment station 
where practical and experimental work is done. 
The farm includes over 2,000 acres. The work of 
the farm is carried on by 200 students and 14 in¬ 
structors. 

The mechanical industries include auto-mechan¬ 
ics, carpentry, brickmasonry, wood working, print¬ 
ing, tailoring, blacksmithing, shoemaking, found¬ 
ing, wheelwrighting, harness making, carriage 
trimming, plumbing, steam fitting, electrical en¬ 
gineering, architectual and mechanical drawing, 
tin-smithing, painting and brick making. 

The girls’ industries include laundering, domestic 
science, plain sewing, dressmaking, millinery, and 
home crafts, under which are included bead work, 
broom making, rug making, chair seating and home 
decorations basketry. 

There is a systematic effort to correlate the aca¬ 
demic studies with the industrial training and prac¬ 
tical interests of the pupils. By this means, the in¬ 
dustrial work of the students is lifted above the le¬ 
vel of mere drudgery and becomes a demonstra¬ 
tion. On the other hand, the principals acquired 
in the academic studies gain in definiteness, preci¬ 
sion and interest by application to actual situa¬ 
tions and real objects. The academic department 
is divided into a night and a day school. The night 
school is designed for those who are too poor " to 
pay the small charges made to the day school. The 
night school pupils spend five evenings each week 
in academic work; the day school pupils, three 
days each week. Teaching in the academic depart¬ 
ment is carried on by a faculty of forty-four 
teachers. They are expected to visit every" week 



















WHITE HALL, ONE OF THE DORMITORIES FOR YOUNG WOMEN AT TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE. 


some one division of the shops or farm and report 
upon it in order to find the illustrative material for 
their class room work. Pupils in their rhetoricals, 
read papers on and give demonstrations of the 
work they have done in the shops. 

The Phelps Hall Bible Training School was es¬ 
tablished in 1892 to assist in improving the Negro 
ministry. It aims to give its students a compre¬ 
hensive knowledge of the English Bible and such 
training as will fit them to work as preachers and 
missionaries under the conditions existing among 
their people. 

The hospital and nurse training school was start¬ 
ed in 1892. Over one hundred nurses have graduat¬ 
ed and are doing good work in different parts of 
the country. 

EXTENSION: The extension department pro¬ 
vides a large number of activities for the improve¬ 
ment of educational, agricultural, business, home 
health and religious life of the colored people of the 
United States. These activities vary from those 
limited to the needs of the institute community to 
those of national significance. The local organi¬ 
zations include the building and loan associations, 
home building society, women’s clubs, health and 
religious organizations. Country-wide movements 
include the supervision and building of rural 
schools, farm demonstration work, and health 
campaigns. The State-wide and national activities 
are largely the result of Dr. Washington’s influ¬ 
ence over the colored people and the esteem with 
which he was regarded by white people, North and 
South. The most important of these are the Na¬ 
tional Business League, with its State and local 
organizations, and the State educational tours 
which Dr. Washington conducted in almost every 
Southern State. 

Probably the most influential of the extension ef¬ 
forts is the Negro Farmers’ Conference, held an¬ 
nually at the institute. The conference brings to¬ 
gether thousands of colored farmers from neigh¬ 
boring counties and hundreds from other parts of 
the State and neighboring States. In '^addition, 


many influential white and colored people from 
every part of the country have gone to Tuskegee 
to see the assembly guided by Dr. Washington. 
On the day following the large meeting a “Work¬ 
ers’ conference” is held. This is composed of per¬ 
sons who are directing all forms of endeavor for 
the improvement of the Negro race. Closely con¬ 
nected with the farmers’ conference is the short 
course in agriculture consisting of two weeks of 
study and observation at the institute. It is wide¬ 
ly attended by farmers of surrounding countries. 

The experiment farm established at Tuskegee 
in 1896 by the State legislature is conducting ex¬ 
periments in soil cultivation for the benefit of the 
colored farmers of the State. 

The school publications include two regular pa¬ 
pers and many valuable pamphlets. The Tuskegee 
Student is a bimonthly devoted to the interests of 
the pupils, teachers and graduates. The Southern 
Letter, a record of the graduates and former stu¬ 
dents is issued monthly and sent to persons inter¬ 
ested in Tuskegee. The Negro Year Book is a 
compendium of valuable facts concerning the Ne¬ 
gro in the Lmited States. 

TEACHER TRAINING: The teacher - training 
course includes psychology, history of education, 
methods, management, school administration, re¬ 
views, and methods in elementary subjects, draw¬ 
ing, physical training, nature study, and 10 weeks 
of practice teaching at the Children’s House. The 
Children’s House is a large seven-grade school 
maintained co-operatively by Tuskegee and the 
country. It has facilities for manual work, house¬ 
hold arts, and school garden. It is an excellent labo¬ 
ratory for observation and practice teaching. Ar¬ 
rangements have also been made with the county 
superintendents whereby a limited number of sen¬ 
iors in the course teach six weeks in the country 
schools. Some pay is received for this teaching. The 
work outlined covers two years for graduate stu¬ 
dents. If, however, the teacher-training hamama 
last two undergraduate years are elected the course 
may be completed in one year of graduate work. 





















GIRLS OF THE SENIOR CLASS AT TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE LEARNING MANUAL TRAINING. 


MUSIC: All pupils receive some training in vocal 
music. Special attention is given to the plantation 
melodies, which are taught not only for their mus¬ 
ical value, but as an expression of the spiritual life 
and moral struggles of the Negroes in America. 
Instruction on the piano is provided for those who 
are able to pay the special fee. 

DISCIPLINE AND PHYSICAL TRAINING: The mil¬ 
itary system is maintained among the young men 
to cultivate habits or order', neatness and obedience. 
The rooms are inspected and the grounds are poli¬ 
ced through the military system. Physical train¬ 
ing is provided for the young women under the di¬ 
rection of a woman trained in gymnastics. The 


young women’s rooms are inspected by the ma¬ 
trons in charge of the dormitories. 

Religious training: Considerable provision is 
made for religious services. The activities include 
Sunday school classes and daily chapel services, 
which are attended by all pupils. The voluntary 
religious organizations are the Young Men’s Chris¬ 
tian Association, the Young Women’s Christian 
Association, Christian Endeavor Society, Tempe¬ 
rance Union, and Missionary Society. 

LIBRARY: The Carnegie Library contains a 
stock room, reading room, librarian’s office, and 
two rooms for magazines and newspapers. Three 
workers have charge of the library department. 



THE SUMMER SCHOOL AT TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE. 


72 






























TOMPKINS DINING HALL, TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE. 
























































Photo by G. V. Buck. 


HON EMMETT JAY SCOTT 





Emmett Jay Seott 


ROM “Who’s Who in America,” 
we learn that Mr. Scott was born 
February 13th, 1873, at Houston, 
Texas, the son of Mr. and Mrs. 
Horace L. Scott. At an early age, 
after he completed the course of 
instruction in the Colored High 
School. 

He was influenced by Bishop J. B. Scott and Rev. 
W. H. Logan, D. D., to enter Wiley University. In 
order to help provide funds for his education young 
“Emmett” carried the mail from the post-office at 
Marshall, to the school, a distance of a mile and a 
half. 

For his services he received Five Dollars per 
month. This was during the years of 1887-1888. 

Having to divide his summer earnings with the 
younger children of the family, he did not return 
to Wiley, during the 1889 term until late, for the 
lack of funds, and in consequence lost his position 
of mail carrier. Nothing daunted, he chopped wood 
and fed the school’s hogs ; later on, however during 
the same year, he became bookkeeper in the Pres¬ 
ident’s office, which “job” he held until the end of 
the school year. The following summer young 
Scott was employed as janitor in the Pillot Build¬ 
ing, and it was here that he first had a real oppor¬ 
tunity to demonstrate his natural aptitude for of¬ 
fice work. He attracted the attention of a good- 
hearted Yankee, who was President of the War¬ 
ren Lumber Company and publisher of the “Tex¬ 
as Trade Journal.” During odd hours of the 
day when he was around in the building he 
was given an opportunity to make a little ex¬ 
tra money addressing wrappers and envelopes 
for this company and a little later on, through the 
kindness of a Southern White man, he was per¬ 
mitted to do similar work for the Houston Com¬ 
mercial Club, and finally became one of their reg¬ 
ular workers until the club was disbanded. For 
several months after this he was unable to find 
any work to do until a colored man, Mr. Gibbs 
McDonald, who was generally known in Houston 
as “Old Man Gibbs,” secured for him a position as 
assistant janitor and messenger in the office of the 
“Houston Daily Post.” 

Mr. J. L. Watson, Secretary and Treasurer 
of the Post Publishing Company, very soon 
noticed his good penmanship, and on one oc¬ 
casion, on a very busy day, put him to addressing 
envelopes. Later, as they found his willing and 
ambitious, other responsibilities were given him, 
to all of which he measured up with surprising sat¬ 
isfaction. 

Even at that time the “Houston Post ’ was the 
leading paper of the Southwest and under Mr. 
Watson’s management became a strong and pow¬ 
erful influence in the political and business devel¬ 
opment of the South, a place which it still holds. 

Mr. Scott himself did not know how well-devel¬ 
oped were his powers of observation and expres¬ 
sion until on one occasion, when the commence¬ 
ment exercises at Prairie View Normal School 
were being held and “The Post could not spai e a 
reporter to go to attend, Mr. Johnson suggest¬ 

75 


ed that he go to Prairie View and secure the story 
for “The Post.” The story which he brought back 
from Prairieview, and which was published in 
“The Post” was prepared with all the detail and 
finesse of a veteran reporter. When he left 
the employ of the “Houston Post” he had 
reached that stage of his growth where he needed 
a further outlet for his natural talents. About 
that time the “Texas Freeman” was launched at 
Houston with J. S. Tibbitt as- Editor; Emmett J. 
Scott, Associate Editor, and Charles N. Love as 
Business Manager. Later Mr. Scott and Mr. Love 
acquired Mr. Tibbitt’s interest and for three years 
“The Freeman,” under their management, was the 
most powerful and influential organ of the colored 
people of Texas. Mr. Love continues the publi¬ 
cation. 

It was one of the most significant occurances in 
Mr. Scott’s career as Editor of “The Freeman” 
that he was one of the first colored men with suf¬ 
ficient vision and interpretation of the signs of 
times to see that Booker T. Washington was des¬ 
tined to be the leader of thought among his race. 
This is best told in the recent book, entitled “Book¬ 
er T. Washington—Builder of a Civilization,” of 
which Mr. Scott and Mr. Lyman Beecher Stowe, 
grandson of the late Harriet Beecher Stowe, are 
co-authors. Concerning Dr. Washington’s famous 
Atlanta address in 1895 the book says: 

“One of the first colored men so to acclaim him 
was Emmett J. Scott, who was then editing a Ne¬ 
gro newspaper in Houston, Texas, and little realiz¬ 
ed that he was to become the most intimate asso¬ 
ciate of the new leader. In an editorial Mr. Scott 
said of this, the famous Atlanta address: ‘Without 
resort to exaggeration, it is but simple justice to 
call the address great. Great in the absolute mod¬ 
esty, self-respect and dignity with which the 
speaker presented a platform upon which, as Clark 
Howell, of the “Atlanta Constitution” says, “both 
races, blacks and whites, can stand with full jus¬ 
tice to each.” 

Since he went to Tuskegee in 1897 as Mr. Wash¬ 
ington’s secretary, the part which he has played in 
the development of .Tuskegee Institute and its 
varied activities is well known to those of our 
race who are conversant with current activities. 
In 1901, he was elected Secretary of the National 
Negro Business League, which position he has held 
regularly ever since, and no one in touch with the 
work of the Business League can think of this 
splendid organization without associating with it 
the name of Emmett J. Scott. In 1909, Mr. 
Scott was a member of the American Commis¬ 
sion to Liberia, appointed by President William 
H. Taft. His study of Liberian conditions has 
been put in pamphlet form, under the title “Is 
Liberia Worth Saving?” and is recognized as an 
authoritative treatise on Liberia and its possibil¬ 
ities. In 1912 he was Secretary of the Internation¬ 
al Conference on the Negro, which met at Tuske¬ 
gee Institute. 

Mr. Scott’s larger activities, other than these 
here outlined, have been his co-authorship with Dr. 
Washington in writing the book “Tuskegee and Its 












People,” published in 1910, and with Lyman Beech¬ 
er Stowe in writing the book “Booker T. Washing¬ 
ton,” published in 1916. 

When America entered the war in 1917, there 
was considerable uneasiness as to what would be 
the status of the Negro in the war and quite nat¬ 
urally Tuskegee Institute was one of the centers 
which helped in adjusting these conditions. Dr. 
Moton, Principal, and Mr. Scott, made frequent 
visits to New York and Washington, and were con¬ 
stantly in consultation with the authorities at 
Washington. Out of these discussions and toge¬ 
ther with the activities of other agencies working 
towards the same end, the Officer’s Training Camp 
for Negro Officers was established at Des Moines, 
Iowa, and later, following a conversation between 
Dr. Moton and Mr. Scott, Dr. Moton interviewed 
President Wilson and suggested that a colored 
man be designated as an Assistant or Advisor in 
the War Department to pass upon various matters 
affecting the Negro soldiers who were then being 
inducted 1 into the service and as the result, Mr. 
Scott went to Washington on October 1st, 1917, 
and from then until July 1st, 1919, served as Spec¬ 
ial Assistant to the Secretary of War. 

Among the things that the record of Mr. Scott’s 
work in the War Department will show are the fol¬ 
lowing : 

1. The formation of a Speakers’ Bureau, or 
“Committee of One Hundred,” to enlighten the 
Colored Americans on the war aims of the gov¬ 
ernment. 

2. Aiding in the breaking up of discrimination, 
based on color, in the great ship-building plant at 
Hog Island. 

3. Establishing morale officers and agents at 
the Industrial plants, North and South where large 
numbers of colored workmen were employed. 

4. He was largely instrumental in the enroll¬ 
ment of Colored Red Cross Nurses and securing 
authorization for the utilization of their services in 
base hospitals at six army camps, in which colored 
soldiers were located—Funston, Dix, Taylor, Sher¬ 
man, Grant and Dodge. 

5. The continuance of the training camps for 
colored officers and the increase in their number 
and an enlargement of their scope of training. 

6. Betterment of the general conditions in the 
camps where Negroes are stationed in large num¬ 
bers, and positive steps taken to reduce race fric¬ 
tion to a minimum wherever soldiers or opposite 
races are brought into contact. 

7. The extension to young colored men the op¬ 
portunity for special training in technical, mechan¬ 
ical, and military science in the various schools and 
colleges of the country* provision having been made 
for the training of twenty thousand through the 
Students’ Army Training Corps, and other practi¬ 
cal agencies of instruction. 

8. An increase from four to sixty in the num¬ 
ber of colored chaplains for the army service. 

9. The recall of Colonel Charles Young to ac¬ 
tive service in the United States Army. 

10. The establishment of a Woman’s Branch 
under the Council of National Defense, with a col¬ 
ored field agent, Mrs. Alice Dunbar Nelson, to or¬ 
ganize the colored women of the country for sys¬ 
tematic war work. 


11. The appointment of the first colored regu¬ 
larly-commissioned war correspondent, to report 
military operations on the western front in France. 

12. The opening of every branch of the military 
service to colored men, on equal terms with all 
others, and the commissioning of many colored 
men as officers in the Medical Corps. 

13. Large increase in the number of colored 
line officers—the total increasing from less than 
a dozen at the beginning of the war to more than 
1 , 200 . 

14. Direct aid and material encouragement in 
the “drives” for the Liberty Loans, the Red Cross, 
the Y. M. C. A., Y. W. C. A., and United War 
Work Relief Agencies in general. 

15. The calling and successful direction of a 
Conference of Colored Editors and Leaders, which 
went far to promote the morale of the 12,000,000 
colored Americans, and led to a declaration of the 
Government’s sympathetic attitude toward the de¬ 
sires and aspirations of its colored citizenry. No 
conference held for the consideration of Negro 
problems has been so fruitful of big results as this. 

Dr. Moton, in making his annual report to the 
Trustees of Tuskegee Institute in 1918, said of Mr. 
Scott: 

“Our Secretary, Mr. Emmett J. Scott, who lab¬ 
ored so faithfully with Dr. Washington during his 
lifetime, and who is standing by the present Prin¬ 
cipal with equal loyalty, was loaned to the Gov¬ 
ernment to become Special Assistant to the Secre¬ 
tary of War. Mr. Scott is fitted, as perhaps no 
other man in the country, to do this work with 
rare tact and good judgment. Added to his splen¬ 
did native ability, he has had a peculiar experience 
here at Tuskegee, which has gven him as broad 
a conception of and insight into the problems of 
race relationship as any man I know. 

“I wish I could put into this report some of his 
real accomplishments which are having a far- 
reaching effect in making lighter the burdens of 
our wise, patient and courageous President, and 
the Secretary of War, in meeting many of the 
problems which have grown out of the enlistment 
of thousands of colored soldiers, and at the same 
time making it easier for approximately 400,000 
colored soldiers now in the service to adjust them¬ 
selves to the many trying and difficult situations 
which must necessarily arise in the new life into 
which they have been so suddenly entered.” 

Late in June, 1919, it was announced through the 
press that Mr. Scott had been elected Secretary- 
Treasurer of Howard Lmiversity, thus bringing to 
a close twenty-two years of successful, faithful, 
service to Tuskegee Institute, and upon July firs* 
he entered upon his new duties. 

Perhaps the most beautiful estimate of Mr. Scott 
is the following comment from Dr. Booker T. 
Washington, which appeared in his book entitled, 
“Tuskegee and Its People.” 

“For many years now, Mr. Scott has served the 
school with rare fidelity and zeal, and has been to 
the Principal not only a loyal assistant in every 
phase of his manifold, and frequently trying duties, 
but has proved a valuable personal friend and coun¬ 
selor in matters of the most delicate nature, ex¬ 
hibiting in emergencies a quality of judgment and 
diplomatic calmness seldom found in men of even 
riper maturity and more extended experience.” 


76 



ULYSSES GRANT MASON, M. D. 


HE good book tells us that men 
have varying talents and that 
man is not limited to one talent. 
It is often noted in men of re¬ 
nown that they possess a number 
of talents with one or more very 

conspicuous. 

This is illustrated in the case of Dr. Mason. He 
is prominent in his profession as a physician and 
no less prominent as a business man and withaLhe 
is a man of marked initiative ability. 

Dr. Mason is the son of Isaac and Mary Mason, 
and was born in Birmingham, Alabama, Novem¬ 
ber 20th, 1872. 

He received his preparatory education at Hunts¬ 
ville College (now A. & M. College, Normal, Ala¬ 
bama.) Having chosen the medical profession he 
next entered the Meharrv Medical College, (Wal 
d?n University,) at Nashville, Tennessee. Grad¬ 
uating from this college he sought additional pre¬ 
paration in Europe and took a special corn se in 
surgery, at the University of Edinburgh, Scot¬ 
land. Returning to this country, he entered up¬ 
on his medical career in Birmingham, Alabama, 
the city of his birth He at once won recognition 
as a physician and soon had an extended practice. 


His ability as a physician was recognized by the 
City authorities, who appointed him assistant city 
physician, which position he held for about eight 
years. 

Dr. Mason was sympathetic with all movements 
which looked to the elevation and advancement of 
his people and himself initiated several institu¬ 
tions which sought their good. 

He was the organizer and founder of the Home 
and George, C. M. Hall Hospital; Founder and 
Surgeon to the Northside Infirmary, located at 
1508 Seventh Avenue, Birmingham, Alabama. In 
1910 he organized the Prudential Savings Bank, 
and has been its President since the organization. 

These organizations indicate the trend of his 
mind—to ameliorate the sufferings of his people, 
and encourage them in habits of thrift. 

From 1897 to 1908, he had been the \ 7 ice Presi¬ 
dent of the Alabama Penny Saving Bank. 

He is regarded as a man of remarkable business 
ability and his reputation is well sustained in the 
creditable manner in which he handles all matters 
confided to him. He has filled many honorable 
positions, both as a citizen and in a professional 
way. 

He was Delegate at large to the Republican Na¬ 
tional Conventions, 1908-1912. Member Clinical 
Congress of Surgeons of North America ; member 
of the Medical Society of the United States of 
America; member John A. Andrew Clinical So¬ 
ciety; member National Medical Association; 
member of the State Medical, Dental and Phar¬ 
maceutical Association, and of the Birmingham 
District Medical, Dental and Pharmacy Association. 
He is the Endowment Treasurer of Knights of Py¬ 
thias; Trustee of the Central Alabama Institute, 
and Trustee of the 16th. Street Baptist Church, of 
Birmingham. He has always taken a prominent 
part in public affairs. Secretary Baker appointed 
him on a committee of one hundred to represent 
the Government on War Aims; he was chairman 
of the War Saving Stamps Committee; Member 
of the State National Council Defense and member 
of Volunteer Medical Service Corps, Council of 
National Defense. 

Dr. Mason has been twice married. His first 
wife, Miss Alice Nelson, of Greensboro, Alabama, 
died September 19th, 1910, leaving him four chil¬ 
dren, Vivian, Ellariz, Ulysses G. Jr., and Alice F. 
June 17th. 1916 he married Mrs. Elsie Downs Bak¬ 
er, of Columbus Ohio, who has borne him one 
child, Dorothy Downs. Dr. Mason finds great 
pleasure and pride in his family and home life. 

Dr. Mason has accumulated considerable pro¬ 
perty and is among the wealthiest negroes of the 
South. 

Regarded from every standpoint he is a success. 












DAVID HENRY CLAY SCOTT, M. D. 

ICKNESS and disease is to be 
found in all races of men and in 
all stations of life and the mar¬ 
velous advance made by science 
in combating its ravages has at¬ 
tracted to the profession of med¬ 
icine a great many young men. Aside from its re¬ 
munerative attraction they see in the medical pro¬ 
fession a field of unlimited usefulness. A doctor’s 
life is not one of ease but the faithful physician 
who spends himself in the interest of humanity 
feels that he has given his life to a good cause. 
Among the young men who were attracted to this 
profession was Dr. David Henry Clay Scott. 

Dr. Scott was born in Hollywood, Alabama, No¬ 
vember 21st, 1871. Like quite a large number of 
colored youths he aspired to rise above the lot of 
a day laborer and realized that in order to do so he 
must have an education and fit himself for some 
useful and remunerative occupations. His choice of 
a life work was that of medicine so he set that 
profesion as his goal and bent all of his energies to 
attain a doctor’s certificate. 

He received his first educational training at the 
Huntsville State Normal School where he acquir¬ 



ed a good foundation upon which he continued to 
build until his education was complete. 

He entered the Meharry Medical College, to 
prepare for his life work, from which instituition 
he received his M. D. Finishing his course 
he was ready for business and selected Selma as 
the city in which to hang out his shingle. How¬ 
ever, he remained in this city only from March to 
November, when he moved to Montgomery. His 
career in Montgomery is the best testimony as to 
the wisdom of this change. His practice contin¬ 
ued to grow from the beginning which is evidence 
of his ability as a physician. 

While Dr. Scott’s large practice keeps him busy 
he manages to find time to devote to civic matters 
and is interested in all matters which look to city 
developement. 

He was appointed chairman for the colored citi¬ 
zens in the 4th. Liberty Loan Drive, the success of 
which demonstrated his ability as a leader. 

The following extracts from a statement issued 
by him in one of the local papers tells the spirit in 
which he entered upon this work. 

“As chairman of the colored people’s Fourth Li¬ 
berty Loan drive, I am extremely anxious that we 
do not falter in the last hours of this all important 
effort to put Montgomery ‘over the top,” and again 
“There is no special honor coming to any one be¬ 
cause of this effort. Selfish be he who buys bonds 
for the sake of any honor that may come to him in 
so doing.” Dr. Scott has marked executive ability 
as well a liberal endowment of business sagacity 
which he has used to great advantage. 

Recognizing the need for a better class of build¬ 
ings for the colored business man, he purchased a 
lot at the corner of Monroe and Lawrence Streets, 
and erected thereon a handsome three-story struc¬ 
ture. The first floor is occupied as a drug store, 
which is run in first class style, having a fine soda- 
fount and other modern attractions. The second 
and third floors are used for offices and are all oc¬ 
cupied by live, wide-awake business men. When 
you enter this biulding you are at once impressed 
with its business atmosphere. Dr. Scott also owns 
and occupies his residence and owns several other 
pieces of property. 

Dr. Scott was married December 28th, 1897, to 
Miss Viola Watkins, daughter of a prominent Con¬ 
tractor of the city of Montgomery, who erected 
his store building. They have ho living children. 

While Dr. Scott is interested in all enterprises 
which seek the good of his people he is especially 
interested in that institution, which in addition to 
its humanitarian appeal, interests him from the 
standpoint of his profession as a physician and 
surgeon—The Hale Infirmary. He is officially 
connected with this institution and gives to it his 
best thought and skill and much of his time- 



78 









IJIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM^ 


KAWALIGA ACADEMIC AND INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTE 


HE Kowaliga School was founded 
in 1898, by William E. Benson, a 
native of the community in which 
it is located. It is located in Tal¬ 
lapoosa County, Alabama, in the 
center of a community of colored 
people comprising about one thousand inhabitants. 
It was a part of a general enerprise which includes 
besides the school, the Dixie Industrial Company. 
It is owned by a board of trustees of prominent 
Northern men and women and local colored men. 



Represented upon the board is John J. Benson, 
father of the founder, a man known far and wide 
for his marvelous success as a farmer and a man 
who commands the highest respect from both the 
white and black citizens. 


The need for better educational facilities for the 
colored youth of the community had long been 
felt and it was to meet this need that suggested 
the enterprise which resulted in the building of 
the school. 

Primarily it was not the aim of the school to 
train teachers, but to give to the boys and girls of 
the community an elementary education. While 
thorough instruction is given to the grammar 
grades, the scholars are also given instruction in 
manual, domestic and agricultural training. Man¬ 
ual training in wood and iron is taught the boys, 
along with training in agriculture, while the girls 
are taught cooking, sewing, millinery and basketry. 
The school is non-sectarian but kept under a strong 
religious influence. Although the Bible is not 
taught in the day school, devotional exercises are 
held each morning before the school work begins. 

The teachers and students visit all the churches 
in the community and quite often the ministers of 
the churches visit the school. The first Saturday 
afternoon of each month is known as Mother s 
day, when the mothers meet and receive instruc¬ 
tion in bread making, house cleaning, laundering, 
care of children, etc. They are given samples of 
yeast and baking-powder with instructions how 
to use them. In addition to their school duties, 
the teachers give as much time as is possible in 
doing extensive work. They make a house to 
house canvass in order to ascertain just the needs 


of the patrons and show them the advantage of 
sending their children to school. This extension 
work is making the school many friends. The 
school has a boy s brass band, which arouses much 
interest, both in the school and community. The 
school has a library of 900 volumes which are used 
by the students. The Library needs replenishing 
and a better selection of books to stimulate a new 
interest in it. Mr. Benson, the founder, died Oc¬ 
tober 14th, 1915, and was succeeded by James An¬ 
drew Dingus, who took charge of the school De¬ 
cember 2nd., 1915. 

Professor Dingus was born in Jiles County, Vir¬ 
ginia, March 3rd, 1877, and received his education 
in Marietta, Ohio, where he graduated from the 
High School and received the finishing touches at 
the Hampton Institute, in Virginia. He was es¬ 
pecially fitted for agricultural instruction and for 
three years was placed in charge of the Dairy and 
Poultry departments at Hampton Institute, and for 
three years had charge of the Agricultural depart¬ 
ment at Langston, Oklahoma. 

When he took charge of Kawaliga school he 
found evidence of excellent construction work 
along the line of buildings, but the patrons some¬ 
what disorganized owing to the death of Mr. Ben¬ 
son- His first work was to meet the local mem¬ 
bers of the Board of Trustees and learn the needs 
and condition of the school. He realized that three 
things were necessary to guarantee success in his 
efforts—children to instruct, teachers to teach 
them and money to pay the teachers. Having sat¬ 
isfied himself upon these points he put his life and 
energy into the work with the most gratifying re¬ 
sults. The enrollment 1917-18 was 196, with an 
average attendance of 115. 

The land upon which the school is located com¬ 
prises 249 acres, about fifty of which is under cul¬ 
tivation. It is the purpose of Professor Dingus to 
make this farm not only self-sustaining but a source 
of'profit to the school. Thus it will serve the 
double purpose of a model farm for instruction and 
a source of income. Kowaliga is an Indian name, 
the name of a little river in the uplands of Alabama, 
along whose borders was once an Indian Reser¬ 
vation. Here is now to be found a thickly settled 
farming community, inhabited by a comparatively 
thrifty and industrious class of colored people. In 
the center of this community is the Kowaliga 
school, exerting an influence over the inhabitants 
elevating, refining, and inspiring to a nobler life. 


79 
















REVEREND JOHN BONHAM McDUFFEE 


EV. John Bonham McDuffee was 
born in Montgomery County, Ala¬ 
bama, May 1st, 1868, and has re¬ 
sided in the county of his birth al¬ 
most his entire life. The call of 
the farm had a fascination for 
him, and a tan early age he began his farming 
operations. At the age of sixteen he began work 
on his own account. His farm was located in Beat 
10, Montgomery County, where he has almost con¬ 
tinuously since tilled the soil. 

Like a great many colored men, his thirst for 
knowledge kept pace with his manual efforts so he 
gave a fourth of his time to the cultivation of his 
mind. He gave three-fourths of his time to the 
farm and attended the district school in the winter. 

In 1895 he joined the Baptist church at Hope Ala¬ 
bama and was by that church ordained to the min¬ 
istry and called to be the Pastor of the church at 
Letohatchie. He served his church for twelve 
years before accepting work elsewhere. The re¬ 
sult of his ministerial work has been the serving 
of seven churches, two of which he founded and 
built from the ground up. 

In 1897 he was elected President of the Alabama 


Middle district Sunday School Convention, and 
held the office continuously for nine years. 

In the year 1915 he was elected Secretary of the 
same convention, which position he now fills. 

Rev. McDuffee believes in taking time by the 
foreclock, so when he read that the Boll Weevil 
was headed for Alabama, he immediately began to 
plan to give him a warm reception, not in the sense 
of a cordial reception but such a welcome as would 
prompt him to seek a more congenial clime. The 
outcome of his tests and experiments was the “Mc¬ 
Duffee Boll Weevil Remedy,” a remedy that has 
brought him into notice throughout the cotton pro¬ 
ducing states. 

His name has become a by-word in the homes of 
many farmers in the cotton belts. 

The cotton production has had to face many dif¬ 
ficulties and has met and overcome many formida¬ 
ble enemies, the great enemy it now faces being 
the boll weevil. In finding a remedy for this pest 
the Rev. McDuffee will save to the cotton produc¬ 
ing states much wealth. 

No other remedy has accomplished the good in 
the destruction of the boll weevil that McDuffee’s 
preparation has done and hundreds of farmers have 
voiced their praise of the remedy in letters of com¬ 
mendation. It came at a time when the farmers 
were blue and it seemed that the death knell to 
cotton culture had been sounded and like the morn¬ 
ing sun it dispelled the mists of doubt and uncer¬ 
tainty which hung over the farmer and gave him a 
new hope. 

Thus it often happens that our brightest visions 
come in the midst of our hardest trials. For every 
evil there is a remedy and it fell to the lot of Rev¬ 
erend HcDuffee to find the remedy for the Boll 
Weevil. 

Before giving his remedy to the public, Rev. Mc¬ 
Duffee partook freely of his own medicine. He 
reasoned that if it did not keep his own fields free 
of the pest it would be of no practical use to others. 
His experiments were so successful that he imme¬ 
diately told others of the blessing he had found. 
Others have tried it, much to the discomfort of the 
Boll Weevil, and the reputation of the McDuffee 
Boll Weevil Remedy was assured. 

The home life of Rev. McDuffee has been a 
mingling of joy and sorrow. He has been married 
three times and twice has he stood at the open 
grave and watched the bodies of his companions 
lowered into mother earth. 

His first wife was Miss Elizia Normon, who he 
married in 1886. She died leaving him four chil¬ 
dren. He next married Miss Susia Woodley, who 
gave him nine children. She died August 11th, 
1913. His present wife was Miss Arlean Johnson, 
and from this union has been born two children. 



80 













GEORGE AUGUSTUS WEAVER, M .D. 


R. George Augustus Weaver, the 
subject of this sketch was born in 
Tuscaloosa, Alabama, November 
1st, 1870, where the very atmos¬ 
phere breathed the spirit of edu¬ 
cation. Here the Alabama State 
University is located, and it is quite natural that a 
colored youth who was born and raised in such a 
community should have aspirations for learning 
and position. 

With the fires of ambition kindled he formed the 
purpose to secure an education and the fact that the 
way seemed hard did not deter him nor change his 
purpose. He persevered until his course was com¬ 
pleted and he was enabled to hang out his shingle 
as an M. D. With the exception of five dollars a 
month given him by his father he paid his own way 
through school and college. He served as porter 
with the Wagner Palace Car Company and the Pull¬ 
man Company, and spent such time as not engaged 
in the school, upon the road. 

This work while it gave him the funds to contin¬ 
ue his studies also added to the developement of his 
mind. His travels carried him all over the United 
States and to many of the cities of Canada, thus 


broadening his outlook and giving him a greater 
knowledge of men. He commenced his studies in 
the city school, of Tuscaloos, his native city, where 
a good foundation was laid and prepared him for 
the advanced course in other institutions. After 
finishing the Tuscaloosa schools he entered the Tal¬ 
ladega College where he graduated in 1892. From 
Talladega College he went to Howard University, 
at Washington, D. C., and took the medical course, 
graduating in 1897. The Howard University was 
founded in 1867 by an act of Congress and in varie¬ 
ty and quality of profesional training stands first 
among educational institutions for colored people. 

Thus by his indomitable spirit, energy, patience 
and perseverence he secured an education, and com¬ 
pleted his medical course in one of the strongest in¬ 
stitutions in the land. When he left the University 
he was well equipped for his profession so far as 
knowledge goes, but without the means to rent and 
furnish an office, so he turned again to the road, 
and for several months, from May to January, 
donned the uniform of a pullman porter. He open¬ 
ed his office and began the practice of medicine and 
surgery, in March, 1898, in the city of Tuscaloosa, 
where he has continuously practiced since. 

Dr. Weaver is a member of the First African 
Baptist Church and takes an active part in church 
life. In recognition of his ability and consecrated 
life the church made him Chairman of the Board of 
Trustees. He is a member of the Masonic Lodge 
and has served as Senior Grand Warden. He is a 
Knight of Pythias, and an Odd Fellow, being Grand 
Medical Director of the latter. He is also a mem¬ 
ber of the volunteer Medical Service Corp. Ex-Pres¬ 
ident of Alabama Dental and Pharmaceutical Asso¬ 
ciation. 

Dr. Weaver was selected as Chairman of the 
Fourth Loan drive, and under his management it 
went far “over the top.” He was one of the “Four 
minute-Speakers,” in the speaking force to push 
the War Saving Stamp campaign, and organized a 
class of Red Cross First Aid. 

In this time of his country’s need his soul burned 
with the firts of patriotism, and in this way he 
gave expression to his loyalty and relieved the pent 
up fires of patriotism which urged him to action. 

In 1900 Dr. Weaver was united in marriage to 
Miss Mattie A. Wallace, of Wilsonville, Ala., who 
together, with two children born of this union, con¬ 
stitutes his family. One, a boy eight years of age, 
bears his father’s name, and the other a daughter, 
two and a half years of age, they named Marie Eli¬ 
zabeth, and an adopted boy, Everard Weaver, now 
a student at Tuskegee Institute. 

Dr. Weaver owns his home, which is a pretty 
structure, worth $4000, and in addition he owns real 
estate to the value of approximately $13,500, 



81 











STONE HALL, SELMA UNIVERSITY 


R. Robert Thomas Pollard, A. B., 
D. D., was born in Gainesville, 
Alabama, October 4th, 1860. He 
received his early education in 
the common schools after which 
he entered the Selma University, 
an institution to which he gave 
many of hit, active and useful 
years. After graduating from the collegiate 
course he began his work as a minister. His first 
labors were that of a missionary in the state of Ala¬ 
bama. In this work, he traveled for a number of 
years all over the state. He next became an agent 
of the American Baptist Publication Society, of 
Philadelphia, in advancing the Sunday School 
work. He gave up this work to enter the service 
of the American Baptist Home Mission Society. 
Again he became a missionary for the Southern 
Baptist Convention and for the Society of Alabama 
Baptists. In this service he traveled from church 
to church, and from convention to convention, of 
the colored people of Alabama. 

Having served for a long period as a missionary 
he gave up his field of labor for the pastorate and 
in this capacity he served a number of the leading 
churches in Alabama. He was pastor of the church¬ 
es in Montgomery, Marion, Selma, Union Springs 
and Eufaula. The next step in his career was that 
of an educator, being called to the Presidency of 
his alma mater, the Selma University. He con¬ 
tinued in this position for nine years, from 1902 to 
1911. While holding this office he found frequent 
opportunities to preach, presenting the claims of 
the University and raising funds to finance the in¬ 
stitution. His arduous duties in connection with 
this institution impaired his health and caused him 
to resign his office as president. He re-entered 
the pastorate for a short period, when he was elect¬ 
ed President of Florida Memorial College, Live Oak 
Florida. 

In 1916, his successor, as president of the Selma 


University, Dr. M. W. Gilbert resigned on account 
of failing health, and Dr. Pollard was again called 
to fill the post. Although he had just been re-elec¬ 
ted to the presidency of the Florida Memorial Col¬ 
lege, he felt it his duty to respond to the call to 
again head the Selma University, which position 
he now holds. 

The Selma University was born of deep seated 
conviction that the great need of the colored race 
was an educated ministry. This conviction deep¬ 
ened from year to year and was earnestly discuss¬ 
ed at the Alabama Colored Baptist State conven¬ 
tions. It finally took shape at the convention held 
in Tuscaloosa in 1873, by adopting the following 
resolution offered by Rev. W. H. McAlpine: 

“Resolved; That we plant in the State of Ala¬ 
bama, a Theological school to educate our young 
men.” This gave to the movement a definite aim 
and purpose and inspired it with great activity. 
The fight was on and although the battle for suc¬ 
cess was hard and long, it was finally won and the 
institution is now the pride of the Colored Baptists 
of the state. 

Starting the enterprise forty-five years ago with¬ 
out funds and only a resolution to incite enthusiasm 
and energy, the founders persevered in their work 
until their dream of a great university became a 
reality. 

The University is located at Selma, Alabama, 
upon a thirty-two acre tract. It has three brick 
dormitories and a home for the President. Its pro¬ 
perty is valued at $175,000.00, and is free of debt. 

Both Montgomery and Marion wanted the Uni¬ 
versity, but Selma won over them and secured the 
prize. 

The first president of the institution was the 
Rev. Harris Woodsmall, who was elected Decem¬ 
ber 20th, 1877, and directed to open the school the 
following January, which he did, with only four 
pupils. He had an assistant, the Rev. W. R. Petti- 
ford. The session was held in the St. Phillips 



82 














SUSIE FOSTER HALL, SELMA UNIVERSITY 


Street Baptist church, now the First Baptist 
church. 

May 30th, 18/8, five months after the opening 
of the school, the Trustees held a meeting in Sel¬ 
ma, and authorized the Executive Committee to 
negotiate for the purchase of the “Old Fair 
Grounds,” which is its present location. The large 
amphitheatre upon the grounds was repaired at a 
cost of about $700.00, and used for school purposes. 
In 1880 the school was adopted by the American 
Baptist Home Mission Society, which has since 
contributed to its support. 

March 1st, 1881, the school was incorporated as 
the Alabama ' Baptist Normal and Theological 
School, and in 1885 the name was changed to Sel¬ 
ma University. 

In 1895 the name was again changed to Alabama 
Baptist Colored University, but in 1908, its former 
name, Selma University, was restored. 

Overcoming difficulties, facing many vicissitud¬ 
es, and through great sacrifice, the founders of the 
institution, like all great men, these pioneers of 
Alabama Colored Baptist, built better than they 
knew. The two towering figures among the Col¬ 
ored Baptist of Alabama in those days of struggle 
and pioneer work were W. H. Alpine, and C. C. 
Boothe. They were both self-made men but men 
of great natural ability and force and their influence 
was great among the colored Baptists of Alabama, 
and they held the confidence and respect of their 
white brethren. It was under their leadership that 
the school had its inception and through their 
effort it was brought to a successful issue, aided of 
course by their brethren, who put their souls, their 
strength and their means into the enterprise. Dr. 
McAlpine has gone to his reward, but Dr. Boothe 
is still using his great powers for the uplift of his 
people. 

The following officers of the Board of Trustees 
are men of culture and rare gifts: 

P. S., L. Lutchins, D. D., is chairman, R. B. Hud¬ 
son, A. M., is Secretary and L. German, A. B., is 
Treasurer. 


It is a divine principle that “By their fruits ye 
shall know them.” Measured by this standard the 
Selma University occupies a high place in the esti¬ 
mation of those who have watched its course from 
the beginning. Beginning with two teachers and 
four pupils, the school now has twenty-three in¬ 
structors in charge of about five hundred pupils. 
It enrolled one year 782 pupils. It opened with 
Normal and Theological courses, but now has a col¬ 
lege course. Bachelor of Theology, Bachelor of 
Divinity Course, a Pastor’s course, a Missionary 
course, manual art, Agriculture, Domestic Science, 
Sewing and Dress making. Stenography. Type¬ 
writing, etc. It has turned out more than six 
hundred graduates, who have taken high places in 
the various avocations of life. The Institution has 
been careful in the selection of its teaching force, 
who have come from the noted colleges of the 
country, Brown University, Chicago University, 
Leland University, Virginia Union University, Har¬ 
vard, Yale, Johns Hopkins, Yassar, Columbia Col¬ 
lege, Cornell University, Meharry Medical Col¬ 
lege, Tuskegee Institute, Oberlin Business Col¬ 
lege, etc., have all made their contributoin. 
The University has had eight presidents; Rev. Har¬ 
rison Woodsmall, Dr. W. H. McAlpine, Dr. E. M. 
Brawley, Dr. Charles L. Purse, Dr. Charles S. Din¬ 
kins, Dr. C. O. Boothe, Dr. M. W. Gilbert and the 
present president, Dr. Robert Thomas Pollard. 

Dr. Pollard was married in 1887 to Miss Eliza¬ 
beth J. Washington, also a graduate of Selma Uni¬ 
versity, who has been a great help to him in his ed¬ 
ucational work. They have one son who is a pros¬ 
perous dentist at Florence, Alabama. Mrs. Pollard 
was for ten years President of the Woman’s State 
Convention, Editress of the “Woman’s Era,” au¬ 
thor of “Guide,” one to four and matron of the 
Florida Memorial College. 

Dr. Pollard has devoted most of his life to the 
cause of Baptist education, both in the churches 
and the schools, and the greater part of his activi¬ 
ties have been confined to the State of Alabama. 



MANUAL TRAINING SHOP, SELMA UNIVERSITY 


83 










ANDREW JACKSON STOKES, D. D. 


OST of those who fill the sacred 
office are called to the ministry 
after reaching man’s estate, but 
occasionally one is born to the 
cloth. Among these is the Rev. 
Andrew Jackson Stokes, who 
commenced his pulpit work when a boy only ten 
years of age. 

Dr. Stokes w^as born in Orangeburg County, S. 
C., July 25th, 1859, and began his ministerial work 
in Orangeburg County in the year 1870. From the 
first he showed an aptitude for church building and 
during his ministry he has built and remodeled a 
number of church edifices. His first work was 
to build the Mt. Zion and Pisgah churches in Or¬ 
angeburg County, and Black Jack Church, in 
Winnsboro County. From 1884 to 1886 his field 
of labor was Clarksville, Tenn., and here again his 
talent for church building was called into play. Be¬ 
fore he completed his labors in this city he had 
erected a church building costing twenty thousand 
dollars. From Clarksville he went to Fernan- 
dina, Florida, where he added largely to the nume¬ 
rical strength of the church and remodeled its 
building. 


It was in Montgomery, Alabama, however, where 
he reached the zenith of his active and useful life. 
Upon the death of the Rev. James Foster, Pastor 
of the Columbus Street Baptist Church,'Dr. Stokes 
was called to succeed him. Coming to Montgomery 
in 1891, he has continuously served the church and 
is today its beloved Pastor. When he took charge 
of the church its membership numbered 500, which 
has increased to over 5000. The church, during 
his administration has had many seasons of revi¬ 
val and he bears the distinction of having baptised 
1001 candidates in one day. The growing mem¬ 
bership required greater housing, and the old 
frame building in which the church worshipped, 
was enlarged and remodeled. The requirements 
of the congregation soon called for a more mod¬ 
ern structure and the Pastor with his natural gift 
for church building proved to be the successful 
leader in the enterprise. Like a wise leader he 
first perfected his plans and then made his people 
see the vision which had come to him and enthus¬ 
ed them with the spirit of the enterprise. 

After months of patient waiting, unbounding 
sacrifices, unquenchable zeal and determined efifort, 
the new edifice was completed and dedicated- And 
today is pointed to with commendable pride, not 
alone by the congregation but by the colored cit¬ 
izens of the Capital City. 

While his main thought and efifort was the de¬ 
velopment of the church life of his people. Dr. 
Stokes was not unmindful of their educational 
needs, and to meet these, he established in 1891, 
the Montgomery Academy, the success of which, 
has met his fondest expectations. Starting in a 
small way, with two teachers and fifty pupils, it 
has steadily grown until today it has six teachers 
and two hundred pupils and is housed in a well ap¬ 
portioned school building. From its birth. Dr. 
Stokes has been the President of the Academy. 
The object of the founder was to give to the child¬ 
ren a Normal school education and to fit them for 
some useful occupaion in life. The range of Dr. 
Stokes’ active life extends for beyond his home 
field. He is a Trustee of the Selma University; 
Treasurer of the National Baptist Convention, an 
office he has held for the past twenty years, and 
Moderator of the Spring Hill Association. By ac¬ 
clamation he was elected by the Congress for the 
advancement of Colored People, as one of a com¬ 
mittee to go to France and study conditions of en¬ 
listed men of the United States Army. 

Dr. Stokes has been a great traveler, his travels 
covering the L T nited States and Mexico, the coun¬ 
tries of Europe, Egypt and the Holy Land. 

He has accumulated quite a nice property, own¬ 
ing about 2000 acreas of land, besides an elegant 
home, which adjoins the handsome church building 
of which mention has been made. His family con¬ 
sists of a wife and two children, Lou Rosa Stokes, 
and Hugo Benton Stokes. His son is an M. D. 
graduate of Meharry and served as First Lieuten- 
in the U. S. Army. Dr. Stokes received his degree 
from Princeton in 1914. He is author of a book 
called “Select Sermons.” 



84 











FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, COLORED. 
MONTGOMERY, ALA. 


RIOR to the Civil War and for 
several years after its close, the 
Colored Baptists of Montgomery 
worshipped with the white Bap¬ 
tists, in their brick church build¬ 
ing, situated at the intersection of 
Court, Coosa and Bibb Streets. For their accom¬ 
modation a gallery was built on both the east and 
west side of the auditorium and their spiritual in¬ 
terests were looked after by the Pastor of the 
church and the white members. They received 
baptism at the hands of the Pastor and in the bap¬ 
tistry of the church. 

Several years after the war the colored mem¬ 
bers decided that it would be best to withdraw 
their membership from the white church and form 
a church of their own, to be ministered to by a 
member of their own race. Accordingly in 1867 
letters were granted to about forty of the colored 
members who organized the Columbus Street Bap¬ 
tist church, and called the Reverend Nathan Ashby 
to be their Pastor. He served them until the year 
1877 when he resigned and the Reverend James 
Foster was elected as his successor. During his 
pastorate the membership of the church was in¬ 
creased to five hundred, like the illustrious W illiam 
Carey, the Rev. Foster was a shoe-maker before 
he entered the ministry. He served the church 
until 1891, when he entered into his long rest. He 

85 


was greatly beloved by his people and was highly 
respected and esteemed by the citizens of Mont¬ 
gomery in general, both white and black. Succeed¬ 
ing him as Pastor of the church, was the Reverend 
Andrew Jackson Stokes, who came to Montgomery 
from Fernandena, Florida. It was under his ad¬ 
ministration that the church began that marvelous 
growth-which has placed it near, if not at the head 
of the list of churches in point of membership. 
From five hundred members it has grown to five 
thousand members, requiring the enlarging of the 
old frame building, in which the church worshipped 
to accomodate the congregation. 

The church saw the need for better equipment, 
and were planning, under the leadership of their 
Pastor, for a new building and while assembling 
material for the new structure, the frame building 
was destroyed by fire. This hastened their plans 
and gave them new zeal for their work. After 
months of untiring effort, generous giving and 
willing sacrifices, the building was completed, and 
the congregation is now worshipping in one of the 
handsomest church edifices to be found among the 
colored citizens of the South. The building has a 
large auditorium, a commodious Sunday school 
room, and the necessary smaller rooms for the ac¬ 
comodation of the church societies, class rooms, 
etc. It is well located on a corner lot facing the 
Cemetary Park, with nothing to obstruct its front 
view for a long distance. 

After serving so large a congregation for twen- 
ty-eight years, the Pastor, Dr. Stokes, is still a man 
of great energy, and vigor, and full of zeal for the 
welfare of his people. His people stand by him and 
it is only necessary for him to lay before them his 
plans of work to inlist their cooperation and sup¬ 
port. They have found in him a wise and active 
leader and they gladly follow him when he points 
out the way. 

The church will soon have a pipe organ to aid 
its splendid choir, which will add no little to the 
Sunday services. 

The pastor is ably assisted by the following of¬ 
ficers : Deacons Wm. Clayton, Chairman, Russell 
Johnson, Treas; Kiltis Singleton, Henry Spear, 
Wallace Johnson, Robert Carlton, Wm. Bruher, 
Ned Casby, Professor, Henry Ray, Levy Coates, 
Sol Wallace, Champ Williams, and Isaac Croom. 

The Sunday School is divided into two divisions 
—A and B. Prof Henry Ray is head of Division A. 
and Division B. is presided over by Willie Beasley 
and Pat Johnson. Fred Thomas is at the head 
of the Board of Ushers. 

Missionary Board: Mrs. Fannie Gable is Presi¬ 
dent, assisted by Eliza Jones, Mary Miles, Hardy 
Martin, Lucy Prichard, Mary Ward, Willie Hall, 
and Jeanette McAlpin- 





















MONROE N. WORK, PH. B, M. A. 


ON ROE N. Work, Sociologist and 
Writer, Head of the Division 
of Records and Research of the 
Tuskegee Normal and Industrial 
Institute, Editor of the Negro 
Year Book. The subject of his 
sketch was born in Iredell Coun¬ 
ty, North Carolina. He was rear¬ 
ed in Illinois and Kansas. His education has been 
as follows: 

Graduated from high school, Arkansas City, Kan¬ 
sas, 1892; in 1895, he entered the Chicago Theolo¬ 
gical Seminary, graduating in 1898. While here he 
became interested in the subject of sociology, and 
decided to enter the University of Chicago, and 
prepare himself for work in this field. He remain¬ 
ed in this institution five years. In 1902 received 
the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy, in 1903 the 
degree of Master of Arts, with sociology as a ma¬ 
jor subject and experimental psychology as a min¬ 
or- His thesis for the masters degree was “Negro 
Real Estate Holding in Chicago.” This attracted 
widespread attention and brought forth many com¬ 
ments from the press throughout the country. He 
showed that the first owner of property on the site 
of what is now Chicago was a San Domingo Negro, 
Baptist Point De Saible, who settled here as an In¬ 
dian trader, about 1790. 

The first position, Mr. Work held after gradua¬ 
tion from the University of Chicage was with the 


Georgia State Industrial College, as professor of 
History and Education. This position he held for 
five years. In 1908 he came to Tuskegee Institute 
and established the Department of Records and Re¬ 
search. The results of the work of this department 
are embodied in the Negro Year Book, the first ed¬ 
ition of which appeared in 1912. This publication 
has become a standard authority on matters per¬ 
taining to the race. It circulates widely, not only 
in this country, but throughout the world. Wher¬ 
ever there are persons interested in the Negro and 
wish to secure reliable comprehensive facts con¬ 
cerning him, they consult the Negro Year Book. 
The following are examples of the comments of the 
press concerning this publication : 

“Interesting and important is the array of facts 
relating to the Negro contained in the Negro Year 
Book. The book is a perfect encyclopedia of ach¬ 
ievements by Negroes in all ranks of life, of the 
history of the race in the United States, of legis¬ 
lative enactments relating to them, of activity in all 
branches, particularly education. The book is in¬ 
dispensable to all who have to deal with any phase 
of the Negro question.”—New York Sun. 

“No better prepared or more comprehensive an¬ 
nual comes to hand than the Negro Year Book. It 
covers every phase of Negro activity in the United 
States, reviews progress in all lines, discusses grie¬ 
vances, outlines the economic condition of the race, 
presents religious and social problems, educational 
statistics and political questions as they relate to 
the race. The book is a valuable and authoritative 
book of reference.”—Indianapolis Star. 

Mr. Work is a member of the following learned 
societies: The American Negro Academy, The 
Association for the Study of Negro Life, and His¬ 
tory, The American Sociological Society, The Ame¬ 
rican Economic Association, The National Econo¬ 
mic League, The National Geographical Society, 
and the Southern Sociological Congress. 

Mr. Work is also the compiler of statistics on 
lynching. His annual reports of lynchings are the 
recognized authority on this subject. 

The subjects of important articles which Mr. 
Work has published in magizines and periodicals, 
are: “Geechee Folklore,” Southern Workman, No¬ 
vember and December, 1905 ; “Some Parallelism in 
the Development of Africans and other Races,” 
Southern Workman, November, 1906 and January, 
February, March, 1907; “The African Family as an 
Institution,” Southern Workman, June, July, Aug¬ 
ust, 1909; “The African Medicine Man,” Southern 
Workman, October, 1907; “African Agriculture,” 
Southern Workman, November, December, 1910, 
and January, February, 1911; “An African System 
of Writing,” Southern Workman, October, 1908; 
“The Negro and Crime in Chicago,” American Jour¬ 
nal of Sociology, September, 1900; “Negro Crimin¬ 
ality in the South,” Annals of American Academy 
of Political and Social Science, September, 1913; 
“The Negro Church and the Community,” South¬ 
ern Workman, August, 1908; “How to Fit the 
School to the Needs of the Community,” Southern 
Workman, September, 1908; and many other arti¬ 
cles of like nature and importance. “The Negroes 
Industrial Problem,” Southern Workman, August, 
1914; “Self Help Among Negroes,” Survey, August 
7, 1909. 



86 















REVEREND ALFRED C. WILLIAMS, A. B„ A M. 

EV. Alfred C. Williams, the son of 
Hampton A. and Chanly Williams, 
was born at Monticello, Florida, 
May 28th, 1883. He developed 
great mental vigor in his youth 
and graduated from the Howard 
Academy, of his own town at fourteen years of 
age. 

He was converted and joined the church at the 
age of fifteen- During the fall of the same year 
he entered the Florida Memorial College, at Five 
Oak, Florida, from which he was graduated at the 
age of nineteen. In his nineteenth year he was or¬ 
dained to the ministry and elected as supply pas¬ 
tor of his home church. In June of his twentieth 
vear he was called to the pastorate of the First 
Baptist Church, of Green Cove Springs, Florida, 
which pastorate he filled until he was twenty-two, 
at which time he resigned to enter Morehouse 
College, Atlanta, Georgia. During the first year 
of his student life, at Morehouse, he was called 
to the pastorate of the Antioch Baptist Church, of 
Atlanta, Georgia, which pastorate he filled until 
June 1912. In May 1912, he received the Bachelor 
of Arts degree from Morehouse College. In June 
he was married to Miss Fouise N. Maxwell, the 


oldest daughter of the late Dr. L. B; Maxwell. Hav¬ 
ing received a call to the Mt. Tabor Baptist 
Church, of Pulaska, Florida, he resigned the pas¬ 
torate of the Antioch Baptist Church, Atlanta, to 
accept this the second largest church in his home 
state. In one year and three months he led this 
church from under debt of more than Five Thous¬ 
and Dollars, ($5000,) and the membership was in¬ 
creased more than three hundred. On account of 
the illness of his wife, he accepted a call to the Mt. 
Zion Baptist Church, of Los Angeles, California, 
where he remained for three years and at which 
time he studied at the University of Southern Cal¬ 
ifornia, at which school he completed work for the 
degree of Master of Arts. In May, 1916, he was 
called o‘ the pastorate of Sixteenth Street Bap¬ 
tist Church, Birmingham, Alabama, which he now 
fills. The • Sixteenth Street Baptist Church was 
organized in 1873, by Reverend James Readen and 
Reverend Warner Reed. Succeeding pastors were 
Reverend J. S. Jackson, Dr. W. R. Pettiford, Rev¬ 
erend T. L. Jordan, Dr. C. L. Fisher, Dr. J. A. 
Whitted, and its present Pastor, Reverend A. C. 
Williams. All of these men wrought well and are 
credited with having done a great work. The 
church has always stood as a monument to the Ne¬ 
gro race, especially the Negro Baptists, of Alabama 
who have felt a commendable pride in its work and 
achievements. It has had much to do with the 
shaping of the religious thought, and molding sen¬ 
timent for the race. The Church clings to the 
“Old time” religious principles of its faith, but em¬ 
ploys modern methods of bringing the Gospel mes¬ 
sage to the hearts and minds of the people. It re¬ 
cognized the power and uplifting influence of music 
and organized a choir whose famous high class 
musicals attract hundreds of white people of all 
classes throughout the city and district who come 
to listen to the old plantation melodies, and jubilees 
as well as their high class solos, quartettes and 
anthems. All races and creeds in Birmingham 
have high regard for this church’s attitude in mat¬ 
ters affecting the social and moral uplift of the 
community. The church has a membership of 
more than one thousand. It worships in a most 
beautiful structure, an edifice built of brick and 
stone, which together with the Interior furnish¬ 
ings cost about Eighty thousand Dollars, ($80,000,) 

It also owns the Pastor’s home which is a good 
substantial building. The entire church property 
is valued at more than $125,000.00. The interior 
is beautifully adorned by expensive art glass, win¬ 
dows and other architectural designs calculated to 
give tone, grace and beauty and is highly attrac¬ 
tive and pleasing to the most discriminating' eye. 

A church of this character with a choir holding an 
enviable place in the estimation of music loving 
people of course has a pipe organ in keeping with 
it. The organ is large and expensive and an or¬ 
nament as well as an instrument of use. 

Since becoming its Pastor, Reverend Williams 
has received into its membership more than 700 
accessions, and has raised over $23,000 for current 
expenses and debts. 



87 









JOHN G. WRIGHT. 

EW Negroes there are in the 
South who can conduct their bus¬ 
iness in the largest building of 
the city in which they live. Mr. 
Wright’s barber shop has a first 
floor location in the largest busi¬ 
ness building in Tuscaloosa, adjoining the leading 
city drug store and under the rooms of the city 
Board of Trade. His shop is patronized by the 
leading white men of the city and is looked upon 
as the most up-to-date business of the kind in Tus¬ 
caloosa. 

Mr. Wright was a self-made man, who had no 
very great early advantages, either of school, of 
parentage, money or environment. He was born in 
Hanover, Hale County, in the late sixties. A white 
lady taught him the fundamentals of education. 
Of general education, such as our children get, he 
appears to have had very little. 

In 1892 Mr. Wright made his way into Bir¬ 
mingham, a town at he time, and began his 
apprenticeship as a barber. For eight years he 
served in the shops of others in the city of Bir¬ 
mingham, first as an apprentice and then as a reg¬ 
ular workman. 

His ambitions led him to establish a business of 


his own. In casting about for a location he de¬ 
cided in favor of Tuscaloosa. Here was located 
the State University, which offered a good field for 
patronage aside from the local trade. 

Tuscaloosa has since been the scene of his active 
life. Here he established a barber’s business, 
which is today one of the best in the State. 

Courteous in demeanor, attentive to his business 
and maintaining a strict integrity, he has won the 
confidence and respect of the entire community 
and occupies the proud position of being one of the 
leading colored citizens of the city. 

In thinking of Mr. Wright you do not regard 
him simply as a barber but as a business men with 
an unusual aptitude for large business enterprises. 
He is the proprietor of two shops and they occupy 
the best locations in Tuscaloosa, one in the lead¬ 
ing hotel of the city and one in its largest business 
building. 

He does not confine himself exclusively to his 
barber shops. He is a dealer in real estate which 
has brought him much profit and in a sense is a 
promoter of Negro enterprises. 

He owns his home—a residence to which his 
neighbors point with pride. It is beautifully lo¬ 
cated and is built on a quarter of a block. Since 
the building for himself he has bought and now 
rents thirteen other houses. 

From beng strictly in business for himself he has 
become a promoter and backer of Negro undertak¬ 
ings generally. He is president of the Alabama 
Protection and Aid Association, Stockholder and 
promoter of the People’s Drug Company of Tus¬ 
caloosa, Trustee and Treasurer of the A. M. E. 
Zion Church of his town and was Grand Master of 
the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows of Ala¬ 
bama for four years, and resigned this office in 
August, 1917, on account of his business requiring 
all of his time. 

Tuscaloosa is one of the best towns of the South. 
One does not here feel the stricture of race pre¬ 
judice or opposition. In few if any other towns 
in the South can a colored man find such happy 
accommodations, handsome homes, educated peo¬ 
ple, good restaurants, clean surroundings and the 
best of cooking. It needed only the up-to-date 
Drug store to round out the comforts of the col¬ 
ored people. This was provided mainly by Mr. 
Wright, who is both president and treasurer of 
the company. 

Mr. Wright is a Mason, Knight of Pythias and 
Odd Fellow. In his work as Grand Master of the 
Odd Fellows of Alabama he has traveled over the 
whole country. 

Mr. Wright has no children, but he will tell you 
that much of his success in business and in life is 
due to Mrs. Wright, who was Miss Ophelia Ed¬ 
monds of Tuscaloosa. 



/ 


88 














ARKANSAS BAPTIST COLLEGE. 


HE college is a creature of the Ar¬ 
kansas Negro Baptist State Con¬ 
vention and came into existence 
at the Convention held at Hot 
Springs, in August, 1884. After 
an experiment of one year it was 
incorporated under the name of the Arkansas Bap¬ 
tist College. For the first several year of its exist¬ 
ence it had no permanent abiding place, but moved 
from church to church. It finally located upon its 
own property, some distance beyond the city limits 
of Little Rock where it has continued until the pre¬ 
sent time. Its equipment is not in keeping with 
the growth and importance of the institution. The 
Administration building is its only structure of 
real and permanent value. While the college has 
grown the City of Little Rock has far outstripped 
it and while encroaching upon it has added greatly 
to the value of the real estate holdings. The I rus- 
tees have already considered the question of a new 
location and have secured and paid for one hundred 
acres of land, some four miles distant. The land 
purchased has a good elevation, is dry and well 
drained and excellent for farming operations. 

When the present location is sold it should sup¬ 
ply sufficient funds to erect a number of modern 
structures to meet its requirements. Even with 
this advantage it will require outside aid to make 
the move and place the institution upon a sure 
foundation. 

The President, Dr. Joseph A. Booker, who has 
been the President since 1887, is now maturing a 

89 


plan to secure help from the wealthy friends of the 
college. 

Its original purpose was to train preachers and 
teachers,, but the scope has been enlarged to reach 
all clases of the Negro race, and prepare them for 
some useful occupation in life. 

Special training is given to the developement of 
the mind while industrial and farming is a marked 
feature of the institution. The training is thor¬ 
oughly practical, the students being required to 
put to a practical test the theories they are taught. 

The attendance of pupils has gone beyond the 
three hundred mark, while the teachers number 
eighteen. All of the teachers are colored; male, 
eight, and female, ten; divided as follows : grades, 
four; academic, seven ; girls’ industries, two; theo¬ 
logy, one ; music, one ; and Matron, one. It is or¬ 
ganized as follows : Elementary—The elementary 
work covers the usual eight grades. Secondary: 
The secondary, or preparatory course, includes La¬ 
tin, four years; English, four; Mathematics, four; 
Greek or German, two; Elementary Scinece 
two and one half; History, one ; Psychology, one ; 
Bible, three and one half. Emphasis is placed on 
ancient languages. Industrial: The girls are in¬ 
structed in cooking and sewing. 

The industrial instruction for boys is chiefly man¬ 
ual training; good work in making brackets, tie 
racks, and chairs is done. A few pupils work on 
the farm, which is located seven miles from the 
school. Gardening has recently been added to the 
course of study, with practice on the school grounds. 
While it is yet in the nature of an experiment, it 
is hoped and expected to be a valuable addition to 
the course. 





































JOSEPH HERCULES BARABIN, A. B., M. D. 

HE prince of good fellows, the 
king of diagnosticians, this is 
what they tell you out in Arkan¬ 
sas about Dr. Joseph Hercules 
Barabin of Mariana. And then 
you are regaled with all the hon¬ 
ors that colored Arkansas has been only too pleased 
to bestow upon its leading physician ; a distinguish¬ 
ed Mason, a leading Odd Fellow, a prominent 
Knight of Pythias, a substantial Mosiac Templar, 
a foremost member of the Royal Circle of Friends 
and of the Supreme Council of Good Shepherds, 
the local examiner for all the secret orders in the 
State, a former athlete, the patron of all athletics. 

Moreover, he is a big business man, being pres¬ 
ident of the Colored Commercial Club of Mariana, 
and owning in addition to his residence, a brick 
store, seven rent houses, 286 acres of farm land, all 
improved, all free from debt. 

Dr. Barabin’s rise to a prominent place makes 
one of those romantic biographical tales so inter¬ 
esting in all democracies, so dear to the heart of all 
Americans. Dr. Barabin was born in Jeanerette, 
Louisiana, March 19th, 1874. An ex-union soldier, 
left over from the war, and none too advanced in 
education, gave the young lad his first lessons in 


books. When he was sixteen years of age, he made 
his way into Gilbert Academy, at Baldwin, Louisi¬ 
ana. Five years of study and work, of work and 
study, for he was in and out of his classes, having to 
pay his own way, completed his studies at Gilbert 
Academy. The adage of the ancients, that a little 
learning is a dangerous thing impressed him; and 
so the young man sought a higher institution in 
which to pursue his studies. 

Fisk University was then, as it still is, the star 
of hope for a great many Negroes with college as¬ 
pirations. Here in 1895, Dr. Barabin matriculated. 
In a while he was a leader in all the big things of 
college life. He was a brilliant man in the col¬ 
lege and city societies (and who knows how much 
this social success has counted in his professional 
career?) he was a formidable adversary in the 
debates and in the oratory of the college, and he 
was a ferocious plunger on the football field. 

Graduating as a Bachelor of Arts in 1900, Dr. 
Barabin resolved that he would study medicine. 
Business careers for young Negroes were not com¬ 
mon then. The young college graduate had es¬ 
sayed school teaching at odd times, and decided that 
he did not especially care for life in the school 
room. 

Casting about for a medical college of high stand¬ 
ing, moderate expense and congenial to colored 
people, he finally selected the Illinois Medical Col¬ 
lege of Chicago. Moreover, he felt that Chicago 
would offer the best opportunity for clinical prac¬ 
tice and also work in odd times for a student who 
was earning his own way. All happily came out 
as he had planned, or even better. He was able 
along with working in the Pullman service during 
summer, to pay two years expenses by playing foot 
ball, and to pay the other two years by embalming 
the bodies in the medical school. Indeed it was not 
long before the embalming department was put in 
his charge. Despite his having to work, the young 
doctor was one of the two men in his class to re¬ 
ceive a special honor diploma for excellence in 
scholarship, and up to that time, the only colored 
man to receive this honorary diploma. 

In 1905, having finished his medical course, Dr. 
Barabin, after casting about for a while, hung out 
his sign in Mariana, where it has hung these thir¬ 
teen years, and where instead of being forty dollars 
in debt, the sum borrowed to start business on, he 
is worth thirty thousand dollars. He is a physi¬ 
cian and surgeon, practicing within a radius of fifty 
miles, going into the country as well as in the town. 
He is frequently called in consultation in Little 
Rock, in Memphis, Oklahoma and in many smaller 
places. 

Dr. Barabin was married on December 28th, 1905, 
to Miss Lulu Margaret Benson of Kowaliga, Ala¬ 
bama. Their four children, Jennie Maudeline ; Jos¬ 
eph Benson ; William Strickland and Harold Croc¬ 
kett are all little folks getting their first days in 
school. 



90 










WALLACE LEON PURIFOY. 


AVE you ever heard of the United 
Order of Jugamos? It is one of 
those secret and useful bodies, 
whose secrets are no secrets at 
all. It has head and several sub¬ 
heads in various capacities- 

The head and subordinate officers make up 
the Imperial Council of the Jugamos. These are 
responsible for insurance relief funds, burial and 
the like, of members of the Jugamos. Its present 
habitat is Arkansas, the head quarters being in For¬ 
est City. However, it is to have state headquar¬ 
ters in Tennessee, in Illinois, in Mississsippi, in 
Louisiana, in Oklahoma. It has a membership of 
7,500 and an annual income of $35,000. 1 he or¬ 

ganization has grown at the rate of more than a 
thousand members per year, being founded in 1910 
and having now a membership of 7,500. 

The founder of this order is Mr. Wallace Leon 
Purifoy. Mr. Purifoy was born near Perry, Geor¬ 
gia, in Houston County, February, ninth, 1869. 
Born on the farm, he put in much time with the 
plow and hoe. 

While still young, Mr. Purifoy left Georgia, and 
took up residence in Arkansas, in Forest City. 


Here he began his education, attending the public 
schools of that city, and Philander Smith College, 
in Little Rock. All this seeking and studying to 
complete his training was accompanied by hard 
work and privation, on his own part and on the 
part of a sacrificing mother. The mother did 
washing and ironing to aid him through school. He 
helped here, however, in the actual work of bund¬ 
ling the clothes. Mr. Purifoy did many other 
jobs to gain his education. For a while he worked 
as a laborer on big buildings ; then he drove drays ; 
then he taught school. 

When he reached the point in his career where 
he could command a school, the burden on both his 
shoulders and his mother’s began to lighten. Be¬ 
ginning to teach school at the age of sixteen, he 
devoted many years to the class room both for pu¬ 
pils and for teachers before he founded the Juga¬ 
mos. 

During his early years at the work, he taught 
many schools in St. Francis County. He was for 
twenty-five years Deputy County Examiner. He 
conducted a summer Normal School for teachers, 
taught for two years in Texas, and for a while as 
principal in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. His real sub¬ 
stantial school work, however, was done in Forest 
City, his home. Here, for twenty-three years he 
has been principal of the Colored High School, reg¬ 
ulating the courses until the students from the 
Forest City High School are admitted without ex¬ 
aminations to any college in the state. 

As regular and as steady as has been Mr. Puri- 
foy’s courses in education, it has been just as 
steady and persistent in business. Looking about 
him, he saw the city growing and his people need¬ 
ing homes. Investing his earnings wisely, he soon 
became the owner of several pieces of valuable pro¬ 
perty. He built homes to rent and bought lots. 
He also built a beautiful residence for himself. 
His property holdings, in rent houses, vacant lots, 
and his own residence now amounts to $20,000. 

Mr. Purifoy has also been Grand Keeper of the 
Record and Seals of the Knights of Pythias, of the 
state of Arkansas. He is a member and Deacon of 
the First Baptist Church of Forest City. He has 
traveled extensively in the eastern and Western 
parts of the United States. 

Mr. Purifoy was married to Miss Fannie J. Wat¬ 
erford, of Edmonston, Arkansas, in 1895. They 
were married at Forest City, where they now re¬ 
side. There are several children in the Purifoy 
family, all of whom, except Harold, a deceased 
son, are pursuing their work in school. Wallace 
Leon, Jr., is studying pharmacy at North Western 
University; Mayme Marie is attending Knoxville 
College, in Tennessee ; Minnie Edna, Roosevelt, and 
Middlebrooks are students in the Forest City High 
School. 



91 














SCOTT BOND 








Scott Bond 


N the Southwest they call him 
“Unc Scott” and number him 
among the sages. They quote 
Socrates, Cicero, and Benj. Frank¬ 
lin : And then they will quote 
“Unc Scott” Bond of Madison 

Born a slave in Mississippi in 1852, Mr. Bond 
migrated as chattel to Tennessee, thence to Arkan¬ 
sas. In grapic language such as few others can 
employ Mr. Bond told of his coming into the vil¬ 
lage of Madison, with all his personal belongings 
done up in a red bandana handkerchief thrust on 
the end of a stick and swung over his shoulder. 

During slavery days and in migrating from State 
to State Mr. Bond had learned to judge the soil. 
When his eyes fell on the rich loam land of Madi¬ 
son, which is really in the valley of the Mississippi, 
he flung down his load and exclaimed, “Lord, this 
is the place for me.” 

Like most ex-slaves, who struck out for them¬ 
selves, Mr. Bond rented land on which to farm. 
You should hear him tell the story of those rentals. 
The rent ran up into the hundreds. He used to 
sell his cotton to a local merchant who was a sort 
of banker, the merchant would credit Bond with 
the cotton and then pay the farm rents and other 
bills, balancing from time to time. But the bank¬ 
er and the landlord got at logger-heads. Thus it 
turned out that Mr. Bond had to get the money 
and take it to the landlord. The sum demanded 
was $500 which he counted out to “Unc Scott” in 
crisp bills. Mr. Bond says he looked at the money, 
then looked again and again before he would 
touch it. Finally he put it away down in his in¬ 
side pocket and “sort a hugged it.” On his way to 
the landlord’s he was beseiged with a desire to 
look at the money. Fearing robbery he rode into 
the deep wood, tied his horse and spread the money 
out on a log and went around the log gazing. 
Then he said: 

“Lord, if I live, I’m goin’ to have somebody pay 
me rents just this way.” 

From this hour his struggle began. He married 
poor, having little else but a bed and a broken 
skillet. He began to work from “Can’t to cant”- 
can’t see in the morning until can’t see at night. 

He worked in season and out of season, bright 
days and rainy days, the weather never stopping 
him in the accomplishment of his set purpose. On 
cold, rainy days he chopped or hauled or sold 
wood. He had caught his vision and had formed 
his purpose and no work was too hard for him 
nor no obstacles could stand in his way until he 
had accumulated a large rent roll. 


1 he way to his goal was extremely hard until by 
chance he invested in a small tract of land. Part 
of it was a wash out in a creek bottom and offer¬ 
ed but little prospect for farm purposes. His neigh¬ 
bors thought he was a fool and told him so for 
they use plain language out in Arkansas. 

Mr. Bond’s eye keen for judging the soil no 
doubt failed to see in the tract he purchased much 
encouragement for growing a crop, but he saw 
value in the gravel and sand found in the creek 
bottom. The sequel to his purchase showed the 
wisdom of his venture. 

I he Rock Island Railroad was greatly in need 
of sand and gravel and just such a deposit as was 
found on Mr. Bond’s land. 

They investigated his gravel pit and immediately 
saw they had found what they had been looking 
for for many months. They entered into negotia¬ 
tions with him which resulted in the signing of a 
contract which brought about the development of 
one if not the best gravel pit in the state. With 
the signing of this contract with the Rock Island 
Railroad the stream of money began to flow his 
way and it was not long before he realized his 
dream and made good his vow. Money was no 
longer a marvel to him. 

Mr. Bond saw the possibilities of his contract 
with the Rock Island Railroad and to meet it would 
call for large and modern facilities for handling the 
output of his pit. With his characteristic energy 
and push he addressed himself to this task and now 
has an equipment which meets all demands and 
enables him to meet his part of the contract. 

As fast as money came in he began to buy more 
land to rent out. Today he owns more than four 
thousand acres of rich fertile land and has these 
acres peopled with tenants. He owns and operates 
one of the largest cotton gins of that section. A- 
long with farm land Bond bought timber land. 
Finding a big demand for timber Mr. Bond estab¬ 
lished a saw mill, now he ships lumber to Chicago, 
Pittsburg, and other large cities. 

The spot on which he chopped wood for 30 cents 
a day when he first came to Madison now holds 
his large co-operative store. He owns and lives in 
the house of the man who first hired him to plow. 
In all, the property and holdings of this ex-slave 
are valued at $280,000. 

Finer than all this is the fact that this “black 
Rockefeller,” as some call him, has given his child¬ 
ren college education. 

He was married in 1877, and his wife has borne 
him eleven children, four of which are living. She 
has been not only a great help in his affairs but an 
inspiration to his life. 



93 









J. H. BLOUNT. 

CHOOLMASTER and a business 
man. Professor J. H. Blount, of 
Forest City, Arkansas, has been 
fortunate enough to attain and 
hold distinction in both his voca¬ 
tion and avocation for more 
of a century. He was born in Clin¬ 
ton, Jones County, Georgia, September 17, 1860. 
Madison Blount, the father was a slave belonging 
to the Blount family of Jones County: the mother 
belonged to another family by the name of Ander¬ 
son. During the refugeeing of the two white own¬ 
ers of the parents, the mother and father were sep¬ 
arated. 



than a quarter 


The parents were thus so widely separated that 
they lost track of each other for many years, and 
when they learned of each other’s whereabouts, 
both had married again. The son remained with 
his mother all the time, except when he went to live 
with his father for the purpose of going to school 
in Macon, Georgia. 

During the great exodus from Georgia, which 
took place in 1873, Rev. I. H. Anderson took many 
immigrants to Arkansas as tenants. Among this 
number was William Clark, the stepfather of Mr. 
J. H. Blount. After spending a few years in the 


public schools in Arkansas, Mr. Blount yearned for 
more and better learning than he could get at that 
time in Arkansas. At this time Dr. R. F. Boyd 
came to his home town lecturing and soliciting stu¬ 
dents for Central Tennessee College and Meharry 
Medical College. He induced the young Georgian 
to go to Nashville, Tennessee, instead of attending 
Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia, as he and his 
parents had planned. He entered Central Tennes¬ 
see College in 1884 and continued in' school there 
until 1890. During his vacation he taught summer 
school in the town of Forest City, Arkansas. As 
the summer school of this town gradually grew un¬ 
der his tutorship, from a summer school to an 
eight months graded school, he finally concluded to 
satisfy his thirst for an education by spending his 
vacation in the LMiversty of Chicago, where he 
worked very hard for four summers. 

He is still a diligent student, and thinks more of 
his library than anything, except his children. For 
the past twenty-eight years, he has served as prin¬ 
cipal of the following named schools : Forest City 
Public School, Langston High School. Hot Springs 
Arkansas; Orr High School. Texarkana. Arkansas 
and Peabody High School, Helena, Arkansas. 

He was deputy County Examiner of St. Francis 
County for ten years, and his prominence in educa¬ 
tional affairs, made him without his seeking, take 
a leading part in politics- His people soon required 
that he should take an active part in the affairs of 
his county and state. His education and abundance 
of general information, coupled with his skill to 
manage public affairs, made him a favorite in his 
community and county. From state politics, he be¬ 
came active in national affairs. He was an alter¬ 
nate delgate at large, to the Republican National 
Convention, that gave the Nation Roosevelt and 
Fairbanks for president and vice-president respect¬ 
ively. 

Being a teacher in education and in politics, did 
not cause Mr. Blount to neglect his church and the 
fraternal orders of which he was a member. He is 
one of the few thirty-third degree masons of the 
state of Arkansas, and has served in nearly every 
official position in the Masonic Grand Lodge of Ar¬ 
kansas. He has held the position of Secretary- 
Treasurer for four terms and that of Deputy Grand 
Master for five terms; he is chairman of the com¬ 
mittee on Foreign Correspondence at the present 
time. 

Mr. Blount is an active member of other frater¬ 
nal orders such as the Odd Fellows, Knights of 
Pythias, Royal Circle of Friends of the World, 
Knights and Daughters of Tabor, and the United 
Brothers of Friendship. He is also a leading mem¬ 
ber of the Missionary Baptist Church and a Sun¬ 
day School worker. 

Professor Blount owns hundreds of acres of land, 
both farm and forest; and city property in three 
Arkansas towns. His property will readily bring 
$50,000.00, which is a conservative valuation. He al¬ 
so carries $20,000.00 in life insurance, not includ¬ 
ing his fraternal insurance. 

He was married in August 1906 to Miss Almira 
Justina E. Payne of Holly Springs, Mississippi, who 
was to him a real helpmate till her death in January 
1917. In the Blount home there are three children 
—J. H. Blount, Jr., Scott Bond, and E. Louise, all 
of whom are pupils in their father’s school. 


94 








BISHOP JAMES M. CONNER, S. T. B., B. D., 
D. D., LL. D., PH. D. 


ORN in Winston County, in Mis¬ 
sissippi, in 1863, Bishop James 
M. Conner fought hard for even 
a rudimentary education. Against 
all kinds of poor school facilities, 
which facilities include the teach¬ 
er, he managed to secure his foundation in Mis¬ 
sissippi and Alabama. While still a young man 
and but mid-way his education he had thought and 
planned out for himself his career. 

He felt called to the ministry and like Paul, 
yielding to the divine call, he immediately set to 
work to prepare himself for his heavenly mission. 

Without waiting to complete his education he 
took up his life work and went forth holding aloft 
the banner of the cross, to an unselfish and de¬ 
voted service which he has steadily pursued dm - 
ing his long and useful career. 

Converted in 1881 he at once joined the A. M. 
E. Church and was licensed to preach one yeai 
later. 

He was given his first appointment in 1883 and 
placed in charge of the Aberdeen Mission, Aber¬ 
deen, Mississippi. He entered upon his work with 
enthusiasm and soon converted his mission into a 


live church, erecting a new building for them and 
building up a fine congregation. Recognizing his 
ability and special endowment for such work 
Bishop 1. \\ . D. Ward, the following year, 1884, 
made him a Deacon and an Elder. 

From this time on his reputation was establish¬ 
ed and his co-operation eagerly sought. He was 
recognized as a man who did things and it was 
generally accepted that when he undertook a ser¬ 
vice it would be satisfactorily rendered. 

Thenceforth for a number of years he became 
known as a church builder and a champion “Dol¬ 
lar” money raiser. He built a church at Forrest 
City, Arkansas, in 1885. Then a new church at 
Oceola and a church at Newport, Arkansas. To 
quote Mr. R. R. Wright, Jr.: “At all these places 
he gave the connection good churches and added 
many new members to the church and carried ex¬ 
cellent conference reports, excelling all previous 
records.” 

However vigorously he waged campaigns for 
money, erected churches, and converted souls, 
Bishop Conner never forgot personal growth. Like 
the dying German poet he was always crying 
“More Light.” To satisfy his longing he went 
from time to time to some large institution to 
pursue such courses as he needed for his work. In 
1891 he received from the National University of 
Chicago the degree of Bachelor of Sacred The¬ 
ology. He later finished courses gaining the de¬ 
gree of B. D. from the American Institute in the 
University of Chicago, in 1897, and from Shorter 
College in 1905. Campbell College conferred 
upon him the degree of LL. D. He became 
President of the Board of Trustees of Shor¬ 
ter College and chancellor of Campbell College and 
Lampton College at Alexandria, Louisiana. Mor¬ 
ris Brown University conferred upon him the de¬ 
gree of Doctor of Divinity, and Paul Quinin Col¬ 
lege at Waco, Texas, made him Doctor of Philoso¬ 
phy. 

That he has richly earned these honors is made 
clear from his advancements. He is the author of 
several books. Among these being his “Outlines 
of Christian Theology,” “Doctrines of Christ” and 
“The Elements of Success.” He has been a dele¬ 
gate to every General Conference since 1896. He 
was a member of the financial board for eighl 
years. 

Bishop Conner was married to Miss Glovenia L. 
Stewart, of Kentucky, in 1886. They had three 
children, two of which died- Zola X, their only liv¬ 
ing child was a student of Shorter College. James 
and Qu'ntella died young. 

Bishop Conner is an extensive property holder, 
owning his home and other valuable pieces of real 
estate. At present he is Bishop of Arkansas and 
Oklahoma. 



95 












S. W. HARRISON, M. D. 



HAT no man is a hero to his valet, 
or to his neighbor, is somtimes 
disapproved. This is true in the 
case of Dr. S. W. Harrison of Fort 
Smith, Arkansas. He was born in 
Fort Smith; was educated as far 
as possible there and returned there to practice his 
profession. Yet, so useful has been his career that 
his neighbors speak of him in their papers as fol¬ 
lows : 

“Dr. S. W. Harrison, President of the Negro 
Business League and Colored Fair Association, is 
one of the best known leading Negroes of this sec¬ 
tion. 

“He is one of the greatest exponents of the pro¬ 
gressive side of his race, and delights to furnish 
others with examples of race progress. He ranks 
with the foremost physicians of the state ; is one 
the most astute of business men and wields an 
influence in the city among both races that is 
equaled by few.” 

As his life story will show, not always has Dr. 
Harrison’s name been a symbol of progress and 
emulation. Born in Fort Smith, September 22nd, 
1879, he began at a v.ery early age to taste the 


fruits of combat sometimes bitter, but nevertheless 
stimulating. He attended Lincoln High School of 
his native city and was graduated in 1895. He was 
graduated from Meharry Medical College in 1900. 

Both in medical school and in high school his 
education cost him dearly. In his early school days 
he made himself a sort of grocery delivery wagon, 
carrying goods to so many customers for a stipu¬ 
lated sum. However, this latter proved a most 
profitable investment; for the people he once served 
with groceries are now among his best patrons. 

Dr. Harrison’s choice of a life work was medi¬ 
cine and surgery, but how to secure the necessary 
preparation for his work was a problem which re¬ 
quired great nerve and determination on his part 
to solve. Nothing daunted he left for Nashville 
and arrived there with only ten cents in his pocket. 
He did not have the money to purchase his neces¬ 
sary books but overcame this difficulty by bor¬ 
rowing books until he had earned sufficient money 
to buy his own. 

During the summer he taught school but at one 
time this post failed him, and he was again con¬ 
fronted with the problem of how to continue his 
course. However, he was determined to do so and 
while brightening his wits to find a way to secure 
his end, he gave up the school master’s rod and 
books for the boot black’s brush and box and went 
forth to shine shoes. 

Graduating in 1900 Dr. Harrison first opened 
office in Smithville, Texas. After remaining here 
four years he decided to return to his native city. 
Here he has worked, as a physician, a business 
man, a man of public service. He is a member of 
the A. M. E. Church, a Mason, an Odd Fellow, a 
Knight of Pythias, a Mosaic, a member of the U. 
B. F. of Tabor and of all local societes. As has 
been quoted he is president of the Negro Business 
League; he is ex-president of the state Medical 
Association; he is a trustee of Shorter College ; 
Grand Trustee of the Knights of Pythias, medical 
inspector of the Negro Public Schools of Fort 
Smith and a high ranking candidate for the Grand 
Chancellorship of the Knights of Pythias. 

His business ventures have been as successful as 
his practice in medicine and his public service. He 
owns his home, an elegant two story residence on 
Ninth Street in Fort Smith. He owns eight rent 
houses and six unimproved lots. He is a stock¬ 
holder in the Standard Life Insurance Company of 
Atlanta, Georgia. He has traveled extensively in 
this country on business and for pleasure. 

Dr. Harrison was married to Miss Margie Ka- 
tona Gordon, December 31, 1902. Their two child¬ 
ren, Margie Edith, who is fourteen, and Gordon 
Henry, who is twelve, are in school. 


96 

















FERDINAND HA VIS. 

HERE are few men of any race 
who carry so much of the bone 
and fibre of American history in 
their personal experience as does 
Ferdinand Havis, of Pine Bluff, 
Arkansas. He is one of those 
typical Americans, almost impossible in other 
countries, who from the bottom of the scale, suc¬ 
ceeds by hard work in reaching the top. 

Mr. Havis was born in Shay County, Arkansas. 
November 15th, 1847. He attended for a little 
while the public school. But at an early age he 
had to leave school to work. A very novel plan 
was then hit upon as a means of getting an educa¬ 
tion for the young man. His mother went to the 
school each day, mastered the lessons and then at 
night taught them to the ambitious boy who was 
so eagerly waiting for them. A boy with the am¬ 
bition makes a man of mark. 

By the time Mr. Havis was twenty-one he had 
run the gauntlet as a laborer. He had learned the- 
barber’s trade and opened a ship in Pine Bluff. 
Three years later he was elected alderman from the 
third ward. Year after year for the space of twen¬ 
ty-four years, Mr. Havis was elected and served in 
this capacity. In 1873 he was elected to the state 

97 


Legislature, but he resigned this post to serve as 
assessor. This post of assessor was offered him 
by Governor Baxter, and he served in it for two 
years. In 1882 he was elected Circuit Clerk, a 
post which he held for ten years. He was Re¬ 
publican Nominee for United States Senator from 
Arkansas, in 1886. Mr. Havis has served his 
party as a delegate to the National Republican 
Convention every year since 1880 with the ex¬ 
ception of two years. These exceptions were in 
1912 and 1916, when Taft and Hughes were nomi¬ 
nated. He was a colonel on the staff of General 
H. King in the Brooks and Baxter War, and was 
one of the 306 who stood by General Grant in his 
endeavor to become president of the United States. 
He is on record as having voted for General Grant 
thirty-six times. He was chairman of the Repub¬ 
lican County Control Committee of Arkansas for 
twelve years. This shows in brief the political life 
of Mr. Ferdinand Havis. 

Having made good in his political career by ap¬ 
plying himself to the task in hand, Mr. Havis, when 
he decided to retire to private life, used the same 
method of self applicaton in the work he began. 
The same acumen which kept him in office and on 
boards of importance soon asserted itself in dealing 
in real estate and in farming. Mr. Havis has inves¬ 
ted heavily in farm lands. He owns about 3000 
acres. Of this amount, 1000 acres are under culti¬ 
vation. The rest is in pasture land and timber. In 
addition to this country property, Mr. Havis has 
large interests in the city. One of the buildings 
which he owns, a building on Main Street, rents for 
$200 per month. He also has half interest in four 
stores which bring in rent. Then to private’ fam¬ 
ilies he is able to rent twenty-five homes. 

Mr. Havis owns his own home. This is a beaut¬ 
iful place on one of the principal residence streets 
of Pine Bluff. Here he lives with his family. Mr. 
Havis has been married three times. 

There are two sons and one daughter. 

In his church and loge affiliations, Mr. Havis is a 
member of the A. M. E. church, of the Masons, a 
member of the United Brothers of Friendship, of 
the Odd Fellows and of the Knights of Pythias. He 
is the Grand Master of the United Brotherhood of 
Friendship of America and of the world. He is 
president of the Board of Trustees, of the Lucy 
Memorial Hospital. Mr. Havis is referred to by 
all Pine Bluff as their Colored Millionaire. 


Since the above was written, Mr. Ferdinand Ha¬ 
vis has passed away. After about a month’s illness 
he died at his home on Baraque Street, August 25, 
1918. Pine Bluff feels that it has lost a very sub¬ 
stantial citizen. 

















NAPOLEON BONAPARTE HOUSER, M. D. 


OMING from a family of workers, 
Dr. N. B. Houser, M. D., of Hel¬ 
ena, Arkansas, has found it sec¬ 
ond nature to make work his di¬ 
version as well as his occupation 
When he was nine years old he 
began working with his father. It was not an 
easy trade that he put his hands to, being that of 
making brick. However he acquired and worked 
with a diligence and patience that astonished and 
pleased his parents. From the age of nine to the 
age of sixteen during spare hours and school holi¬ 
days and vacations, he labored away, making brick, 
learning the ins and outs of the trade. 

At the age of sixteen, the father’s business hav¬ 
ing greatly multiplied, the son became private sec¬ 
retary and bookkeeper. This post he held for six¬ 
teen years, estimating contracts, and figuring out 
margins, pertaining to his father’s interest as if 
he were really joint partner of the firm. It was 
really through him that the father was able to 
gain fair profits and to maintain his contracting 
business on a systematic scale. Though engross¬ 
ed in keeping accounts, the young man did not for¬ 
get, however, that he had a duty to himself and to 
his people, the duty of educating himself and of 


serving. Born near Castoria, in Gaston County, 
North Carolina, February 14, 1869, he attended the 
schools round about, until he was sufficiently ad¬ 
vanced in years and books to enroll at Biddle Un¬ 
iversity at Charlotte, N. C. Completing this work 
at Biddle and becoming convinced that his calling 
in life was that of a doctor, though a good position 
was awaiting him back there with his father, he 
became a student in Leonard College of Medicine 
at Shaw University in 1887, won the prize “for su¬ 
perior knowledge in Obstetrics”, did the four year’s 
work in a little less than three years, graduating 
in 1891. 

Returning to Charlotte, the seat of his alma 
mater, Biddle University, he hung out his sign and 
began life’s bsuiness. He soon became what is 
known as a “successful practicing physician.” With 
his general practice he became the consulting phy¬ 
sician for Biddle University. Paying a visit to his 
brother in Arkansas in 1900, Dr. Houser was so 
favorably impressed with the possibility for a good 
doctor and drug business that though having well 
established himself in his ten year’s practice at 
Charlotte, he decided to go west and build anew 
his practice and to contribute his mite in building- 
up the country; and so he left North Carolina, 
where he was most popular with the men of his 
profession, having served as president and secre¬ 
tary of the North Carolina Colored Medical Asso¬ 
ciation, and having been physician in charge of the 
Samaritan Hospital at Charlotte for three years. 

In Helena, Arkansas, where he began his new 
career, progress in his profession surpassed even 
that of North Carolina. Beginning practice here 
in 1901, he had by 1908 gained sufficient footing 
and confidence to open the Black Diamond Drug 
Store, a business which prospered from the out¬ 
set, which, because of expanse, he had to move 
three times, until now he has it on one of the main 
streets and in one of the most desirable spots in 
Helena. 

Had Dr. Houser not been a brilliant success as a 
physician and a man of business, he would still no 
doubt have been a very poular man; for he is a 
musician of rare talent, playing on many different 
instruments, an engaging companion, a fervent 
church worker, being a Baptist in his religious 
choice, and a member of nearly every lodge extant 
in the state of Arkansas—a Mason, an Odd Fellow, 
a Knight of Pythias and a Mosaic Templar. 

In all of these orders he made his personality 
felt and contributed no little to their work and 
development. He was not content to be a mem¬ 
ber only bud brought to their aid his great fund of 
intelligent executive ability. 

Dr. Houser was married to Miss Amie A. Alston 
of Louisburg, North Carolina, January 18th, 1902. 
One daughter, Weillie Henry, graces their home. 



98 





MRS. MAME STEWART JOSENBERGER, A. B. 


RS. Maine Stewart Josenberger, 
one of the really remarkable wo¬ 
men of the age, was born in Os- 
wega, New York. In her youth 
she attended the grammar schools, 
the high school and the Free 
Academy of Oswega. From the Free Academy of 
Oswega she went to the Fisk University, Ten¬ 
nessee, where she graduated with the degree of 
Bachelor of Arts. 

After her graduation at Fisk she entered the pro¬ 
fession of school teaching and began a long career 
as a school teacher. This covered a period from 
1888 to 1903. 

During her first year as teacher she gave in¬ 
struction at the State Normal School, at Holly 
Springs, Mississippi. This was in 1888 and 1889. 
In 1890 she taught in the graded schools of Fort 
Smith, Arkansas, and from 1891 to 1901 she was 
a teacher in the Fort Smith High School. 

While in the school room Mrs. Josenberger was 
the model teacher, her whole thought and atten¬ 
tion given to her work, but after school hours her 
mind had time to take in other interests and she 
was soon identified with those institutions seek¬ 
ing the uplift of the Negro race. It was contrary 

99 


to her disposition to be a passive member in the 
orders to which she belonged and her activity and 
thorough equipment for service was soon recog¬ 
nized by them and led to her rapid promotion 
among them. 

These duties finally took so much of her time 
that it became necessary for her to choose be¬ 
tween them and her profession of teacher. Be¬ 
lieving that she could serve her people best along 
the lines of public service she yielded to the point¬ 
ing of Providence and gave up the school room for 
a larger sphere of usefulness. 

Thus in 1903 she left the school room to take 
the position of Grand Register of Deeds in the Or¬ 
der of Calanthe, a position she has held continu¬ 
ously for fifteen years. 

Mrs. Josenberger lost her husband in 1909. From 
then until she became Register of Deeds for Calan¬ 
the she conducted the undertaking business left by 
him. Her public duties and engagments now be¬ 
came so pressing that she gave up altogether the 
business of her husband and devoted her energies 
to work for the public good. She had joined the 
Episcopal Church in 1909, being confirmed by Rev. 
Father McClure, who was at that time archdeacon 
of Arkansas. She joined also the Royal Circle, the 
Eastern Star, the American Woodmen, and several 
other fraternal orders. In all these bodies she be¬ 
came an adviser and a leading worker. 

It would seem that these were enough member¬ 
ships for any one person to hold, especially where 
one is a worker as is Mrs. Josenberger. But Mrs. 
Josenberger was soon enlisted outside the state. 
She became a member of the Standard Life Insu¬ 
rance Company and was forthwith put on the Ad¬ 
visory Board. She joined the National Negro Bus¬ 
iness League, soon becoming a life member. She 
is a member of the N. A. A. C. P., Past Supreme 
Conductress of the Order of Calanthe; President of 
the Phyllis Wheatlely Club, which is the first local 
Federation Club of Fort Smith, is vice president of 
the State Federation and chairman of the peace 
committee among the N. A. colored women. 

Serving in so many positions Mrs. Josenberger 
has traveled extensively and has had wide and help¬ 
ful contact. 

Mrs. Josenberger was married in 1892 to Mr. 
William Ernest Josenberger, who was a postman in 
Fort Smith, then an undertaker. She is as suc¬ 
cessful in business affairs as she is in doing uplift 
work. She is worth about $30,000 which includes 
a two-story cement store building and a two-story 
brick building, which has five stores on the first 
floor and a large auditorium on the second. 

Mrs. Josenberger has one daughter, William Er¬ 
nest Josenberger—now Mrs. Joseph L. Stevens, a 
musician. 









Scipio Africanus Jordan 


CIPIO Africanus Jordan, is one 
of the old and leading citizens of 
Little Rock, Arkansas. He has 
grown with the city and each is a 
sort of mutual contributor to the 
growth of the year. He was 
born in Montgomery County, Arkansas, January 
1st, 1860. Mr. Jordan, when a lad, attended the 
public schools of Little Rock and later the colored 
High School. He was a member of the first grad¬ 
uating class of the Little Rock Colored High School 
which awarded its first diploma in 1880. 

After graduating from the Little Rock Colored 
High School. Mr. Jordan cast about for work and 
entered the service of the United States Govern¬ 
ment, becoming a janitor of the post office build¬ 
ing. This position he held for twelve months when 
he received the appointment of letter carrier. As 
letter carrier he went his daily rounds over tlie 
streets of Little Rock for more than thirty-six 
years delivering mail. By his courteous and oblig¬ 
ing manner he made many friends among all 
classes. He was possibly the best known man in 
Little Rock—men, women and children knowing 
him by name and watching for his daily visits. 

In 1896 he was appointed chairman of the Board 
of Civil Service Examiners for the Post Office of 
Little Rock. 

While Mr. Jordan gave his first thought and at¬ 
tention to his business and won favor with the 
Government, as his promotions give evidence, he 
always found time to serve his people and became 
interested in all agencies looking to their good. In 
and help and his fellow citizens found in him a 
all matters pertaining to the betterment of the 
colored race he gave the benefit of his wise counsel 
and help and his fellow citizens found in him a 
willing helper. 

He joined most of the secret orders of his state 
and became very active in their work and soon 
was a recognized leader among them, taking a 
prominent part in all their gatherings and in the 
working out of their plans. 

His fine executive ability advanced him to posts 
of honor and responsibility. In 1889 he was elect¬ 
ed Chief Grand Mentor for the Knights of Tabor 
and then ten years later in 1899 he succeeded 
Father Moses Dickson as International Chief 
Grand Mentor. Both of these positions he is still 
holding which is a glowing tribute to his worth 
and popularity. 

However, these posts did not tend to lighten his 
responsibilities, but rather to increase them. He 
has long been a member of the Bethel A. M. E. 
Church of his city, for twenty years he has been 


a trustee. He is a Mason, and an Odd Fellow as 
well as a Knight of Tabor. He became a mem¬ 
ber of the Lincoln Farm Association in 1907. He 
has been colonel, acting on the staff of the major 
of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows for a 
number of years. Working in so many positions 
Mr. Jordan has traveled in all of the United States 
combining business and pleasure. 

Mr. Jordan has accumulated a goodly amount of 
real estate and personal property in Little Rock. 
He owns his home, one of the best residences of 
Colored Little Rock. He owns eleven vacant lots 
and eleven rent houses. 

Mr. Jordan was married in 1884 to Miss Pinkie 
E. Venable of Little Rock. Mr. and Mrs. Jordan 
have a large family, there being born to them 9 
children, seven of whom are living. Toney C. Jor¬ 
don, who is deceased, was a graduate of Howard 
University; Miss Mabel E., who is now married, 
is a graduate of the public schools of Little Rock; 
Dr. J. V. Jordan is a dentist, being a graduate from 
the school of denistry, of Howard University, and 
of Northwestern; Miss Scipio is a graduate of the 
public schools of Little Rocok and of Philander 
Smith Commercial department; Yancy B. is a grad¬ 
uate of the pupils schools, mechanical course, and 
is now in the Virginia shipyards; Miss Myrtle is 
pursuing a commercial and high school course at 
the Arkansas Baptist College; Valmer H. is a 
school boy and Olga is still enjoying the freedom of 
childhood. 

Had Mr. Jordan done nothing but rear and edu¬ 
cate this large family he would still have deserved 
a place of honor among those of his race or any 
race for contributing so largely to the welfare of 
the race and state. His children stand as monu¬ 
ments to the earnest endeavors of this man. Not 
one of the large family, but was sent through at 
least one school and most of them secured two 
diplomas. Mr. Jordan himself, though born at a 
time when it was easy for the colored lad to miss 
getting an education, was a graduate. Having ed¬ 
ucated himself at a sacrifice, he was willing to do 
all in his power for the development of his chil¬ 
dren. But as is the law of things, while doing for 
his children, he continued to advance himself. We 
find Mr. Jordan developed into one of the leading 
citizens of his city and state. He is a real asset 
to the community of which he is a member. His 
work in the various organizations of which he has 
been for a great number of years one of the leaders 
has been one of the things that has made of Little 
Rock a good community for our people. Mr. Scri- 
pio A. Jordan can well be pointed out to the young 
as one worthy of emulation. 



100 







ELIAS CAMP MORRIS, D. D., PH. D. 


EAR Spring Place in Georgia, 
born a slave. May 7, 1855, Dr. E. 
C. Morris of Helena, Arkansas, 
was fortunate enough to have a 
father who could read and write. 
The father, a tradesman from 
North Carolina, was permitted to 
visit his children on the planta¬ 
tion twice a week. At such times he taught his 
children to read and write. 

In 1864-65 Dr. E. C. Morris attended school at 
Dalton. He also studied in the public schools of 
Chattanooga, Tennessee and at the Stevenson In¬ 
stitute in Alabama. In 1874-75, he was a student 
at the Nashville Institute, now Roger Williams 



University. 

Going into life Dr. Morris essayed many things. 
For a time he taught school in North Alabama. 
While serving as a minister in Alabama, e 
worked at his trade as a shoemaker. In 18// 
ne set his face westward, intending to. go to 
Kansas. Stopping over in Arkansas he decided to 
remain in Helena. Here in 1879, he was ordained; 
here he was given his first church, the on } c mrc i 
over which he has presided and he is the on y pas 
tor the church has had for nearly forty years 11S 
church, the Centennial Baptist, over which he e- 
:ame pastor, was at that time composed o a gioup 
3 f twenty-two members, homeless and wi iou 
property of any kind. Today it has a membership 
of seven hundred, a stately edifice, which is valued 


101 


at $40,000, ail active Sunday School of 35$ children 

While toiling for the growth of his church, Dr, 
Morris launched forth every kind of movement to 
promote the religious growth of the whole state. 
In 1879, the same year he became pastor of Cen¬ 
tennial Church, he organized the Phillips Lee and 
Monroe County District Association, and was sec¬ 
retary for two years. In 1880 he was elected sec¬ 
retary of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention 
and served in this capacity for two years. In 1882 
he was chosen president of the Arkansas Baptist 
State Convention, a position he has held for thirty 
six years. He founded the Baptist Vanguard, a 
Baptist weekly newspaper, and was its editor for 
two years. He helped to found Arkansas Baptist 
College in 1884, and was chairman of the board of 
trustees for twenty-four years . For eighteen years 
he has been chairman of the Arkansas State Mis¬ 
sion Board, an organization which works in con¬ 
junction with the National Baptist Convention and 
with the Southern White Baptist Convention. In 
1891 he was made vice president of the National 
Baptist Convention, and president in 1894. 

Under his administration many plans for expan¬ 
sion have been effected. At his recommendation, 
the National Publishing Board of Nashville, the 
Baptist Young People’s Union of Nashville, the 
National Baptist Woman’s Auxiliary of Washing¬ 
ton, D. C., the National Benefit Association, and the 
Baptist Home Mission Board of Little Rock, have 
all been organized and advanced until they are now 
among the perfect bodies of their kind. 

Outside of his special sphere Dr. Morris began 
to win many honors both in the church and in pub¬ 
lic affairs. He aided in organizing the General Con¬ 
vention of North America, which is made up of all 
Baptists of both races, and is the only Negro mem¬ 
ber of the executive committee of this body. He 
aided in organizing the American executive com¬ 
mittee of this body. In public life he represented 
the First Arkansas Congressional District at the 
Republican National Convention three times—at 
the nomination of James G. Blaine in 1884, of Benj. 
Harrison in 1892; of Theodore Roosevelt in 1904. 
He was alternate delegate at large in 1908 to nom¬ 
inate William H. Taft. He has been a delegate to 
every Arkansas State Republican Convention for 
nearly forty years. 

Active in the church and in the state Dr. Morris 
has not forgotten the business interest of colored 
people. He organized the State Business League; 
he took great interest in the Mound Bayou Oil Mill 
project, becoming one of the directors; he is di¬ 
rector of the Phillips County Land and Investment 
Company. He himself owns mining stock, has a 
seventy-five acre farm, owns unimproved property, 
has a home and four pieces of improved property, 
valued at $10,000. 

Dr. Morris was married in 1884 to Miss Fannie 
E. Austin of Faekler, Alabama. Their five children, 
Elias Austin, Frederick Douglass, Mattie M. Mar¬ 
quess, Sarah Hope and John Spurgeon, are all giv¬ 
ing good account of themselves. Mr. Elias Austin 
is First Lieutenant in Company M. 366 Infantry U. 
S. A.; Frederick Douglass is Grand Keeper of Rec¬ 
ords and Seal of Knights of Pythias Grand Lodge, 
of the Arkansas jurisdiction. Mrs. Marquess and 
Miss Morris are teaching school. John Spurgeon 
is a student in the Arkansas Baptist College. 








JOHN EDWARD BUSH. 



John Edward Bush 


VER since J. E. Bush departed 
this life he has been the subject 
of eulogy. And yet it is very 
doubtful if any assembling of 
words, no matter how frought 
with poetic figures, will prove so 
eleoquent, as the plain simple recitation of the facts 
of that heroic struggle of his from poverty and 
neglect to a place of the highest esteem in the 
hearts of all American Negroes. Mr. Bush was 
born a slave. He was born in Moscow, Tennes¬ 
see, in 1858. Shortly after slavery he was brought 
to Little Rock, Arkansas, by his mother. In a lit¬ 
tle while the mother died, and the ex-slave lad was 
left in the streets of Little Rock an orphan. 

Merely to live now became to him a very serious 
problem. He slept in houses when he could find 
a man or woman so kind as to extend to him that 
privilege, a privilege which was some times ac¬ 
corded for such small services as the little boy 
could render. Most commonly however he slept 
under bridges, in the livery stables and in deserted 
houses. He earned his bread by doing chores, run¬ 
ning errands, watering stock, and washing dishes. 
Moreover, J. E. Bush was classed as a bad boy, 
which did not help him to get a night’s 
lodging or an extra crust of bread. However, some 
good soul forced him off the streets into a school 
house. In a little while the boy of mischief was 
lost in the study of books. Though he could not 
afford regular attendance, yet he tasted enough to 
pronounce the food of the right kind and whole¬ 
some. Henceforth John E. Bush was a student. 

He made such good out of his spare time in the 
midnight hours that he soon became a school teach¬ 
er. This post he held in Little Rock for a number 
of years. However, it appears that he overstepped 
the bounds circumscribed for one of his station, by 
marrying out of his class. He lost his position im¬ 
mediately. He secured the principalship of a school 
in Hot Springs and taught here for two years. In 
1875 he entered the railway mail service. For sev¬ 
enteen years he followed this calling, but finally 
resigned to start a newspaper. 

All the time Mr. Bush was an active Republican. 
In 1884 he ran for the county clerkship of Rosalie 
County, Arkansas, on the Greenback Ticket. In 
1898 he was appointed United States Land Office 
Receiver by President McKinley. He was reap¬ 
pointed by Theodore Roosevelt and again by Presi¬ 
dent Taft. He even survived the Republican Black 
Broom, which swept Negroes so very clean from 
Federal Offices, under the kind Mr. Taft. This ap¬ 
pointment had come and was the result of a long 


series of hard fights and small victories in the pol¬ 
itics of Arkansas. 

In 1882 Mr. Bush founded the Mosaic Templars 
of America. How he came to found this order, and 
what the order means to the Negroes of America 
has been briefly told elsewhere—for the few who 
may not know the whole history already. Suffice 
it to say here that the need of a poor woman, beg¬ 
ging for help to bury her husband, the contempt of 
a white man and the chagrin of Mr. Bush at the 
whole situation started this organization. The 
body grew rapidly, and with it grew also J. E, 
Bush. He learned not only more about the intri¬ 
cacies of business but he learned a great deal about 
men. Most important of all, the organization 
brought J. E. Bush the deserved place he had won 
by hard work. 

In a few years he became known the country ov¬ 
er as a strong business man and a public benefac¬ 
tor. He was introduced to Booker T. Washington, 
and almost immediately these two giants, both with 
the experience of sleeping under bridges, behind 
them, became fast friends. When Booker T. Wash¬ 
ington, who was himself a great political adviser, 
sought political advice, it was to J. E. Bush he turn¬ 
ed. When the wizard of Tuskegee was touring the 
states of the south and bewitching the great crowds 
with his anecdotes and shrewd common sense, he 
frequently called into service the founder of the 
Mosaic Templars of America, and when Dr. Wash¬ 
ington saw the need of laying the task of carrying 
forward the work of the Negro National Business 
League upon the shoulders of a group of strong 
men, J. E. Bush was one of the first looked to . He 
was for years one of the Vice-presidents and a 
member of the executive committee of this body. 

Though an extremely busy man J. E. Bush found 
time to do many deeds of uplift in schools, church¬ 
es and the like. He was a strong supporter of the 
Arkansas Baptist College and a trustee of the First 
Baptist Church of Little Rock. In secret orders, 
he was a Mason, an Odd Fellow, and of course the 
founder and promoter of The Mosaic Templars of 
America. 

Mr. Bush was married in 1879, to Miss Winfry of 
Little Rock. Mr. and Mrs. Bush had three children, 
all three of whom survive their father: Miss Stella 
E. Bush, Mr. Chester E. Bush, who succeeds his 
father as the National Grand Secretary and Treas¬ 
urer of the Mosaic Templars and Alridge E. Bush, 
who is the Secretary and Treasurer of the Mon¬ 
ument Department of the Mosaic Templars. 

John E. Bush left a fair name, a business in per¬ 
fect order, and worldly possessions amounting to 
$500,000. 



103 







MOSAIC TEMPLARS’ OFFICE BUILDING, LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS. 


ENTION the Mosaic Templars of 
America and you think of John 
E. Bush. Mention John E. Bush 
and you think of the Mosaic Tem¬ 
plars. The Mosaic Templars ot 
America was founded by J. E. 
Bush in 1883. Its two sponsors were John E. Bush 
and C. W. Keats. As stated by Hamilton McConi- 
co, the organization had its beginning from a three¬ 
fold source: The scorn of a white man, “a Negro 
woman’s poverty and a Negro man’s shame.” All 
this arose out of J. E. Bush standing on the street 
talking to a white man when a colored woman 
came by begging for alms to bury her dead hus¬ 
band. The white man like Mr. Bush, gave, but he 
afterwards cast aspersions on the Negro people for 
their improvidence. From this John E. Bush re¬ 
solved to found an order which should protect the 
poor of his race. 

The organization was started as a benevolent 
society, with no intention of operation outside of 
Little Rock. But in a few years the demands for 
its services drew it into other states. It began with 
one lodge and fifteen members. It now has 2,000 
lodges and a membership of more than 80.000. It 
began in one city. It now operates in twenty-six 


states, in Central America, Panama and the West 
Indies. It opened without sufficient funds to in¬ 
corporate. It now has assets exceeding $300,000. 
It started without shelter, the two founders work¬ 
ing out their plans on the doorsteps of an old build¬ 
ing. Today upon the site of the old building it has 
one of the finest brick, steel and stone structures 
of any Negro lodge in America, a building which 
has offices, stores, and all kinds of rooms to ac¬ 
commodate the business and professional men of 
Little Rock. Thus has it brought pride and self- 
respect to all the Negroes of Little Rock and in¬ 
deed to the Negro everywhere. 

When the two founders of the Mosaic Templars 
sat on the steps of that old building in Little Rock, 
their only thought was to provide a means of safe¬ 
guarding the pennies of the poor and needy. They 
had no dream of departments, sections and various 
ramifications of a great order. As the body grew 
and gained the unlimited confidence of the people 
everywhere, however, they with the helpers it was 
necessary to call in, found that many departments 
and divisions had to be formed to meet the more 
complex needs of the public. Thus one after anoth¬ 
er departments were organized, until now there are 
in the body six main divisions or departments, each 



104 





















































with its head, yet all workng under the central 
head of the Mosaic Templars. These are the En¬ 
dowment Department, The Juvenile Department, 
the Temple Department, the Uniform Rank De¬ 
partment, the Monument Department, the Arkan¬ 
sas Charity Fund, Recapitulation, Analysis, Rec¬ 
ommendations. Each Department is a unit in it¬ 
self ; yet each is a part of the great whole. For 
example, though each Department is a member of 
the whole, yet each must be responsible for all 
the business coming under its head. If the given 
Department runs behind in its accounts, or gets 
entangled in its bookkeeping that Department and 
not the whole organization, becomes sponsor. 
Thus, while all move under a general head, yet 
there is ample departmental responsibility to keep 
the whole body on the qui vive. Each head of a 
Department and each worker in the department 
feels a personal responsibility and a personal and 
departmental pride in keeping his work to the fore. 
For in every instance, if the department fails the 
head and all his co-workers also fail. 

It therefore turns out that while J. E. Bush 
founded a most helpful organization he also estab¬ 
lished a body which is a splendid object lesson of 
what the Negro can do when working together, a 
body which is helpful in promoting the respect of 
the white for the black man and in inspiring self- 
respect in the black man. 

Of equal service perhaps is this order, in that it 
furnishes dignified employment to hundreds of our 
educated men and women. 

When we consider that all these people would be 
living on half pay from the school room, or whole 
pay from the Pullman or steam boat services, some 
adequate notion can be formed as to the real serv¬ 
ice of this organization, outside of its direct pur¬ 
pose. Every such organization is a great milestone 
in a race’s progress, and he who establishes such is 
building a school and a business at the same time. 
For in no other way could our men and women 
become accustomed to handling the intricacies of 
bookkeeping and the question of high finance. 

Finally, The Mosaic Templars have found men. 
In its own state it began very early to teach the 
people of Arkansas who their great thinkers and 
leaders were. Then it reached out its hand into 
this, then into that, until in every state of the 
south and in many in the north, there are scores 
more of solid leaders than would otherwise have 
been known. The organization has been left in the 
hands largely of the sons of the founder, C. E. 
Bush, National Grand Secretary and A. E. Bush, 
Secretary-Treasurer. This again follows the line 
of a great service, affording a big lesson for the 
men of the race. Young Morgan is running his 
father’s bank ; young Hill is carrying forward the 
great railroad interests of James J. Hill. And the 

105 


sons of J. E. Bush are holding and increasing the 
heritage left to them and to the Negro people of 
America. 

The following is an extract from report to the 
National Grand Lodge,, meeting at Little Rock, 
Ark., July 10-13, 1917, by the National Grand 
Scribe; “From comparative insignificance we have 
now forged to the front and have attracted nation¬ 
wide attention. We have set a pace in the Frater¬ 
nal World that up to this writing has not been 
out-distanced. Our growth being steady, having 
increased membership about 25 per cent since our 
Tuskegee meeting and our assets have increased 
approximately more than one hundred thousand 
dollars above what they were at Tuskegee. 

“1 he same plan of economy inauguarted at the 
birth of the organization has been steadfastly ad¬ 
hered to. The main object in view is to properly 
safeguard and handle the money that the people in¬ 
trust to our keeping. If we have achieved any 
success it is due more to this principle than any 
other element. Examiners from various insurance 
departments have marveled at the low expense 
budget maintained to operate our organization. 

“That our Organization is well organized is evi¬ 
denced by the minimum amount of friction in the 
management. All of our officials and leaders, with 
few exceptions, are men and women of level heads 
and well balanced minds. The discordant element 
is so little encouraged in our Organization that it 
soon seeks other quarters of its own volition. A 
big business like the Mosiac Templars of America 
can only have successful management by having 
harmony in all of its working departments. Many 
people in dealing with the Mosiac Templars are 
very much surprised when they learn that the Na¬ 
tional Grand Master’s office, the National Grand 
Scribe’s office, the Attorney General’s office, the 
Auditor’s office, the Monument office all operate 
without one interfering with the other. Each de¬ 
partment head is held responsible for success in 
his or her department. If he fails, then no blame 
can be placed upon any other department and the 
report must be made to you, the final judges.” 

The Mosaic Templars stand for the unification 
of one common brotherhood, of every man or wo¬ 
man with Negro blood coursing through his or her 
veins, of good moral character, into a common 
brotherhood of helpfulness and usefulness. It be¬ 
lieves that whatever agencies or forces that are 
conducive to the uplift of the white race will have 
a corresponding effect on the Negro. 

It stands for a symmetrical development of the 
Negro on moral, religious, educational and indus¬ 
trial lines. It believes that whatever safeguards 
that are thrown around one race to enoble it, and 
prepare it for beter citizenship, the same ought 
to be extended the Negro. 



RICHARD ARNETT WILLIAMS, M. D. 


HE unthinking world is too apt to 
discredit men of visions, and yet, 
without the visionary men this 
world would be poor indeed, and 
would still be in a chaotic state. 
Men must see things before they 
can be accomplished and to the credit of the men 
of visions, be it said, that they paved the way for 
all great achievements. Such a man is Dr. R. A. 
Williams. 

Dr. Williams was born September 13th, 1879, in 
Forest City, Arkansas. Although his parents were 
not rich, they possessed sufficient means to enable 
them to aid their son to secure an education. They 
saw the advantages of a good education and de¬ 
termined that they could do no better part for their 
children than to do what they could in the devel¬ 
opment of their minds. They early placed the 
Doctor in the public schools of his native city, 
where he graduated at the tender age of twelve. 
His appetite for knowledge was whetted by his 
course in the public school, and he determined to 
pursue his studies further. This he did at the 
Danville Industrial High school, of Danville Vir¬ 
ginia. After a course at this school he continued 
his literary studies in the Arkansas Baptist College, 


Little Rock, Arkansas, and graduated from the 
Academic Department of this institution, in 1896. 
He bears the distinction and honor of being the 
first graduate of this department which has since 
sent out so many well prepared young men and 
women. At an early age, Dr. Williams gave much 
thought to the question of his life work, and decid¬ 
ed upon the medical profession. This decision re¬ 
mained with him through all of his college life, and 
all of his preparation looked to this end. It was 
in 1898, that he began to see the fruition of his 
hope and the consummation of his dream. It was 
this year that he matriculated at Meharry Medi¬ 
cal College. He finished his course of study in 
this well known school and not only won honors 
but also the confidence and esteem of his fellow 
students. His career as a student was not without 
its trials and difficulties and he found it necessary 
to engage in business ventures from time to time 
in order to raise the money necessary to pay his 
way. 

At the early age of fourteen he assumed the du¬ 
ties of the school master and governed himself, ev¬ 
en, at this early age, with the dignity befitting one 
in that profession. His next venture was that of 
a merchant and under the firm name of Williams 
and Brown he conducted for two years a grocery 
business. This venture was successful but could 
not tempt him to give up the purpose to become a 
physician. It enabled him, however, to carry out 
his well-formed plan for a medical education. 

After graduating at the Meharry College, he 
went to Knoxville, Tenn., and commenced his pro¬ 
fessional career. Here he remained for three 
years and won the confidence of the people, and 
established a good practice. He could not re¬ 
main satisfied at Knoxville, for the lure of his na¬ 
tive state was upon him. He could not turn a 
deaf ear to its call, so in 1905, he left Knoxville, and 
turned his face toward Arkansas. Helena was the 
city of his choice and here he located and here he 
has remained, building up for himself a good prac¬ 
tice and an enviable reputation. Being a man of 
sympathetic nature, he was not slow to put him¬ 
self in touch with the needs of his people, and to 
interest himself in their behalf. His work as a 
physician enabled him to see the great need of 
money in times of sickness and when the death an¬ 
gel spread its wings over the home and it was this 
that gave him this vision of a society that would 
supply this need. He put his mind to work and 
as a result of his thinking he brought into exis¬ 
tence the “Royal Circle of Friends of the World.” 
To this organization he has given his time and ex¬ 
ecutive skill and in its interest he has had to travel 
extensively. Seeing in it such great possibilities, 
he has given it so much of his time that he has had 
to curtail his general practice and confine himself 
to an office practice and to a specialty. 



106 









The Royal Circle of Friends is one of the most 
modern organizations calling upon the public for 
its support. It bases its claims for support alone 
upon merit. It has found favor from the start, 
and continues to hold its friends. Its growth is 
phenominal and has exceeded the hopes of its foun¬ 
der. Its first lodge was organized in 1909 and the 
number has increased to about three hundred lod¬ 
ges, and about nine thousand members. The lod¬ 
ges are scattered over five states, Arkansas, Miss¬ 
issippi, Alabama, Kentucky and Oklahoma. The 
order has several main features. It has an en¬ 
dowment feature by which the beneficiary of a de¬ 
ceased member gets Three Hundred Dollars at 
his or her death. This endowment is paid prompt¬ 
ly within a week after the death of a member and 
if the family is in great need it is paid immediately. 
Another feature rewards the member for a ten 
year connection therewith. It is a one hundred 
dollar endowment. It also provides for a sick and 
accident benefit. This feature alone, has done in¬ 
calculable good. The order is noted for its prompt¬ 
ness in settlement of its claims and is multiplying 
its strength in the accumulation of a surplus. The 
founder recognizes the importance of keeping in 
touch with its members and to this end he has es¬ 
tablished a paper, known as the Royal Messenger. 

Much of the success of the Royal Circle of 
Friends is due to the popularity of its founder and 
his rare business judgment. 

The aim of the founder of the Royal Circle of 
Friends was to give to his people the largest bene¬ 
fits at the least cost and to insure the prompt pay¬ 
ment of all claims. To make it possible for all to 
share in its benefits the initiation fee was placed at 
Two Dollars and Fifty Cents, and a quarterly en¬ 
dowment fee of One Dollar. When the substan¬ 
tial benefits derived from this organization aije con¬ 
sidered its fee’s are more reasonable than any oth¬ 
er order. 

The great majority of the men and women who 
come into the organization are young. This 
gave the order an advantage. To meet conditions 
which will naturally arise as the members grow 
older a surplus has been created which is being 
added to annually. 

Dr. Williams, the founder and President, has the 
handling of funds of the order and has already de¬ 
monstrated his ability to handle them with consu- 
mate business skill. His intregrity is above ques¬ 
tion and the members feel safe, so long as the af¬ 
fairs of the order remain in his hands. An order 
of this character has to get out much printed mat¬ 
ter and in keeping with its economical manage¬ 
ment a printing press was purchased and by 
means of this outfit much money has been saved 
the Order in the item of printing alone. Dr. W il¬ 
liams is constantly in receipt of letters commending 
the order and acknowledging the good it has done 
for the colored race. It has been especially gra¬ 

107 


tifying to him to receive so many letters of per¬ 
sonal commendation and to know that he is held in 
such high personal esteem by his friends. To feel 
that you have done something worth while always 
brings pleasing reflections but to know that you 
have started a movement which will continue long 
after you have passed away, to bless the people 
whom you love and wish to serve is thrilling in its 
contemplation. Such is the joy that has come to 
Dr. Williams in establishing the order of the Royal 
Circle of Friends. He has lived to see it a success 
and to see the great good it has already accomplish¬ 
ed. If he should cease from his labors now he has 
done enough to hand down his name to posterity 
and in a way to brnig only pleasant memories of 
him. 

He has built his monument which will be more 
enduring than granite, or stone, and as long as the 
Royal Circle of Friends exists, Dr. Williams will 
be held in fond remembrance. 

“Fading away like the stars of the morning, 
Losing their light in the glorious sun— 

Thus would we pass from earth and its toil¬ 
ing, 

Only remembered by what we have done.” 

August 25th., 1903 Dr. Williams was married to 
Miss Cora E. Morgan of Memphis, Tennessee. She 
is a daughter of one of the wealthiest planters of 
Shelby County, Tennessee, and is a woman of cul¬ 
ture, refinement and great ability. 

Mrs. Williams was graduated from the LeMoyne 
Institute of Memphis and for several years was 
one of the leading teachers in her native county. 

A daughter, Vera Louise Williams, makes the 
Williams’ home one of happiness. 

She is a very bright young person and makes 
life interesting for the father and mother. 

At the time of his marriage Dr. Williams was 
a man of small means and only attained to his pres¬ 
ent standing in the financial world by the practice 
of the strictest economy. He is now housed in his 
own home and lives in a style that is befitting 
a high class professional man. 

Dr. Williams gives much of the credit for their 
financial success to his wife. She it was who 
helped him to rise in life and who was an in¬ 
spiration to him in the dark hours that come to all 
who struggle upward. 

It is not often that a man accomplishes so much 
in so short a period of his life and it must be a 
matter of supreme satisfaction to Dr. Williams to 
see the seed of his planting blossom into so frag¬ 
rant and beautiful a flower, whose aroma of 
friendship will bless the coming generations. The 
man who confers a benefit upon his race is blessed 
in his work for others and the reflex influence upon 
his own life brings to him a personal blessing. 

A life of service is a successful life and brings its 
own sure and blessed reward. 



E. O. TRENT. 


OR a man to hold the same posi¬ 
tion for considerably over a quar¬ 
ter of a century, and still keep 
thoroughly abreast with the 
times, shows a great strength of 
character. One of the easiest 
things for a man who serves the public to do, is 
to get in a rut. Then his days of usefulness are 
numbered. But when a man can serve the public 
year in and year out, giving something new to each 
set of people who come directly under his care, 
when a man can do this, he is a success. 

For thirty-three years E. O. Trent has served as 
principal of the High and Industrial School, at Fort 
Smith, Arkansas. During all these years he has 
kept his school up to the standard in every particu¬ 
lar. His teachers have caught something of his 
spirit of service and give freely of their time and 
energies during off hours. 

Professor Trent was born in Columbus, Ohio, 
February 24, 1859. Fortunate for him he was in a 
section, where even in those days a boy of color 
could have some chance at an education. So from 
the age of six to twenty-three he attended school 
in his native state. He graduated from the Ger¬ 


man High School of Columbus and then entered the 
Ohio State University. From this institution he 
was graduated in 1882. In seeking for a place 
where he could best serve his people in the capacity 
of school master, he left his native state and went 
to Missouri. Here for one year he taught and then 
having received the opening at Fort Smith, Arkan¬ 
sas, he gave up his work in Missouri and went to 
Arkansas. Here he has remained, teaching in the 
school room and out of it both young and old, 
some of the lessons from books and many of the 
fundamental lessons of life. 

Professor Trent did not confine his work to the 
town of Fort Smith. He saw the need of a State 
Teachers Association for the colored teachers of 
Arkansas, and became one of the prime movers in 
organizing this body. That through this act alone 
Professor Trent has served the entire State of Ar¬ 
kansas, can not well be disputed. All the teachers 
through this organization have been brought up to 
a higher standard of teaching. All of them know 
more fully just what they are trying to do for the 
boys and girls, who come directly under their care. 
In this way has the influence of Professor Trent 
been broadened. 

In religious affiliation the subject of this sketch 
is a stanch Baptist, He is an active member 
of the Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Smith. 
In this church he has held many responsible posi¬ 
tions. He has served as deacon, as clerk, as a lead¬ 
er of the young people’s organization and as Su¬ 
perintendent of the Sunday School. Through the 
Sunday School, Professor Trent has been able to 
touch the lives of his pupils from the standpoint of 
religion, and because of this he has been able to 
help develop well rounded young men and women. 

In fraternal Orders he is also a man of promi¬ 
nence. He was for seventeen years Secretary of 
the Odd Fellows Benefit Association. He is C. C. 
of the Knights of Pythias, he is a member of the 
Masonic Order, he is H. H. R., of the Eastern Star, 
a member of the Mosiac Templars and of the Roy¬ 
al Arch Masons. Through these organizations, 
Professor Trent has come more directly in contact 
with the men and women of his adopted town. And 
so we see that his life has touched the lives of the 
people of Fort Smith, from many different points. 
In return for all the things he has done for the peo¬ 
ple of Fort Smith, they have given him honor in 
many particulars. He has held positions of honor 
and trust in the churches, fraternal orders and 
in the Sociological Congress. 

Professor Trent was married to Miss Hattie S. 
Smith, August 25, 1886, in Columbus, Ohio. There 
are two children in the Trent family. E. E. Trent 
is in business for himself in Fort Smith. He is a 
very successfnl merchant. Alphonso Trent is still 
a student. He is in the Lincoln High School at 
Fort Smith. 

During all the years that he has been out working 
for himself, Professor Trent has managed to accu¬ 
mulate considerable of this worlds goods. He 
owns thirty-two rent houses and a truck farm. A 
conservative estimate of the value of his holdings 
is placed at $50,000.00. 



108 















BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF ATLANTA UNIVERSITY 


TLANTA University is one of the 
pioneer institutions for the Chris¬ 
tian education of Negro youth. 
It possesses excellent equipment 
for the work of high school, 
normal school and college classes, 
and has accommodations for one 
hundred and sixty boarding stu¬ 
dents. It is the first institution in the State of 
Georgia to undertake work of college grade for 
Negroes, and steadily emphasizes the importance 
of genuine scholarship. It enjoys the cumulative 
advantage which results fro mforty-nine years of 
continuous efifective work. It has been unusually 
fortunate in the continuity of its administration. 

It was founded in 1865 under the auspices of the 
American Missionary Association, by Edmund Asa 
Ware. It was presided over by him until his 
death, in 1885. President Ware was a graduate 
of Yale University of the class of 1863. In 1875 
his Yale classmate Horace Bumstead, succeeded 
to the presidency and held the position until 1907, 
when he resigned, and became the recipient of a 
Carnegie penson. His successor is Edward hwichell 
Ware, son of the founder and first president, a 
graduate of Yale University of the class of 1897. 
On the teaching force, there have always been, as 
there are now, men and women who have received 
the best education that this country affords. 
Among the colleges represented by the teachers 
are Harvard, Dartmouth, Chicago, Smith, and 
Wellesley. 

The University is beautifully situated upon the 
summit of a hill in the Western part of the City of 
Atlanta, and is surrounded by a campus of sixty 
acres. There are seven substantial brick buildings, 
three of them covered with Boston Ivy. The value 
of the property, all told, is $300,000. The invested 
funds amount to about $125,000. For the piopei 
maintenance of the work, about $39,000 is required 
each year in addition to the amount reasonably to 
be expected from payments of students and income 
from funds. For this extra amount the Institution 
depends upon the endowment of friends v\ ho gi\ e 
from year to year. 

Instruction in domestic science and manual train¬ 
ing is required of all the high school students anc 
there are opportunities for pursuing this work 
further in the college course of mechanic arts an 

109 


in the Furber Cottage for the normal students. 
The normal course comprises two years following 
the high school course. 

During the Senior year the girls live in the Fur¬ 
ber Cottage in groups of fifteen and under the su¬ 
pervision of the matron, do all the work of the 
home. 

The Institution also possesses a well equipped 
printing office, from which is issued the catalogue, 
the school and alumni papers. Here, there is an 
opportunity to learn the art of printing. It is the 
purpose of Atlanta University to make the home 
life in the school strong and wholesome. 

There is probably no school for the Negroes in 
the South better equipped with facilities for home 
training, for library work, or for the preparation 
of teachers. This institution has also been long 
prominent for the excellence of its work in sociol¬ 
ogy. Its annual publications on the Negro prob¬ 
lem have received wide recognition from scholars 
and may be found in the best libraries in this coun¬ 
try and abroad. 

Opportunities for Post Graduate Study leading 
to the degree of A. M. are offered to a limited ex¬ 
tent „ 

There are enrolled over five hundred students. 
About two-thirds of them come up the hill every 
day from the City of Atlanta. The rest are in the 
boarding department and represent sixteen states, 
and thirty-nine counties in the State of Georgia. 
These young people are many of them children of 
the graduates of Atlanta University and most of 
them have received their training in schools over 
which the graduates preside. 

This Institution is an outgrowth of the Christian 
spirit which brought so many earnest and devoted 
teachers South, in the educational crusade of the 
sixties and seventies. The work is essentially 
Christian. It is undenominational and strong in 
religious motive. Students attend church and 
Sunday school. They also have their voluntary 
leligious organizations, the Y. M. C. A., and Y. W. 
C A. Participation in the religious exercises and 
in the home life of the school has often been in¬ 
strumental in molding the character of the student 
for the most efficient service among their people. 

The chief source of encouragement for the work 
rests in the almost uniform success of the grad¬ 
uates of Atlanta University. 







MRS. ROSA LULA BARNES. 


N recent years the Negro woman 
has begun to find herself. Time 
was when both by herself and in 
the minds of the general public it 
was decided, yea determined, that 
her place was in the home, in the 
school room and in the Sunday School. Gradually 
she got into founding institutions, schools, so¬ 
cial settlements and the like. She went on the lec¬ 
ture platform. She traveled in America and in Eu¬ 
rope as a singer. In all these places she found her¬ 
self a complete success. 

Then a few ventured into unheard of fields—into 
politics and in business. Again success is crowning 
their endeavors. Why should they not enter any 
and all branches of work? 

One of the leading Negro women in business, in 
lodge, and general social work is Mrs. Lula Barnes 
of Savannah, Georgia. Though an Alabamian by 
birth and education Mrs. Barnes is a Georgian by 
adoption and achievement. She was born in Hunts¬ 
ville, Alabama, near the scene of the labors of the 
late Dr. Council. Born August 22nd, 1868, she had 
many difficulties in getting an early education. 
However, Huntsville Normal and Industrial Insti¬ 


tute was near at hand; and so after several years 
she entered here and gained her life training. 

Soon after her school days she was married and 
set about to make a happy home and to aid her 
husband in every possible way. Providence deem¬ 
ed it otherwise. Spurred by adversity, she now be¬ 
gan to cast about for a livelihood. Living in Sa¬ 
vannah, she thought she saw an opening for a Ne¬ 
gro grocery. She thought also that a Negro wo¬ 
man should just as well conduct this business as 
could a man. Hence she launched forth into the 
business. She opened a store on Price Street, and 
by courtesy, fair dealing and shrewd business tact 
made her store one to be reckoned with in the 
business world. Lor ten years she was a grocer, 
and gave up, or sold out, only to enter other fields. 

The grocery business proving very confining, and 
an opportunity opening for ber services in lodge 
work, she closed her grocery books in 1893, and ac¬ 
cepted work with the Court of Calanthe. She be¬ 
came Grand Worthy Counsellor of the Court of 
Calanthe and of the Knights of Pythias. The post 
with the latter she still hollcls. 

During her ten years in business Mrs. Barnes 
had practiced economy. She now made several 
paying investments. She bought a handsome resi¬ 
dence, which is her home, on East Henry Street. 
She bought twelve rent houses, which in them¬ 
selves provide her with a pretty comfortable in¬ 
come. She owns five vacant lots in Savannah. 

Having made these investments, which were safe 
and which would protect her in case of inability, 
she felt safe in placing money in several worthy 
enterprises. She owns stock and is a director in 
the Wage Earner’s Bank of Savannah, in the 
Standard Life Insurance Company, in the Afro- 
American Company and in the Union Development 
Company. 

Mrs. Barnes now gives her life very largely to 
service in lodges and in the church. She is a mem¬ 
ber of the A. M. E. Church, of the Court of Calan¬ 
the, of the Household of Ruth, of the Eastern Star, 
of the Good Samaritan. She has been honored 
with the post of Grand Worthy Chancellor of the 
Court of Calanthe of Georgia; Supreme Worthy 
Inspector of the National Court of Calanthe; Past 
District Most Noble Governor of Georgia; Past 
Grand Worthy Superior of the Household of Ruth; 
and Past Grand Matron of the Eastern Star. 

With these honorary positions, with the duties 
and responsibilities entailed, Mrs. Barnes has 
traveled in all parts of the United States. There 
are few people and places in the country, about 
which she cannot give a very intimate account. 

Mrs. Barnes was married to Mr. Richard Barnes 
at Savannah, Aug. 16th, 1884. Mr. Barnes died in 
Sept. 2nd, 1911. Left alone Mrs. Barnes has de¬ 
voted her life to making bright the every day lives 
of others. 



110 












HENRY RUTHERFORD BUTLER, M. D. 


NE of the conspicuous figures in 
colored Georgia during this last 
quarter century has been Dr. H. 
R. Butler. He has been the ex¬ 
ponent in business enterprises and 
in uplift work and has been a sort 
the good name of Atlanta to the 
world. To him, being a physician is but an item 
in his career. He is a strong church man, being a 
member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church 
and a steward in the Bethel Church of xVtlarita. 

In membership and activity in secret orders as 
well as in national bodies, few men anywhere are 
his peers. He is a thirty-third degree Mason. More 
than this he is the Grand Master of the Masons of 
Georgia, a post he has held for fifteen years. He is 
also a Royal Arch Mason and Past Eminent Grand 
Commander of Georgia. He is an Odd Fellow, a 
Knight of Pythias, being a Brigadier General of 
the Uniform Department and Supreme representa¬ 
tive of this body. He is a member of the Eastern 
Star and Court of Calanthe. He belongs to the 
Red Cross Society and to the National Georgiaph- 
ical Society. He was surgeon, with rank of first 
lieutenant in the Second Battalion of Georgia Vol¬ 


unteers until that battalion was mustered out in 
1896. 

Tie organized the colored Medical Association of 
Georgia in 1891 and was its first president. He was 
for four years, physician to Spelman Seminary, the 
largest school in the world for Negro girls. He 
was one of the organizers of the Atlanta State Sav¬ 
ings Bank and is now one of its directors. He was 
the first regular Negro contributor to the Atlanta 
Constitution. He is manager of the Fair Haven In¬ 
firmary of the M. B. U. 

Amazing as all this work may appear, it becomes 
more so when it is known that Dr. Butler gained 
his education by the hardest of struggle. He was 
born in the country in a log cabin, in Cumberland 
County, North Carolina, April 11, 1861. The spot of 
his birth place is some four miles from Fayette¬ 
ville, on the Willington Road. The first few years 
of his life, he worked on the farm as a laborer. 
Then he moved to Wilmington and became a wharf 
hand, then a stevedore. From here he went into 
the lumber yard as a workman, thence to the Wil¬ 
mington Compress Company, for whom he finally 
became a cotton buyer. 

All this time he was carrying a burning desire to 
be educated, to become a man and hold positions 
of trust and responsibility. To be sure he had but 
little to book on or build on. Back there in Cum¬ 
berland he had enjoyed three months schooling in 
a log cabin school house. His parents could give 
him no more. To pay his way he worked as bell 
boy, waiter, side waiter and finally head waiter in 
the Northern Hotels. His mother sent him one 
green back dollar, while he was in school. The 
rest, for both his elementary, college and profes¬ 
sional education, he raised himself. 

Completing his course in the study of medicine, 
Dr. Butler went to Atlanta in 1890 and began to 
practice medicine and to become a part of the life 
in Atlanta and in Georgia. In his profession he 
ranks foremost and enjoys a very wide practice in 
Atlanta and surroundings. In company with Dr. 
T. H. Slater, he was owner of the flourishing Drug 
Store under the name of Butler, Slater and Com¬ 
pany. Dr. Butler is one of the leading property 
owners in Atlanta. He owns a very handsome 
home, owns other property in Atlanta, in Southern 
Georgia, and in Lincoln, property and buildings 
which amount in value to twenty-five thousand 
dollars. 

Dr. Butler was married May 2nd, 1893, to Miss 
Selana May Sloan. They have one son, Henry 
Rutherford, Junior, who is at present a student in 
Atlanta University, but who is to attend and be 
graduated from the Harvard Divinity School in 
Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

The Butler family of three has traveled much. 
Dr. Butler himself has crossed the American Con¬ 
tinent, indeed is a registered physician in Califor¬ 
nia, and in Los Angeles. He and his family have 
traveled through Canada and Europe, where he 
spent much time in study in the hospitals of London 
and Paris. 



Ill 











BISHOP RANDALL ALBERT CARTER 
A. B., A. M., D. D. 

ISHOP Randall A. Carter of the C. 
M. E. Church, in his early years, 
planned to enter the law, but 
thanks to an early conversion and 
a deep interest in religious mat¬ 
ters growing out of this, he 
changed his plans, and became a minister instead. 

Bishop Carter was born in Fort Valley, Georgia, 
January 1, 1867; but while still a small child he 
moved with his parents to Columbia, South Caro¬ 
lina. Here in Columbia he attended the public 
schools, applying himself to all the tasks that were 
set for him. He completed the common schools of 
his home and was ready for higher training, at the 
time of the founding of the Allen University, in 
Columbia, S. C. So, instead of going away to col¬ 
lege he was fortunate enough to have the college 
come to him. Bishop Carter was among the first 
students to matriculate in the University. He re¬ 
mained in Allen University long enough to com¬ 
plete the Freshman Class. 

While studying in this school he was converted 
during a great revival. It was not long after this 
that he felt a call to the ministry and so he joined 
the South Carolina Conference of the C. M. E. 


Church. Bishop Wm. Id. Willis, of Eouisville, Ken¬ 
tucky, was the presiding officer at the Conference 
at the time Bishop Carter joined. 

Bishop Carter, as a minister, served many im¬ 
portant charges both in South Carolina, and in 
Georgia. While working in Georgia, Bishop Car¬ 
ter completed his full college course at Payne Col¬ 
lege. He graduated with the degree of A. B., with 
the highest honors. For a number of years the 
subject of this sketch served as presiding Elder in 
the Georgia Conference. He was the confidential 
advisor of Bishop Holsey for many years and was 
the recognized leader of the Georgia Conference, 
of the C. M. E. Church. He was elected chairman 
of the delegation from his conference to the gen¬ 
eral conference for twenty years in succession. He 
was the first Epworth League Secretary of that 
department of his church. He was the fraternal 
delegate from his church to the general conference 
of the M. E. Church, held in Chicago, Illinois. He 
was a member of the delegation from his church 
to the Ecumenical Conference of Methodism, held 
in London, England. While abroad, Bishop Carter 
took advantage of the opportunity and visited 
many of the countries of Europe. 

In 1914 in St. Louis, Mo., he was elected a Bishop 
of his church. At this time Bishop Carter received 
the highest vote ever given any aspirant for that 
position. Thus Bishop Carter has come from the 
ranks to the highest position in the gift of his 
church. Starting as a school teacher, who wanted 
to be a preacher, joining the conference and serv¬ 
ing first small and then larger charges, he has 
developed wonderfully in this time. In recognition 
of his growth and development he was given the 
degree of A. M. in 1900 and of D. D. in 1901. Both 
of these came from his Alma Mater. 

Bishop Carter is recognized as one of the fore¬ 
most orators and most scholarly preachers in his 
church. He is a member of the National Geogra¬ 
phic Society, the National Association for the Ad¬ 
vancement of the Colored People. A member of 
the committee on Church and Country Life of the 
Federal Council of Churches, and a member of the 
Association for the Study of Negro Life and His¬ 
tory. Bishop Carter has held and served in many 
other positions which are honorary and which work 
for the public good. Among those in which he 
is still actively engaged we might mention that he 
is President of the Board of Missions of the C. M. 
E. Church, President of the Board of Trustees, of 
the Texas College of Hagood, Arkansas, and of the 
Indiana College, of Pine Bluff, Arkansas. 

Bishop Carter has traveled extensively in this 
country and abroad. He has covered this country 
from the Atlantic to the Pacific. He owns pro¬ 
perty, in the District of Columbia, in Columbia, 
South Carolina, and in Atlanta, Georgia. 

In 1891, on the 22nd of April, Bishop Carter was 
married to Miss Janie S. Hooks, of Macon, Georgia. 
There is one child in the family, Miss Carrie Car¬ 
ter, who is a freshman in Atlanta University. 

Born of poor parents, we might say born in real 
poverty, Randall Albert Carter has made a good 
record for himself during his half century. His 
is a life that will lend inspiration. 


112 















SILAS X. FLOYD, A. M, D. D. 


ILAS X. Floyd was born Octo¬ 
ber 2nd, 1869, in the City of Au¬ 
gusta, Georgia, and here he has 
lived tor the greater part of his 
life. During his childhood period 
it was hard tor a colored youth to 
secure a thorough education, but Dr. Floyd was an 
exception. He secured a good education but 
through close application to his studies and a de¬ 
termination to succeed. When a lad he attended 
the schools of his native city and then entered At¬ 
lanta Lniversity. He graduated at this institution 
in 1891, and in 1894 received his M. A. degree from 
his Alma Mater. Finishing his course he returned 
to Augusta, Georgia, where he immediately began 
and has continued a marvelously active life. An 
enumeration of his activities seems almost in¬ 
credible that one man could accomplish so much 
and retain his health and strength. But Dr. Floyd 
is an unusual man. Dr. Floyd is first a preacher 
and from 1899 to 1900 he was the Pastor of the 
Augusta Tabernacle Baptist Church. Prior to 
this, from 1891 to 1896. he was principal of the 
Public School and editor of the Augusta Sentinel. 
From 1896 to 1899 he was field representative of 
the International Sunday School Association, and 

113 


from 1900 to February, 1903, he was field worker 
foi Georgia and Alabama for the American Bap¬ 
tist Publication Society. Since that time he has 
served continuously as Principal of the Public 
School of his native city. 

Dr. Floyd has many gifts but the two which are 
preeminent are those of teacher and author. Bv 
means of these he has left an impress upon the 
colored citizens of Augusta, and in fact the entire 
country, which will tell for the good of the race 
for ages to come. 

For many years he has conducted every Sunday 
morning a colored people’s page in each of the two 
white daily newspapers published in Augusta. He 
has also held the unique position of being a paid 
reporter on two Southern white papers in the same 
city. This has given him a great local power to 
help his people. But Dr. Floyd has not confined his 
work to the school room, nor to the pen. His great 
heart embraces the whole colored race and he is 
interested in all efforts for their uplift. To this 
end he has served as Secretary of the National As¬ 
sociation of Teachers in Colored schools; he was 
the President of the first Negro State Press Asso¬ 
ciation, in the United States, for Colored Newspa¬ 
pers ; he was the originator of a system of syndica¬ 
ting the news among colored newspapers; he is a 
member of the Walker Baptist Institute, Augusta; 
he is a member of the American Historical Asso¬ 
ciation, and a member of the American Social 
Science Association. In these various organiza¬ 
tions he has come face to face with many of the 
problems of the race and has done his share towards 
the adjustment of them. 

Dr. Floyd’s writings have been voluminous and 
have been extensively read. He has made contri¬ 
butions to such well known periodicals as the New 
York Independent, Youth’s Companion, Lippin- 
cctts, Judge, and Leslie’s Weekly. He is the au¬ 
thor of “Floyd’s Flowers,” a booko of stories for 
colored children, the first book of its kind ever 
published in the history of the race in the United 
States. He has also written the “life of C. T. Wal¬ 
ker,” the “Gospel of Service and other Sermons,” 
and a number of stories and verses which have ap¬ 
peared from time to time in the leading papers and 
magazines of the country. 

Dr. Floyd has made his contribution to the civic 
life of Augusta, and has rendered valuable service 
to the commonwealth on many occasions. In re¬ 
cognition of his invaluable aid in relief work, fol¬ 
lowing the great fire which swept Augusta, the 
Chairman of the White Relief Committee publicly 
presented him with a beautiful gold watch and fob. 
During the war which has happily come to a close, 
Dr. Floyd was conspicious for his patriotic service 
and was placed at the head of many of the commit¬ 
tees which this service called into existence. 

Space alone prevents further record of his ach¬ 
ievements. A fitting end is to speak of his happy 
home life. His family consists of a wife, (for¬ 
merly Mrs. Ella James,) and a daughter, Miss 
Marietta James, who are in perfect accord and 
sympathy with him and in their own home they 
present the ideal family circle. 









BENJAMIN JEFFERSON DAVIS 





Benjamin Jefferson Davis 



R. Benjamin Jefferson Davis, the 
subject of this sketch, was born 
in Dawson, Georgia, in 1870. He 
passed his childhood under the 
usual disadvantages of the Negro 
child in those days. He was 
born with an insatiable thirst for knowledge, and 
with an ambition and will to do whatever his hands 
found to do better than anybody else could do it. 
His longing to render service for his race and man¬ 
kind ripened, and accordingly he resolved to acquire 
an education that would fit him for life’s work; and 
he entered Atlanta University and availed himself 
of every opportunity to better his condition. As 
a student he was brilliant and showed unmistaka¬ 
bly the elements of leadership, which has made him 
a leader of men. As success marked his efforts, he 
never forgot to appreciate the friends who encour¬ 
aged and helped him to prepare himself for the 
task which he had mapped out. 

After spending several terms in Atlanta Univer¬ 
sity, he decided to teach school to aid him in his 
preparation and to secure the amount of money 
necessary to carry out what he had undertaken and 
planned for the future. Meanwhile, he was ten¬ 
dered a government position which he accepted; 
but it was not long before he felt that he could bet¬ 
ter serve his race and generation by giving up the 
government service and taking up work more in 
keeping with his Life’s ambition. But he had the 
foresight to see that there were great possibilities 
for racial development in the G. U. O. O. F., in 
America. He joined the Order at seventeen. His 
mother, Mrs. Katherine Davis, who was very much 
devoted to her boy, partly kept up his dues during 
the time he was attending school. He rose rapidly 
in the Order and became a Past officer in 1891, and 
a member of the District Grand Lodge in 1892; 
he was elected District Grand Treasurer in 1900; 
was elected Grand Director of the National Branch 
of the Order, in Columbus, Ohio, in 1904, and serv¬ 
ed two years. He was elected Grand Treasurer of 
the National Branch in 1906 at Richmond, Va., 
which position he filled four years. He was elected 
Chief justice of the Supreme Court of the Ordei in 
Baltimore in 1910. and served four year. In 1917, 
at the Macon District Grand Lodge, he was again 
re-elected District Grand Secretary for the Eighth 
Biennial term, making sixteen years; and he was 
elected General Manager of the Corporation of the 
G. U. O. O. F. of America, Jurisdiction of Geor¬ 
gia. In 1916, when the Order was placed in the 
hands of a Receiver by the courts, he, on account 
of his signal ability, and intricate knov, ledge of the 

115 


affairs of the Order was appointed by the court as 
Assistant Receiver. 

He is a member of the K. of P., Supreme Circle, 
Knights of Tabor, a Director of the Standard Life 
Insurance Company, Stockholder of the Atlanta 
State Savings Bank and President of the Atlanta 
Independent Publishing Company—publishers of 
the Atlanta Independent. 

In politics, he is a Republican, and is usually one 
of the Big Four Delegates from the State-at-large 
to the Republican National Convention every four 
years. At the 19th Republican National Conven¬ 
tion he was. a member of the Committee on Plat¬ 
form and Resolutions of which Senator Henry Ca¬ 
bot Lodge of Massachusetts, was the Chairman. 

The strongest institution in which Mr. Davis is 
interested, and the one which wields a world of 
good for both races, is the Atlanta Independent. As 
owner and editor of this widely read and circulated 
journal, he shapes its policy and is considered one 
of the ablest journalists and writers of his day. 

It is impossible to discuss the Negro progress in 
America without mentioning “Ben Davis” and the 
Odd Fellows Block in Atlanta, which stands as a 
monument to his vision, perseverance and organ¬ 
izing genius. He is essentially an organizer and 
leader of men. Twenty years ago when he be¬ 
came officially identified with the G. U. O. O. F. 
in Georgia, it represented a membership of less 
than 10,000 and as a state organization, it was 
struggling and gasping for breath, so to speak. To¬ 
day the membership is more than fifty thousand, 
including the Household of Ruth, Juveniles, Divis¬ 
ion Meeting and Deputy and Supervisor’s Institute. 

When Mr. Davis took charge of the office of 
District Grand Secretary, he addressed himself to 
the task of re-constructing the Order and placing 
it upon a substantial basis. His first efforts were 
to systematize the business of the office and build 
up confidence in the Order in the minds of the 
people. This having been accomplished, he felt 
that the time was propitious to have a strong or¬ 
gan in the State of Georgia with which to give 
publicity to the work and the benefit of the Or¬ 
der, and widen the circle of the Race’s influence. 
Out of this idea sprang the Atlanta Independent, 
which, from the beginning, was a popular and fear¬ 
less sheet and exerted a powerful influence for 
good not only in Georgia, but throughout the coun¬ 
try—and today the Independent is the most wide¬ 
ly read Negro paper in America and is read by 
white and black people alike. 

In his struggles for the erection of the present 
Odd Fellow Block on Auburn Avenue in the City 
of Atlanta in the year 1912, the story will never be 






known in its entirety; for only God and Mr. Davis 
alone know in the broadest sense the fiery ordeals 
through which he passed. Even those who were 
most intimately associated with him do not know 
as he did, for in many respects, “He trod the wine¬ 
press alone.” Mr. Davis conceived the idea in the 
erection of the Odd Fellow Block that every mem¬ 
ber of the Order in Georgia give $1.00 as a Free- 
Will offering on Thanksgiving Day, May 14, 1911. 
As a result of this idea over $50,000 was raised in 
one day. The Block was completed at a cost of 
more than $300,000 without a dollar of incum¬ 
brance upon it. 

When you think of Benjamin Jefferson Davis, 
you think of three things—The Atlanta Indepen¬ 
dent, The growth of the Odd Fellows and the Odd 
Fellows’ Block in Atlanta, Ga. The paper speaks 
for itself—it is the most aggressive and influen¬ 
tial paper published in the country for Negro peo¬ 
ple. No paper is more eagerly sought-for and 
more widely read than the Atlanta Independent. Of 
his work among the Odd Fellows, his chief distinc¬ 
tion arises from putting the organization on a 
business basis and extending the membership in a 
little more than ten years in the State of Georgia, 
from 10,000 to 50,000; from a depleted treasury to 
an accumulated wealth of $600,000, carrying a cash 
balance of $50,000. 

But, perhaps, his crowning achievement in con • 
nection with his great work with the G. U. O. O. F„ 
is the establishment of the Bureau of Endowment 
for widows and orphans, who, until this time had 
been left destitute at the death of their husbands 
and fathers. He, therefore, put through an amend¬ 
ment whereby every member must carry a death 
benefit of not less than $200.00 and not more than 
$500.00. The effect of this act has been far-reach¬ 
ing and has laid a broad foundation upon which the 
Race can build for all time to come. It has been 
the forerunner for many other institutions of the 
Race—such as banks, insurance companies, first- 
class professional offices and hundreds of business 
places for young men and women of the Race. 

He was happily married August, 1898, to Miss 
Jimme W. Porter of Dawson, Ga., and their home 
has been blessed with two children—a boy, B. J. 
Davis, Jr., and a girl, Johnnie Katherine. 

Mr. Davis is less than fifty years old and is in 
the very prime of his intellectual and physical pow¬ 
ers. He is ambitious, gifted and determined. He 
knows no such thing as “can’t” and never ceases 
until the thing undertaken is put “Over the top.” 
It is not too much to say that he is one of the 
Race’s greatest leaders. He is today the greatest 
exponent of the principles of Odd Fellowship in 
America. He is a National character and a born 
leader. 

The race’s greatest constructive and economic 


contribution to the national growth is Odd Fellow 
Block, 200 Auburn Ave., between Bell and Butler 
Streets, Atlanta, Georgia. 

Odd Fellow Block, which consists of two large 
buildings, is the largest and the most Up-to-date of¬ 
fice building owned by the Race in America. These 
vast properties were erected in 1912 and 1913 by 
District Grand Fodge No. 18, G. L T . O. O. F., of Am¬ 
erica, Jurisdiction of Georgia, a corporation. The 
corporation consists of fifty thousand male and fe¬ 
male members of G. U. O. O. F., of America, Jur¬ 
isdiction of Georgia. The main building is known 
as Odd Fellow Building and is located on the 
northeast corner of Auburn Avenue and Bell 
Street, and is seven stories high above the ground. 
The building consists of six stores, fifty-six offices, 
three lodge rooms and the roof garden. The roof 
garden will seat and accommodate one thousand 
people. It is the largest and the most modern roof 
garden in the country, adapted to use all seasons 
of the year—sanitary, ventilated and heated by the 
most modern systems. The lodge rooms are oc¬ 
cupied by many of the different secret Orders in 
the city. The offices are used by such substantial 
concerns as the Standard Life Insurance Company, 
Atlanta Mutual Insurance Company, Chatham Mu¬ 
tual Insurance Company, Atlanta State Savings 
Bank, District Grand Fodge No. 18, G. U. O. O. F., 
of America, Jurisdiction of Georgia, The N. C. Mu¬ 
tual & Provident Association and the Masonic Re¬ 
lief Association. The main building fronts Auburn 
Avenue 60 feet, and runs north on Bell Street one 
hundred feet. 

The Odd Fellow Auditorium and Office Build¬ 
ing is situated on the corner of Auburn Avenue 
and Butler Street, facing Auburn Avenue 138 
feet front, and consists of eight stores, eighteen 
offices and the Odd Fellow Auditorium Theatre. 
The building is two stories high, and the offices 
on the second floor are occupied almost entirely by 
the leading colored physicians of the city. The 
stores are always rented; the Gate City Drug Store 
occupies the corner. This great property of the 
Order was erected at a cost to the Corporation, in¬ 
cluding the land, quite $400,000 and is today valued 
at a half million dollars. The Order contributes to 
the State of Georgia and the City of Atlanta $5,000 
in taxes each year on its holdings. 

More than two hundred and fifty young men and 
women are engaged in the various enterprises, do¬ 
ing business in the Odd Fellow Block. This invest¬ 
ment is a paying proposition, netting to the Or¬ 
der—above operating expenses—each year $10,000 
which is credited to the Endowment Fund, guar¬ 
anteeing the payment of the Death Benefit Certifi¬ 
cates held by the members of the Order throughout 
the Jurisdiction. This, the greatest contribution of 
the Race to the National growth, argues most 
largely its possibilities and is due entirely to the 
leadership of the District Grand Secretary, Benja¬ 
min Jefferson Davis, and stands as a monument to 
his energy, push and pluck. 


J16 



ODD FELLOWS BLOCK, MAI N BUILDING, ATLANTA, GA. 



























CHARLES HENRY DOUGLASS. 


N Macon, Georgia, there is an up- 
to date negro theatre, one of the 
few negro theatres of any kind to 
be owned and managed by a Ne¬ 
gro. It was built in 1911, with 
modern appliances. It has a seat¬ 
ing capacity of 330 and is sanitary throughout. 
It has both oscilating and exhaust fans to keep 
the air within pure and the building sanitary. 
This enterprise is the work of Charles Henry 
Douglass, who in this way has made provision 
for the recreation and pleasure of his people. Here 
every afternoon and evening the tired housewife, 
servant or laborer can drop in and enjoy a pleas¬ 
ant hour without embarrassment or discrimina¬ 
tion. Seeing an opportunity for a Negro amuse¬ 
ment house in Macon, he leased in 1904, the Oc- 
mulgee Park Theatre, which he operated for two 
years, when he sold his lease and purchased a lot 
on Broadway and erected the Colonial Hotel, a 
three story brick building, which stands on this 
business thoroughfare in the midst of the big bus¬ 
iness of the city. The building cost eighteen 
thousand dollars ($18,000), and is the only piece 
of property on Broadway to be owned by a Ne¬ 


gro. While operating his hotel, Mr. Douglass or¬ 
ganized a theatrical company of about thirty-five 
of forty colored people and traveled with his com¬ 
pany through fourteen states, giving performances 
in many cities, winning favorable patronage which 
established his reputation and earned him much 
money. Selling out his interest in the Theatrical 
Company he added the proceeds to other funds and 
erected the “Douglas Theatre.” This theatre he 
operates entirely with Negro help. He has the 
only Negro picture operator permitted to operate 
a machine in the State of Georgia. In contemplat¬ 
ing a successful man it is interesting to note the 
steps by which he climbed the ladder of success. 
We will go back now and trace the history of Mr. 
Douglass from his childhood days. 

Mr. Douglass was born in Macon, Georgia, in 
1870 and reared in comparative poverty, his parents 
being very poor. Necessity laid upon him the bur¬ 
den of money making from early life, in fact from 
the time that he could earn a penny. His first job 
was to peddle light wood and vegetables. To this 
work he devoted his mornings but attended the 
public school in the afternoon. He chopped cotton 
when he was so small that he had to saw off the 
hoe handle so that he might wield the hoe. When 
fourteen years of age he left the cotton patch and 
went to the city. Here he secured a position as 
buggy boy for a physician, and received as wages, 
Six Dollars, ($6.00) per month. 

This position he held until the death of his fa- 
ther. When his father died the support of his 
mother and two sisters fell upon his shoulders. 
W ithout flinching he assumed the responsibility 
and set himself to the task. 

He i ealized that he could not meet the demands 
of the family upon the small wages that he was 
receiving, so he gave up his position of buggy boy 
and sought employment in other lines. He se¬ 
cured work as a day laborer, finding employment 
in a saw mill, where he received seventy-seven 
(77) cents per day. Here he labored until he 
found an opening where the wages were larger. 
From the saw mill he returned to Macon, where 
he ^entered a box factory, earning wages of from 
$1.75 to $2.00 per day. It cost him five dollars to 
get this job. 

While working as a laborer with his hands his 
mind was working upon a plan to start a business 
of his own, and to this end he began to save his 
money. When he had saved twenty-four dollars 
($24), he was ready for his venture. With this 
small capital he opened a bicycle repair shop, which 
continued to grow until the auto made its appear¬ 
ance. This was the beginning of his business ca¬ 
reer, but very far from being its end. 

When the automobile bid for popular favor the 



118 











COLONIAL HOTEL AND DOUGLASS THEATRE 


bicycle had to take a back seat so he took time by 
the forelock and disposed of his repair shop and 
entered another line of endeavor. 

He next entered the Real Estate business which 
he conducted with marked success. 

Ne never shirked the responsibility which his 
father’s death placed upon him, but cared for his 
mother and sisters with devotion and loyalty which 
made their paths smooth and pleasant. 

When his mother died he remained the devoted 
brother and supported and looked after the inter¬ 
ests of his two sisters until they married and made 
homes for themselves. He not only supported 
them but gave them the advantages of education 
which contributed to their pleasure and usefulness 
in life. 

When he worked at the saw mill he often saw 
the porters and waiters in the Pullman car ser¬ 
vice and was deeply impressed at the smug and 
satisfied air they exhibited, and the spirit of con¬ 
tentment that seemed to possess them. He also 
noted that they were well dressed. Thus uncon¬ 
sciously they inspired in him the desire to have 
good clothes and to enjoy their seemingly spirit 
of contentment. 

This desire he has realized far beyond his fond¬ 
est hopes and aspirations. With him to desire is 
the determination to attain and determination and 
energy usually brought him the coveted reward. 

His personal appearance while not gaudy was 
always attractive and he is what may be termed a 
well dressed man. Mr. Douglass has always de¬ 
pended upon himself and all his moves originated 
with himself and he paid for any and all assistance 
he received. He never put himself in the attitude 
of a beggar. When he secured the position in the 
box factory he paid one of the laborers therein to 
recommend him and he has followed that polic} 


through all his business career. He attributes his 
success in a large measure to this principle. 

Another element in his character which helped 
in his successful career was his power to discern 
a need and the grit to venture. If he saw a need it 
was to him an opportunity and opportunity found 
in him a willing follower. 

Mr. Douglass has acquired considerable proper¬ 
ty. In addition to his hotel and theatre he owns 
thirty tenement houses, which contain from three 
to eight rooms, two pressed brick stores with flats 
in second story; these are in the Broadway block 
and the flats rent for $140 per month. He has a 
thirty acre farm just outside of Macon where he 
raises Duroc and Berkshire hogs ,truck, fruit and 
game chickens. 

Mr. Douglass was married in 1902 to Miss Fan¬ 
nie Appling of Macon, Georgia. Six children make 
up the Douglass family, Winna, Marsenia, Charles 
Henry, Jr., Peter, Carro and Lilly. His close atten¬ 
tion to business matters did not lessen his interest 
in his family life and he endeavored to make his 
home attractive and comfortable. Recently he 
built an attractive bungalow for his family. Here 
he finds his greatest relaxation from business cares. 
It is not surprising that a man who was such a 
good son and brother should make an ideal hus¬ 
band and father. The importance he felt for the 
education of his sisters, which he accomplished, 
under the stress of poverty, he now feels for his 
children and being in a financial condition to give 
them a good education he plans to fit them for use¬ 
ful and honorable positions in life. He is a living 
illustration of what a man with a vision and a 
strong will can do in brushing aside difficulties to 
reach his goal. 



RESIDENCE OF C. H. DOUGLASS. 


119 























BISHOP JOSEPH SIMEON FLIPPER, D. D., LL. D. 













Bishop Joseph Simeon Flipper 


OR nearly forty years Bishop Jo¬ 
seph Simeon Flipper, of the A. M. 
E. Church, has been a leader in 
the South; a leader in education, 
in religion, and in organizations 
ot uplift for the American Negro. 
Born Feb. 22, 1859, in the days 
of slavery, and educated amidst 
the confusion of reconstruction, he has risen from 
school teacher to pastor, from pastor to dean, then 
college president, and finally to Bishop. 

In 1867, when the Northern Missionaries came 
South, he attended school in Bethel A. M. F. 
Church. From here he went to the Storrs School 
on Houston street. In October, 1869, he enrolled 
among the first students to enter the Atlanta Uni¬ 
versity, where he remained until 1876. In the sum¬ 
mer of this year he began teaching school at 
Thomaston, Georgia. He was converted in March 
1877, and joined St. Thomas, A. M. E. Church. In 
1877 and 1878 he taught school in Thomas County 
In 1879 he was commissioned by his Excellency, 
Governor Alford H. Colquitt, Captain of the Thom- 
asville Independants, a colored company forming 
a part of the State Militia. In the same year he 
taught school at Groverville, now Key, Brooks 
County, Georgia. Here he was licensed both as 
an exhorter and local preacher, and recommended 
by the local church for admission into the Georgia 
Annual Conference of the African Methodist Epis¬ 
copal Church. In January, 1880, he was received 
into the itinerant ministry of the Georgia Confer¬ 
ence at Americus, Georgia, by Bishop J. P. Camp¬ 
bell, and assigned to the Groverville Circuit. He 
was ordained Deacon in January, 1882, in St. Tho¬ 
mas A. .M E. Church, Thomasville, the same 
church in which he was converted and which he 
joined in 1877. Here he was elected Secretary of 
the Georgia Conference, and a Trustee of Morris 
Brown College. He was appointed to Darien. 
Georgia, in 1882. The next year he taught school 
at Cairo and Whigham, Georgia. In 1884, he was 
ordained Elder at Valdosta, and appointed to Quit- 
man. Remaining here until January, 1886, he was 
transferred from the Georgia Conference to the 
North Georgia Conference, and appointed to Be¬ 
thel A. M. E. Church, on Wheat Street, Atlanta. 
This was the largest church in the State and he 
was the youngest man that had ever been appoint¬ 
ed to such an important charge in the State. His 
mother had been a member of this church, he had 
attended its Sunday School when a boy, and had 
first learned his alphabet here. He remained here 
four years, the full limit of the law, and raised 
more Dollar Money than had ever been raised, not 
only in the history of this church, but of the entire 
State. It was here in 1886, he became one of the 
Dollar Money Kings of the entire connection, for 
which he was honored with a gold badge, making 
a record which stood for a quarter of a century be¬ 
fore any other pastor exceeded it. From Bethel he 
was appointed pastor of Pierce Chapel A. M. E. 
Church, Athens. 

In 1891, he was elected delegate to the Gen¬ 
eral Conference which met in Philadelphia ,Pa., 
in May, 1892. It was in this same year that he 
• 121 


was appointed by Bishop A. Grant, Presiding El¬ 
der of the Athens district. Two years later Allen 
University, Columbia, S. C. conferred upon him the 
title of Doctor of Divinity. Remaining in the Ath¬ 
ens District three years, he was appointed pastor 
of Allen Temple, Atlanta. This was in 1895, the 
same year he was elected delegate to the General 
Conference, which met in Wilmington, N. C., May 
1896. In 1899 he was elected leader of the delega¬ 
tion of the North Georgia Conference, to the Gen¬ 
eral Conference which met in Columbus, Ohio, May 
1900. It was at this conference that he was elec¬ 
ted Chairman of the Episcopal Committee, the 
most important committee of the General Confer¬ 
ence. At this General Conference,- also, he was 
appointed‘a member of the Financial Board, which 
has the oversight of all money raised by the church. 
In 1899 he was appointed pastor of St. Paul, A. M. 
E. Church, Atlanta, serving four years. In 1903 
he was elected by the Trustee Board of Morris 
Brown College, Dean of the Theological Depart¬ 
ment, where he served one year. The year, 1903, 
saw him elected leader of the delegation of the At¬ 
lanta, Georgia Conference to the General Confer¬ 
ence, which met at Chicago, Ill., May 1904. Here 
again he was elected Chairman of the Episcopal 
Committee, which committee for his faithful ser¬ 
vice, presented him with a large silver loving cup. 
He was again appointed a member of the Financial 
Board. Upon his return home he was elected by 
the Trustee Board, President of Morris Brown Col¬ 
lege, and enrolled the largest number of students 
in the school’s history. This position he held for 
four years. In 1906, Wilberforce University, Ohio, 
conferred on him the title of Doctor of Laws. 

In 1908, at the General Conference held in Nor¬ 
folk, Virginia, he was elected one of the Bishops 
of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and 
assigned to the Ninth Episcopal District, consisting 
of Arkansas and Oklahoma. In 1912, when the 
General Conference met in Kansas City, Missouri, 
the delegation from Georgia, his native state, re¬ 
quested that he be sent to preside over Georgia, 
which request was granted. On coming to Geor¬ 
gia, he erected the Flipper Hall, the boys dormitory 
at Morris Brown College, the Central Normal and 
Industrial Institute, at Savannah, bought ten acres 
of land for Payne College, at Cuthbert, Georgia, 
and united all the schools into one system, known 
as Morris Brown University. 

Bishop Flipper owns his home and three rent 
houses, in Atlanta, two vacant lots in Waycross, 
five in Savannah, and one in Lincoln, Md. He is a 
stockholder of the Standard Life Insurance Com¬ 
pany. He is a stockholder and Director of the 
Atlanta State Savings Bank, and a stockholder 
in the Independant, of New York City. He is 
a member of the Southern Sociological Congress; 
of the National Geographic Society, Washington, 
D. C., a Trustee of the World’s Christian Endeavor 
—president of the Sunday School Union Board of 
the A. M. E. Church. 

Bishop Flipper was married in Thomasville, Geor¬ 
gia, in 1880, to Miss Amanda Isabella Slater. There 
are three children in the Flipper family: Josephine 
G., Nathan and Carl. 












WILLIAM ALFRED FOUNTAIN, A. B , M. A., 

S. T. B., B. D., Ph. D. 

R. William A. Fountain, now Pres¬ 
ident of Morris Brown Univer¬ 
sity, is the son of Reverend Rich¬ 
ard and Virginia Fountain, both 
of whom were devoted members 
of the African Methodist Episco- 

October 29, 1870, at Elberton, Geor¬ 
gia, and was one of seventeen children. Fie en¬ 
tered school at the age of six and attended about 
sixteen years. Passing through the public school 
at Elberton, he graduated successively from Morris 
Brown University, Allen University, Turner Theo¬ 
logical Seminary, and took a post-graduate course 
at Chicago University, and non-resident courses in 
Central University. Fie has the following degrees: 
Bachelor of Arts, from Morris Brown University, 
in 1901; Master of Arts from Allen University; S. 
T. B., from Turner Seminary; B. D. and Ph. D., 
from Central University. Fie was also a student 
at Garrett Biblical Institute, Evanston, Ill., in 1916. 

He was converted April 1888, at the age of eigh¬ 
teen and joined Allen Temple A. M. E. Church, At¬ 
lanta, Georgia, the same year. He became very 


active in the church work and has held almost ev¬ 
ery office in the body. 

He was licensed to preach at Elberton, Georgia, 
in 1893, by Rev. (now Bishop,) J. S. Flipper. He 
joined the annual conference at Marietta, Georgia, 
under Bishop Grant; was ordained deacon at Ath¬ 
ens, Georgia, by Bishop A. Grant; ordained elder 
at Cedartown, Georgia, by Bishop Turner. He has 
held the following appointments: Pendergrass 
Mission; Athens-Bethel; Washington-Jackson Cha¬ 
pel and Pope’s Chapel, Marietta, Georgia; Turner 
Chapel, Atlanta, Georgia; Allen Temple, Wilming¬ 
ton, North Carolina; St. Stephens, Macon Georgia; 
Steward Chapel; Presiding Elder of Athens dis¬ 
trict. Each change carried him to an enlarged 
field of work. 

His accomplishment’s as a church builder and 
debt liquidator show a decided ability in those lines. 
He built Pope’s Chapel, at Washington, Georgia, 
at a cost of $20,000; repaired the Parsonage at Ma¬ 
rietta, Georgia, at a cost of $2,000; bought lot and 
beautified church, paid church out of debt, at Atlan¬ 
ta, at cost of $5,000; left $500 to build a Sunday 
School room for St. Stephens at Wilmington, N. C.; 
established an Old Folk’s Home and built a Par¬ 
sonage at a cost of $4,000, for Steward Chapel, Ma¬ 
con, Georgia. He has lifted mortgages at Athens, 
Marietta, Allen Temple and Steward Chapel. 

Dr. Fountain has been a delegate to the follow¬ 
ing General Conferences: Columbus, Ohio, in 
1900; Chicago, in 1904; Norfolk, in 1908; Kansas 
City, in 1912, and the Centennial General Confer¬ 
ence at Philadelphia, in 1916. 

Before becoming active as a minister, Dr. Foun¬ 
tain gave part of his time to the school room, so 
when he was called to succeed the lamented Dr. 
E. W. Lee, as president of Morris Brown University 
he was not without experience as a teacher. 

Dr. Fountain holds membership in many organi¬ 
zations and has an active interest in them. He is 
an Odd Fellow, a Mason, and a Knight of Pythias. 
He has been twice married. He was first married 
to Miss Jessie M. Williams, of Sumter, S. C., in 
1893. She died in 1898. In 1899 he married Miss 
Julia T. Allen. His first wife gave him two chil¬ 
dren, W. A. Fountain, Jr., and Jessie Mamie and 
his second wife gave him four children, Louise 
Virginia, Sue Jette, Julia Bell and Allen McNeal, 
deceased. Dr. Fountain has a high ambition for 
his children which he is trying to realize by train¬ 
ing their heart and mind as he was himself trained. 
He finds great satisfaction and pleasure in his home 
life. He has another great ambition also—to 
make the Morris Brown University a great Insti¬ 
tution, taking high rank among the Negro schools 
of the land. He is fast advancing it towards his 
goal and has received much encouragement to per¬ 
severe in his efforts. 



122 








JOHN WESLEY GILBERT, Ph. D. 


OME years ago the public was 
startled to know that Brown Uni¬ 
versity had sent a Negro scholar 
to Athens, Greece. There were 
many causes for this surprise. In 
the first place it had been wide¬ 
ly exploited that the Negro could not learn Greek. 
In the second place the Negro had been chosen 
as a representative of a New England college. This 
was how it all came about. Brown University, at 
Providence, Rhode Island, holds what is known as 
an Athens scholarship. This scholarship is award¬ 
ed to the best Greek scholar in the University. 
John Wesley Gilbert won this scholarship over the 
sons of Anne Hutchinson, of Roger Williams, and 
over many other lads of distinguished ancestry. 
Thus it came about that the American Negro in a 
quarter of a century after slavery had sent a 
scholar abroad. 

John Wesley Gilbert was born in Hepsibah, 
Georgia, July 6, 1865. His first years of tiaining 
were spent in the public schools of Augusta, Geoi- 
gia. From the public schools of Augusta, he reg¬ 
istered in the Atlanta Baptist Seminary, now the 
theological department of Morehouse College, At¬ 
lanta, Georgia. Going up from the South, Mr. 

123 


Gilbert made his way into Brown University, and 
soon made his mark as a scholar of the classics. 
He especially excelled in Greek; so that when the 
award was made for the representative from Brown 
University, the Negro scholar was chosen to go to 
the American school of classics in the city of So¬ 
crates and Plato, of Pericles and Demosthenes. It 
was here he won his Master’s degree. 

However, one must live in Athens, and scholar¬ 
ships do not always defray all expenses. To pay 
his way the Greek scholar served as a guide to 
American tourists, who came to visit this ancient 
citadel of culture and war. In those days exca¬ 
vations in Greece were exceedingly popular. Be¬ 
fore long, Mr. Gilbert was numbered among those 
who sought to exhume the old walls, pillars and 
gates, made famous in ancient Greek stories. He 
conducted excavations not only in Greece, but on 
the Mediterranean Islands. Few men have been 
thus favored to use their classical scholarship. 

Mr. Gilbert has been an extensive traveler. He 
has traveled practically over the whole of the 
United States and visited most places of note and 
interest and has visited many countries in Europe. 

The trip to Athens only whetted the young scho¬ 
lar’s taste for more travel. He made two more 
trips abroad, when he visited many countries in 
Africa and most of the countries in Europe. He 
was not only traveling, he was working. While 
in the Belgian Congo, he, with Bishop W. R. Lam- 
buth, founded the mission at Wimbo, Miami, a 
mission which is still in full operation. His work 
of investigation and research won him a member¬ 
ship in the Archaeological Institute and in the 
Philological Association of America. 

Mr. Gilbert has been engaged for years in teach¬ 
ing and preaching. He began his course as a 
teacher in Paine Coollege, Augusta, Georgia, in 
1889. He was Dean of Theology in Paine for three 
years. Mr. Gilbert entered the ministry in 1895, in 
the C. M. E. Church. In 1901 he was a member of 
the Ecumenical Congress, which assembled in Lon¬ 
don, England. He is at present commissioner for 
and professor of Greek, in Paine College. 

He has kept his membership alive in many of the 
organizations at home. His membership in the A. 
M. E. Church has been one of much activity. He 
has held the office of superintendent of African 
missions for many years. He is a Mason, a Knight 
of Pythias and an Odd Fellow. In the Knight of 
Pythias he is Grand Auditor. 

He was married in 1889 to Miss Oceola Pleasant, 
a native of Augusta, Georgia. Four children have 
been born to them, of whom three are living. 

His real estate holdings are valued at $15,000 and 
he is a holder of several shares in a realty company 
of Augusta. 











KEMPER HARRELD. 



EM PER Harreld, known the coun¬ 
try over as a concert violinist, 
popular also as a teacher of violin 
and as a chorus director, was born 
and reared in Muncie, Indiana. 
From his youth he was a musical 
prodigy. His special talent first 
manifested itself in song; so much so that under 
the tutelage of Miss Nannie C. Love, who was in 
charge of the public school music, he soon became 
known as the boy singer. However, the violin had 
early fallen into his hands, and while singing, he 
was also after his boy fashion making rich tones on 
the violin, becoming in a short time, at least a 
fiddler. 

Following his bent Mr. Harreld took special stu¬ 
dies in his home town and then in Indianapolis. 
From Indianapolis he entered the Chicago Musical 
College and studied violin under Chiheiser, theory 
under Maryott and Falk, and composition under 
Borowski. Mr. Harreld’s next studies were pur¬ 
sued under Frederick Frederiksen, a celebrated 
violinist from the Royal College of Music in Lon¬ 
don. Three years of hard work with Frederiksen 
gave Mr. Harreld a much finer touch, higher tech¬ 
nique and greater confidence in himself. 

Meantime he had become well known in Amer¬ 
ica as one of the leading violinists. To the laity 
he was already perfect in technique, harmony, and 
those points of excellence for which musicians so 
eagerly and so sedulously strive. 


Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, was 
among the institutions to invite Mr. Harreld to be¬ 
come a member of their teaching stafif. Atlanta 
being a field of rare possibility, due to the high in¬ 
tellectual standard, Mr. Harreld became a teacher 
of music at Morehouse, and established a studio 
on Chestnut Street in the city. 

Here in Atlanta Mr. Harreld lives an exceeding¬ 
ly busy life. As a teacher of private pupils he takes 
every minute of his spare time. As a chorus direc¬ 
tor he with his chorus is constantly in demand. He 
has developed an orchestra for Morehouse, an or¬ 
chestra of from eighteen to twenty-three members, 
picked from a student body of not more than four 
hundred and fifty students. Biggest of all, Mr. 
Harreld has a choir chorus of three hundred voices, 
a chorus which is made up of choirs from twenty- 
eight churches. When Billy Sunday preached in 
Atlanta his chorus was increased to fifteen hun¬ 
dred voices, who sang to an audience of seventeen 
thousand. 

Dear as these honors are, Mr. Harreld has not 
decided to rest on what he already knows and can 
do. Busy as he is with his regular music at More¬ 
house, with private pupils, chorus work and violin 
recital, he nevertheless steals time here and there 
for intense study and observation. The year 1914, 
for example, found him stealing away to spend his 
vacation to study in Berlin. Unhappily, the war 
broke forth during his stay in Berlin, and he and 
Mrs. Harreld were held by the German Govern¬ 
ment for twenty-five days, before they were al¬ 
lowed to leave for America. 

Since that time owing to disturbances every¬ 
where Mr. Harreld has not returned to Europe to 
study. He has traveled, however, in England, Hol¬ 
land and Germany in recital engagements, and in 
nearly every part of the United States. His studies 
have during his work at Morehouse taken a prac¬ 
tical turn, going into Negro music and its possi¬ 
bilities. 

It is difficult to determine what branch of music 
Mr. Harreld excels in, as a music master, a chorus 
director, or as a concert violinist. In the first two— 
Atlanta gives him the leading place. In the last 
named the papers of various cities in which he has 
appeared vie with one another in singing his praise. 
This from the College Bulletin of Birmingham is 
typical, and at the same time expresses the great 
esteem in which he is held. 

“Plays in most finished and artistic style with 
brilliancy and very beautiful tone. Has no equal in 
temperament and expression.” 

What Mr. Harreld himself considers his best ef¬ 
fort was a benefit concert given in the Auditorium- 
Armory in Atlanta. For this he organized the cho¬ 
ral and orchestral forces of the six higher institu¬ 
tions for Negro education in Atlanta—Atlanta Uni¬ 
versity, Morris Brown University, Clark Univer¬ 
sity, Morehouse College, Spelman Seminary and 
Gammon Theological Seminary. There were five 
hundred in the chorus and a large orchestra. This 
program was rendered before 5000 persons. 

Mr. Harreld was married on June 11, 1913, to 
Miss Claudia White, daughter of the famous Dr. 
W. J. White, of Augusta. They have one child, a 
daughter, Josephine Eleanor, who is three years 
of age. 


124 














JOHN HOPE, A. B., A. M. 


BP 


OHN Hope, President of More¬ 
house College, was born in Au¬ 
gusta, Georgia, June, 1868, the 
son of James and Mary Francis 
Hope. After some years of ele¬ 
mentary education, secured large¬ 
ly by his own efforts, he entered Worcester 
Academy, (Mass.,) in the fall of 1886. He was 
prominent in the activities of the school, becoming 
editor-in-chief of the Academy, the Student Month¬ 
ly ; and at graduation he was class historian and 
a commencement speaker. Entering Brown Uni¬ 
versity in 1890, he received the A. B. Degree in 
1894, with the distinction of being class orator. In 
1907 his Alma Mater conferred on him the A. M. 
degree. In October 1894, Mr. Hope entered the 
service of the American Baptist Home Mission 
Society as a teacher in Roger Williams University, 
Nashville, Tenn. In 1898 he was transferred to At¬ 
lanta Baptist College. On the resignation of pres¬ 
ident Sale he was promoted to the presidency, ser¬ 
ving for the first year as Acting President. In 
1897 he was married to Miss Lugenia D. Burns, of 
Chicago, Ill., He is the father of two boys, Ed¬ 
ward Swain and John, Jr. President Hope is one 


of the leading figures in the education of the negro 
in the South, and his time is largely drawn upon 
by many activities for social or educational service. 
In 1915-16 he was President of the National Asso¬ 
ciation of Teachers in Colored Schools; he is a 
member of the Board of Managers of the Y. M. C. 
A., of Atlanta, of the Advisory Board of the Na¬ 
tional Association for the advancement of the Col¬ 
ored People, of the Executive Committee of the 
Urban League of New York, of the committees on 
the Spingarn Medal, of the Anti-Tuberculosis 
Association, of Atlanta, and of various boards of 
the State Baptist Convention. President Hope’s 
chief interest, however, remains, the education of 
men and boys ; and the fact that he has given him¬ 
self to his work in such wholehearted fashion lar¬ 
gely accounts for the rapid advancement that 
Morehouse College has made within the last ten 
years. 

In the summer of 1918, President Hope was giv¬ 
en a leave of absence by the American Baptist 
Home Mission Society and was appointed by the 
Young Men’s Christian Association as a Special 
Secretary for the oversight of the Negro soldiers 
of America in France. In this capacity he has ren¬ 
dered such distinguished service for the improve¬ 
ment of the morale of the army that he has been 
requested to continue in this work until the sum¬ 
mer of 1919. He has complied with this request, 
and is still at his work that covers over fifty cities. 

The following estimate of the administration of 
President Hope has been taken from the “History 
of Morehouse College,” written by the Dean. 
“One of the outstanding features of the adminis-- 
tration of President Hope has been the excellent 
understanding between the head of the college and 
the student body. In the era of “Atlanta Baptist 
College” the aggressive spirit that caused the in¬ 
stitution to be widely known first received real 
impetus. In more recent years it has developed 
into a devotion with which the youngest student 
becomes acquainted as soon as he is enrolled. 
Whatever question may arise, the students know 
that presiding over the college is one looking out 
for their best interests, in vacation as well as term 
time, and one with whom there may be the frank¬ 
est conference. The response comes in a loyalty 
that has never failed when anything involving the 
highest welfare of the college was at stake.” 

President Hope lived the life he endeavored to 
impress upon the young men coming under his 
influence and stands out before them as an example 
worthy of their imitation. 

To impress oneself upon the rising generation 
in such a way as to incite them to a high ideal of 
life is worthy the effort of any man. This pleas¬ 
ure and satisfaction is President Hope’s. 


125 












GRAVES HALL, MOREHOUSE COLLEGE, ATLANTA, GA. 


HE Morehouse College in the city 
of Atlanta, Georgia, is operated 
by the American Baptist Home 
Mission Society, of New York, 
for the education of Negro young 
men, with special reference to the 
ministers and teachers. 

HISTORY 

The College was organized in the year 1867, in 
the city of Augusta, Georgia, under the name of 
“The Augusta Institute.” In 1879, under the pres¬ 
idency of Rev. Joseph T. Robert, LL. D. (1871- 
1884), it was removed to Atlanta and incorporated 
under the name “Atlanta Baptist Seminary.” At 
this stage of its growth the institution owned only 
one building, that a comparatively small three- 
story structure, located near what is now the Ter¬ 
minal Station. President Robert was succeeded 
by President Samuel Graves, D. D., in 1885. Dr. 
Graves served as president until 1890, continuing 
as Professor of Theology for four years longer. 
In 1889, as the surroundings of the old location in 
Atlanta had become unfavorable, a new site was 
secured, and in the spring of 1890 the school 
was removed to its present location. In the au¬ 
tumn of this year President George Sale, (1890- 
1906- entered upon his duties. In 1897 amend¬ 
ments to the charter were secured, granting full 
college powers and changing the name of the in¬ 
stitution to “Atlanta Baptist College.” In 1906 
President Sale resigned to become Superintendent 
of Education of the American Baptist Home Mis¬ 


sion Society, and was succeeded by President 
John Hope, who had been a professor on the 
faculty since 1898. By a vote in 1912 of the Board 
of Trustees, concurred in by the American Bap¬ 
tist Home Mission Society, and by a change in 
1913, of the charter granted by the State of Geor¬ 
gia, the name of the institution became “More¬ 
house College,” in honor of Rev. Henry L. More¬ 
house, D. D., Corresponding Secretary of the Am¬ 
erican Baptist Home Mission Society and the con¬ 
stant friend and benefactor of the Negro race. 

CAMPUS 

The campus is thirteen acres in extent. It oc¬ 
cupies one of the highest points of land in the city, 
1,100 feet above sea-level, and commands a fine 
view of the city and surrounding country. For 
beauty and healthfulness, the situation could not 
he surpassed. The property is on West Fair 
Street, at the junction of Chestnut Street, with¬ 
in half an hour’s walk from the post-office and 
railroad stations. 

The following is taken from the Department of 
Interior bureau of education Bulletin, 1916, No. 
39: 

“It is a young men’s school of secondary and col¬ 
lege grade with classes in theology and an ele¬ 
mentary department. It is the leading Baptist 
school of Georgia, and holds high rank among the 
schools of the South. 

The institution is owned by the American Bap¬ 
tist Home Mission Society. A self-perpetuating 
board of trustees acts in an advisory capacity. 



preparation of 


126 



















MOREHOUSE REPRESENTATIVES AT CAMP DODGE, DES MOINES, IOWA. 


It has an attendance of 277, of which number 150 
are boarders; the teaching force consists of 14 
males and five females, two of which are white and 
the remainder colored. The teachers are devoted 
to the welfare of thir pupils and command the con¬ 
fidence of the student body. Besides the element¬ 
ary and secondary grades ,there is a short course 
in music, Bible and manual training. This prepara¬ 
tory course is required of all students. There are 
no elective courses. All pupils entering the col¬ 
lege are required to complete the foreign lan¬ 
guages of the secondary course. 

The simple theological courses offered serve a 
useful end, in training ministerial students. 

Graves Hall, erected in 1889, at a cost of twenty 
eight thousand dollars, and named in honor of 
President Graves is the chief college dormitory. 
Quarles Hall, erected in 1898, at a cost of Fourteen 
thousand dollars, and named in honor of Reverend 
Frank Quarles, for many years pastor of Friend¬ 
ship Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia, and presi¬ 
dent of the Georgia State Baptist Convention, con¬ 
tains the class rooms in which the work of the 
English Preparatory Department is done with a 
floor for science work in Chemistry and Physics. 
Sale Hall, erected at a cost of forty thousand dol¬ 
lars, in 1910, and named in honor of President Sale, 
has recitation rooms and a chapel with seating ca¬ 
pacity of seven hundred. Robert Hall, erected in 
1917, at a total cost of thirty thousand dollars, has 
a basement that is used as a dining room and three 
floors devoted to dormitory purposes. 


This is emphatically a Christian school. The 
faculty keeps constantly in mind the fact that 
it was founded by a missionary organization, and 
is sustained by the contributions of Christian peo¬ 
ple for the Christian education of young men. The 
Bible has a place in the regular course of study. 
Generally, Morehouse College encourages all acti¬ 
vities—religious, literary, athletic—which make 
for the development of Christian Ideals and for 
the culture of a sound mind, in a sound body. 

The College has taken a prominent part in the 
war. Already recently from the student body two 
hundred men have been furnished for active ser¬ 
vice. As many as fourteen were commissioned at 
the Officers’ Training Camp, at Camp Dodge, Iowa. 
Twenty-four volunteered for service in the Signal 
Corps at Camp Sherman, Ohio. In the fall of 
known to be either preaching or teaching, while 
Government for the formation of a unit of the 
Student xArmy Training Corps, and a broad plan 
was launched whereby the total resources of the 
institution were made available for war uses. 

In the summer of 1918 President Hope, was 
summoned to France for special Y. M. C. A. work 
among Negro soldiers. 

The large idea of the alumni of the college is that 
of service. No less than three fifths of the living 
graduates of Morehouse College are definitely 
known to be either preaching or teaching, while 
at least another fifth are engaged in the work of 
the medical profession, the Y .M. C. A. or other 
lines of definite service. 


127 







ALEXANDER D. HAMILTON. 


R. Alexander D. Hamilton of At¬ 
lanta, Georgia, is the father of a 
large family, the owner of a sub¬ 
stantial business, and of consid¬ 
erable property and has invest¬ 
ments in many Negro enterprises 
in and around Atlanta. 

Mr. Hamilton was born in Eufaula, Alabama, in 
the year 1870. When but six years of age, his fa¬ 
ther moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he was im¬ 
mediately enrolled as a pupil in the public school, 
thus beginning his preparation for life at an early 
age. His parents were not only concerned about 
his mental developement, but had regard for his 
spiritual training and saw that he was placed under 
the uplifting influence of the church. These two 
agencies, the church and the school, developed him 
rapidly. He completed his course in the public 
school when only thirteen years old and was re¬ 
ceived into the membership of the church at the 
age of eleven. 

After passing through the public schools Mr. 
Hamilton entered the Atlanta University, where he 
remained until he had completed the preparatory 
course. 

Atlanta University has long been noted for its 


thorough course in manual training. It was at 
Atlanta University in this course that Mr. Ham¬ 
ilton learned the further use of the carpenters’ 
tools, for which he cultivated so great a liking. 

This disposition to the carpenter trade was 
instilled in him from childhood. His father pur¬ 
sued this trade and had become a contractor of 
some note. The youthful Hamilton, quick to learn 
and of an observant tendency, soon learned the 
use of the tools, which greatly aided him in his 
studies in the industrial department of the Atlanta 
University. Now ready for his life work he en¬ 
tered the employment of his father and applied 
himself energetically to his task. Fidelity to the 
intere4j«df his fathers’ business brought its reward 
and after five years of service he was admitted to 
the membership of the firm. From that date until 
the death of his father the name of the firm was 
A. Hamilton and Son. His father died in 1911, 
since which time the son has continued the business 
alone. His conduct of the business keeps it up to 
the high standard for which the firm is noted. 

As a young man, Mr. Hamilton worked hard to 
gain a footing. The fact that he was in the em¬ 
ploy of his father seemed to spur him on rather 
than to make him take his ease. Struggling hard 
to make his place as a carpenter, he wished also to 
establish a certain financial competence. To this 
end he saved as regularly and as systematically as 
he worked. Thirty years of working and saving 
have brought encouraging returns. He owns a 
$7,000 home, has pieces of rent property valued at 
$5,500, carries $17,000 Life insurance, the payment 
of whose policies requires a pretty large income, 
and has some $3,000 invested in various Negro en¬ 
terprises. 

He appraised money, however, not as a means 
of luxury, and show, but as a means of usefulness, 
an avenue to larger service. This too, has come 
to him. He is a member of the board of directors 
of the Standard Life Insurance Company, of Atlan¬ 
ta, and secretary and treasurer of Georgia Real 
Estate and Loan Company. He is a member of the 
First Congregational Church, of St. James Mason¬ 
ic Lodge, and of the Century Odd Fellows. He 
has been able to travel and to make friends in the 
East, in the West and in the South. 

With his savings and investments and with his 
other responsibilities, Mr. Hamilton has been rear¬ 
ing a big family. He was married in 1892, to Miss 
Nellie M. Cooke, of Atlanta. Seven children grace 
the Hamilton home. The oldest, Alexander D. Jr., 
is 23 years of age, is associated with his father in 
the business of contracting and building. The sec¬ 
ond oldest child, Miss Eunice Evlyn, is a teacher in 
the Atlanta Public Schools. T. Bertram, Henry 
Cooke, Marion Murphy, Nellie Marie, and Joseph 
Thomas, who is only seven are all students in the 
school. 



128 









THE HALE INFIRMARY, MONTGOMERY, ALA. 



HIS Institution was born in the 
mind of one of Montgomery’s 
most respected colored citizens, 
the late James Hale, who for 
many years was one of the city’s 
leading contractors. He was 
known for the high character of his work and his 
reliability as a man. As he drew near the sun-set 
of life his mind centered upon his people and upon 
his two children who had passed into the great 
beyond. 

The Hale Infirmary is the outcome of his med¬ 
itations and is an expression of his deep interest 
in the welfare of his people and at the same time 
a memorial to his children. It was incorporated 
as the James Hale Infirmary Society, Montgom¬ 
ery, Alabama, in 1889. 

The original plant cost about seven thousand, 
($7,000). It consisted of a two story frame struc¬ 
ture with capacity to care for sixty patients. 

It is modern in its equipment, having sanitary 
plumbing throughout and with bath rooms for both 
male and females. It is supplied with hot and 
cold water, and has modern operating room with 
the necessary modern equipments. In addition to 
the main building there is a laundry, and small 
buildings for isolating patients who could not be 
admitted to the main building. The maintenance 


of the Institution is dependant upon a nominal 
charge for services and revenue derived from the 
nurses. It has no endowment. The nurses are 
trained in a three year course and during their 
training are frequently called upon to render ser¬ 
vice outside of the infirmary and the revenue de¬ 
rived from their services is a valuable asset to the 
Institution. The experience gained by the nurses 
in the operating room becomes invaluable to them 
in their course of training. The head nurse of the 
Infirmary is the superintendent of the training 
school and she has the assistance of two graduate 
nurses who teach them the theory of nursing with 
practical illustrations. Lectures are also given be¬ 
fore the class by the large corps of physicians who 
daily visit the infirmary and contribute to its up¬ 
build. Dr. David Henry Scott is the head of the 
Institution and is keenly alive to its interests and 
never tires in his efforts in its behalf. 

The control and government of the infirmary is 
vested in a Board of Trustees, composed of nine 
members. 

The Board of Trustees is as follows: 

Bishop J. W. Alstork, Chairman; J. M. C. Logan, 
Geo. W. Doak, H. A. Loveless, Belton Murphree, 
Dr. D. H. C. Scott, V. H. Tulane, Jas. H. Fagain, 
and Jas. Alexander. 


129 



























BISHOP LUCIUS H. HOLSEY. 



t! 


ISHOP L. H. Holsey was born 
near Columbus, Georgia, in 1845, 
and therefore saw more slavery 
than most men now living. He 
was even traded in, having had 
three masters before the Emanci¬ 


pation Proclamation set him free. 


Educational facilities for the colored race at the 
date of his birth were very meager in the place 
where he was born, so he had but little opporun- 
ity to learn but he was a man to make the most 
of his opportunities and ride them to a successful 
career. 

When but seven years of age he was deprived 
of a mother’s loving and tender care, which added 
to the struggle of his early days. 

Bishop Holsey is a man of strong initia¬ 
tive ability and when emancipation gave him 
the opportunity to exercise his gift he immediately 
brought it into active play. 

Coming in a period when men of initiative were 
in crying need he helped meet the demands of the 
day and the wonderful manner in which he filled 
his place is shown in the many honors and distinc¬ 
tions carried by him in his old age. 

He is the oldest ordained Bishop of his church. 


and one of the oldest men to be in active service 
of any kind. He is the first Negro to petition for 
a C. M. E. Church, and first to establish a church 
after the civil war. He was delegate to the first 
general conference of his church and first delegate 
to the Ecumenical church Conference and the first 
delegate to the conference of the Methodist Epis¬ 
copal Church South. 

His initiative first manifesting itself in church 
work has by no means been confined to that branch 
of activities, but has been almost eclipsed by his 
labors for education. He is an ardent avocate of 
education and was quick to realize that next to re¬ 
ligion education would be the great uplifting pow¬ 
er to help elevate his people. 

He founded the Paine College, in Augusta, 
Georgia, took steps for the founding of Lane Col¬ 
lege, in Jackson, Tenn.; founded Holsey Industrial 
Institute at Cordell, Georgia; Helen B. Cobb In¬ 
stitute for girls at Barnesville, Georgia. He still 
is a trustee and patron of all of these institutions. 
He was agent of the Paine College for 25 years. 

With these honors from his labors and many oth¬ 
er good judgment, he served as the Secretary for 
the College of Bishops for quarter of a century, 
and was for many years, General Corresponding 
Secretary for the connection. He has compiled 
for his church, a Hymnal and a Manual for disci¬ 
pline. He once edited a church paper, the “Gospel 
Trumpet,” and held the post as church Commis¬ 
sioner of education. Surely if one were bedecked 
for uplift deeds of this sort Bishop Holsey would 
be literally covered. 

All through his youth and early manhood, Bishop 
Holsey felt the call for a larger service. Picking 
up knowledge when and where he could he secured 
his first church as pastor in 1868, on the Hancock 
Circuit in Georgia. Five years later at the close 
of a two years pastorate in Savannah, he was or¬ 
dained Bishop of his church. This makes him push 
close to a half century of service as Bishop of his 
church. 

Bishop Holsey was married at Sunshine, near 
Sparta, Georgia., in 1862, to Miss Harriet Turner. 
Nine children have been born to the Holsey family; 
of these, three are deceased—among those deceas¬ 
ed was Miss Ruth M. Holsey, whose talent as a 
musician was already becoming widely known. 
She had won distinction in this country and had 
studied two years in Paris. Of the children living; 
James Henry is a graduate of Howard University 
and a Dentist in Atlanta, Georgia.; Miss Katie M., 
a graduate of Paine College, lives with her father ; 
Miss Ella B. and Claud Lucia are living in Boston. 
The former is a matron, the latter married and re¬ 
sides there. Sumner L., who is a printer, also 
lives in Boston. Rev. C. Wesley is a Presiding El¬ 
der and Missionary in and around Atlanta. 










MISS CLARA A. HOWARD. 

1SS Clara A. Howard was born 
in Greenville, Merriwether Coun¬ 
ty, Georgia. It has been in 
Georgia that she has spent the 
greatest number of years in ser¬ 
vice. She was one of the first 
students to enter Spelman Seminary, when it was 
founded in 1881. Miss Howard says of this fact 
that she feels almost as though she was one of the 
founders. From Spelman she was graduated in 
1887. After her graduation, Miss Howard taught 
in the public schools of Atlanta. But she did not 
feel that this was her place for life work. Always 
before her were the needs of the people of Africa ; 
and so May 3, 1890, she sailed for Africa. For five 
years Miss Howard remained in Africa. She was 
stationed at Lukungu, Congo, South West Africa. 
Here she tried in her very effective manner to 
reach the people and to teach them how to live, as 
well as how to be Christians. At the same time, 
Miss Howard had to fight the African fever. Af¬ 
ter five years of work she had to come back to 
America to rest. Her health was very slow in 
returning, and after a time she had to give up all 
hope of ever returning to Africa. 

In 1899, Miss Howard became a member of the 


faculty of Spelman Seminary. At first she served as 
assistant matron in the Student Boarding Depart¬ 
ment, but in 1909 she became the only matron in 
that department. Of her work here, Miss Howard 
says, “As Matron in the Student Boarding Depart¬ 
ment, I come to know every boarding student each 
>eai, and I assure you the field for usefulness is 
about as wide as the one in Africa.” Any one 
hearing a group of Spelman girls discussing their 
teachers either before or after graduation will soon 
hear them come to Miss Howard. By her quiet, 
kindly treatment, she has won all of them and, in 
winning them as friends, she has helped each one 
to a higher plane of thinking and living. 

Of the work that Miss Howard is doing in Spel¬ 
man, Miss Tapley, the president of the Institution 
says, “She is invaluable to us. She fills a large place 
and fills it as well as any person we ever had or can 
ever expect to have. Very few women could carry 
her work so well as she does. No matter what 
our difficulties, we can count on Miss Howard be¬ 
ing brave, co-operative and helpful.” 

Besides the oversight in a general way of all the 
girls and in particular in the Dining room, Miss 
Howard has had direct charge of a number of small 
children, who have entered Spelman. Among these 
was one little African girl, Flora Zeto, whom she 
brought with her from Africa. To Flora, Miss 
Howard was everything that a mother could be. 
No one talking with Flora after a few years under 
the direct influence of this good woman, would 
have imagined her origin. Her voice and manner 
took on the culture of her friend. Miss Howard 
has played the part of mother to a number of other 
small girls. During all the years she has been 
working in this Institution she has been able to 
keep up the habit of treating girls as individuals. 
She never thinks of them in mass. All over the 
South there are girls and women who remember 
the times when Miss Howard stood for them as a 
guardian angel. As a part of her work in the 
school, Miss Howard has monthly meeting with 
the girls in which various subjects of a very per¬ 
sonal nature are discussed. Miss Howard handles 
these as only a few persons know how to handle 
delicate subjects. From her the girls will take any 
suggestions for their betterment. Surely her’s 
has been a life of usefulness. Her five years in 
Africa, in Lukungu, alone, represents great good 
done, but back in her native country, her native 
state and her Alma Mata, she has done a work that 
few are permitted to accomplish in a lifetime. 

The influence of her useful and consecrated life 
will make itself felt throughout the land, as the 
girls go forth from this institution, and will re¬ 
main to bless her people long after she has gone 
to her reward. 



131 













David Tobias Howard 


R. David Howard of Atlanta, Geor¬ 
gia, is one of the pioneers among 
Negro undertakers. Born in 
Crawford County, Ga., in 1849, he 
saw much of slavery, of the Civil 
War and of the reconstruction pe- 
15 years when the Civil War came, 
he was placed in charge of a train load of colored 
people, who were being shipped from Atlanta to 
Barnesville. Like most of the ex-slaves he found 
himself poor, uneducated, deserted when freedom 
was declared. 

His first steady job was that of a porter in a rail¬ 
road office. Here in 1869, he began work for $5.00 
per month, boarding and lodging himself out of this 
sum. Here he worked for fourteen years. Dur¬ 
ing this period, his salary, rather his wages, had 
risen from $5.00 to $45.00 per month. By this time 
he had managed to save a pretty snug sum of 
money and had made up his mind to venture into 
business for himself. 

He was led to his business venture through ob¬ 
serving the business of a firm to whom he had 
loaned money from time to time. It was an un¬ 
dertaking firm and he observed that they could 
afford to pay interest on money borrowed and 
make a good profit out of it. 

He had no knowledge of the business further 
than his visit to the establishment in collecting his 
interest, but he had the good sense to see the pos¬ 
sibilities in it, so when he decided to enter a busi¬ 
ness career for himself he had also decided the 
character of business he would pursue. In those 
days very few of the colored race, whether teach¬ 
ers, preachers or even physicians had specialized 
very highly in their chosen occupations. 

Mr. Howard saw an opening for the business 
and an inviting field and he trusted to his own 
energy and business ability to win success. 

Like many a man who started out with bright 
hopes he soon learned that the path to success is 
not a rosy path but rather a rugged way. 

He invested his earnings in the Undertaking 
business after he had married and had begun to 
raise a family, hoping and expecting large profits, 
but the profits fell below his expectation and he 
realized that the business must be of slow and 
gradual growth. * 

This made it necessary for him to supplement 
the business with some other line of work in or¬ 
der to support his family while his business grew. 
He drove a hack which was really in line with the 
undertaking business so that he could give atten¬ 
tion to both without neglecting either. 


Mr. Howard is not easily discouraged and is a 
man of great determination so the difficulties in 
his way did not deter him but rather acted as a 
spur to awaken his energy. He went forward and 
in the course of time won his fight and established 
the large undertaking establishment over which 
he now presides. 

He not only established a large business, but 
also a reputation as a business man who commands 
the respect of the citizens of Atlanta, Georgia, and 
of the entire state. 

Mr. Howard has not confined his business ope¬ 
rations to the city. As his undertaking business 
developed and he made a surplus money for in¬ 
vestment he turned his attention to the country 
and invested in farm lands and the raising of cat¬ 
tle. He has several farms outside of Atlanta 
where he cultivated gardens, planted orchards and 
raised cattle. His country places serve to rest his 
mind from the exactions of his undertaking busi¬ 
ness and the stress of city life. The country air 
and diversions of the farm no doubt account for 
his own fine health and that of his family and con¬ 
tributes to the optimistic spirit which character¬ 
izes him. 

Incidentally this ex-slave who started working 
for $5.00 a month nearly half a century ago is now 
worth $175,000. Most of this he has invested in 
real estate and farms, the way he thinks most col¬ 
ored people should invest their money, especially in 
farm lands. Though he has amassed so large a sum 
Mr. Howard is by no means a stingy man. Indeed, 
he is quite the opposite, having an open purse for 
any uplift work of his city. A recent instance of 
this kind is his being the first among the few to 
subscribe $1000 for the Negro Y. M. C. A. building 
of Atlanta. 

Much of his income, too, he has spent in educat¬ 
ing his children. Mr. Howard was married in 1870 
to Miss Ella Buanner of Summerville, Georgia. 
Nine children have been born into the Howard fam¬ 
ily. These Mr. Howard has given the best educa¬ 
tion available. Some have been graduated from 
Atlanta University, some from the Oberlin Conse- 
vatory of Music, some have attended Morehouse 
and other colleges. The children are Frank David, 
Willie Gladstone, Paul, Thomas Edward, Misses 
Eleanor B., Lottie Lee, Julia and Henry Gladstone. 
His son, Henry Gladstone is associated with his 
father in business. 

Mr. Howard is a member of the A. M. E. Church. 
He is also a member of fraternal organizations, be¬ 
longing to the St. John’s Masonic Lodge, to the 
Good Samaritan, to the Knights of Pythias, and to 
the Knights of Tabor. 



riod. A lad of 


132 








GEORGE RUBIN HUTTO. 

LL who read the history of the 
steady advance that has been made 
by the colored Knights- of Py¬ 
thias, of Georgia will know that 
back of the organization is a 
strong man. A man who is fear¬ 
less in his endeavor to do the right 
things for his people, a man who 
has the courage of his convictions, a man who is 
a born leader of men is the only sort of man who 
could get in behind an order and see it develop so 
steadily. The Colored Knights of Pythias of Geor¬ 
gia are fortunate indeed to have at its head such 
a man in the person of George R. Hutto. 

Mr. Hutto was born n Barnelwell, South Caro¬ 
lina in 1870. His training in the school room be¬ 
gan at an early age and so at the age of twenty we 
find him graduating from Claflin University, 
Orangeburg, South Carolina. He was a member 
of the class of 1890. The following year he was 
married to Miss Addie E. Dillard. Miss Dillard 
was a graduate of Benedict College which is loca¬ 
ted at Columbia, South Carolina. To the Hutto s, 
two children were born. One, Marcus Hutto, is 
a senior in the Meharry Medical school. The oth¬ 
er is a daughter, Miss Callie Hutto. 

In church affiliation, Mr. Hutto is a Baptist. 
This is another point on which Mr. Hutto, early 
made his decision. In fact Mr. Hutto is a man 
of prompt action. He was early at school, early 
out of school, early married and early settled down 

133 


to the development of his life along the line he had 
chosen. In the year 1895 Mr. Hutto was elected 
Principal of the Public School, at Bainbridge, Geor¬ 
gia. 1 he same year he joined the Masonic order. 
1 bus at an early age we find Mr. Hutto starting 
out in fraternal orders. In 1897 there was organi¬ 
zed in Bainbridge, Georgia, a court of the Order 
of the Knights of Pythias, known as the Lucullus 
Lodge, No 45. Mr. Hutto joined the order at the 
organization of this new lodge. From the first, 
his great interest and ability as a leader, won for 
Mr. Hutto distinction in the ranks of Pythians. In 
1900 in the City of Valdosta, he was elected Grand 
Lecturer of the Knights of Pythias of Georgia. For 
four consecutive times he was re-elected to this 
position. In 1905 he was elected Vice-Chancellor 
of the organization for his State. At that time ser¬ 
ving as Chancellor was Mr. C. D. Creswell. At the 
death of the Chancellor in 1910, Mr. Hutto filled out 
the unexpired term and at the next session, which 
was held in the city of Macon, he was elected to 
the position of Grand Chancellor. To this position 
he has been re-elected each year since. The figur¬ 
es of the order show the marvelous growth of 
the organization, Mr. Hutto’s influence in the de¬ 
velopment of the body did not begin with his elec¬ 
tion to the position of Grand Chancellor. It be¬ 
gan rather with his admission as a member when 
the court was formed in Bainbridge. Through all 
the following years his influence for the develop¬ 
ment of the Knights of the State of Georgia was 
secured. As a lecturer he served and served well. 
In this position he had ample opportunity to bring 
before the people the merits of the order and the 
benefits to be derived therefrom. His next step 
upward in this body was that position of Vice- 
Chancellor. Here he learned all the workings and 
rulings of the order and when the death of Mr. 
Creswell put upon Mr. Hutto the work of head 
man for the State of Georgia, he was ready. The 
order has developed steadily under his leadership. 
Of the State of Georgia has been said, “This is our 
Banner State.” For the truth of this statement 
much of the credit is due Mr. Hutto. 

The first Court organized in this State was the 
Opal Court, No. 41, by Sir J. C. Ross, at Savannah, 
1889, with Sir J. C. Ross, W. C. 

The Grand Court was organized at Atlanta, Ga., 
July, 1892, by Rev Israel Derricks, Supreme Wor¬ 
thy Counsellor, with the following Grand Officers: 
Mrs. W. L. Catledge (Hill,) G. W. C.; Mrs. R. L. 
Barnes, G. W. Ix.; Sir C. A. Catledge, G. R.. of 
Deeds; Sir F. M. Cohen, G. R., of Deps.; with Sir 
j. C. Ross and Dr. T. James Davis, P. G. W. C., 
Mrs. Catledge (Hill,) served one year, 1902-3, as 
G. W. C. Mrs. R. L. Barnes was elected 1893, and 
has served continuously until 1917. 

In 1900 there were 21 Courts, 450 members, with 
$92.75 Endowment on hand. 

1910, 218 Courts, 8,000 members, 94 deaths, $11,- 
318.60 collected for Endowment, $10,140.00 paid on 
claims, $20,353.73 balance on hand, 36 Juvenile 
Courts, 1150 members. 

1915, 350 Courts, 12,500 members, 268 deaths, 
$26,408.10 Endowment collected, $24,380.00 paid on 
claims, $29,450.80 balance on hand. Grand Court 
fund balance on hand, $2,250. Georgia is the 
Banner Grand Court of the order. 












REVEREND EDWIN POSEY JOHNSON, A. B. 



HE subject of this sketch was 
born Feb. 22, 1849, in Columbus, 
Georgia. His father, William 
Warren Johnson, was brought to 
Georgia from Maryland, where he 
received considerable education 
and was taught the Stage-build¬ 
ing trade. His mother, Caroline 
Posey came from Virginia to Georgia, with her 
owners, in whose family her people had been rear¬ 
ed for generations. Her master, Major Nelson, be¬ 
lieved that colored people, as well as white should 
be taught to read so as to study the Bible for them¬ 
selves. Hence his mother was a constant reader 
of the Bible and other good books. 

Freedom came to him when at the age of sixteen. 
The first opportunity for learning to read and 
write was in a little dirt-floor school house in an 
alley. Here with many others he tackled a Blue 
Back Spelling Book. The next year he hired him¬ 
self to work on a farm and walked a mile and a 
half to a night school, taught by Mrs. Lucy E. Case 
and others. When Mrs. Case became matron at 
Atlanta University, she persuaded him to attend 
school there. In the fall of 1873, having saved up 
$150, he matriculated at Atlanta University. By 
working as an engineer at school and teaching 
during the summers, he was enabled to remain in 
school. In 1874 he was converted under the min¬ 
istry of Rev. Geo. W. Walker, one of the instruc¬ 


tors.. With an unfailing courage he continued his 
studies until he graduated in 1879, with the degree 
of A. B. On July of that year he was ordained as 
a minister of the Gospel by his pastor, Rev. Frank 
Quarles, and others in Friendship Baptist Church, 
Atlanta, Georgia. He served his denomination one 
year as a missionary, then taught six years in Haw- 
kinsville, during which time he built the two-story 
school house at the cost of $1,600.00. From his 
arduous labors at Hawkinsville, he has had the 
pleasure of seeing many of his pupils occupying 
places of usefulness. Leaving Hawkinsville, he 
served as principal of the Mitchell Street School, 
Atlanta, Georgia, for two terms. 

On December 26, 1882, he was married by Rev. 
Henry Way, to Miss E. S. Key. In 1888 he was 
called to the pastorate of Calvary Baptist Church, 
Madison, Georgia. During the elev&n years of his 
stay there, he made many improvements on the 
church property and added to the church more than 
five hundred precious souls. While at Madison, 
he was elected by the board of Education as the 
first principal of the city school for colored people, 
which he organized and directed till a suitable man 
could be found. 

In 1899 he was elected as general manager of the 
New Era Institute Work, under the joint auspices 
of the Home Mission Society of New York, The 
Southern Baptist Convention and the General Mis¬ 
sionary and Educational Convention of Georgia. 
This position, for three years took him to all parts 
of the state. 

For several years he was instructor at Phelps 
Hall Bible Training School, vTuskegee Institute, 
Alabama. Here he filled the position with satis¬ 
faction to all concerned. 

In 1901 Rev. Johnson was called to pastor the 
Reed Street Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia. 
Here he has been, laboring for sixteen years, or¬ 
ganizing, building, giving to the church the ripe 
fruits of all his experiences in the school room and 
country and town churches. As a result, the 
church is now organized into practical and useful 
committees and auxiliaries. Also a new stone 
church edifice, situated on the corner of Frasier 
and Crumley Streets, which when finished will cost 
$25,000, is now almost completed and more than 
400 members have been added. When the new 
building was begun, the pastor reduced his own 
salary $15 per month, thereby setting an example 
of economy. He sets a further example by living 
in his own home, keeping his credit up to such a 
high standard that he and the church of which he 
is pastor can secure money and commodities on 
his name. 

Rev. Johnson is treasurer of the Atlanta Baptist 
Minister’s Union; Secretary of the Board of Trus¬ 
tees of Spelman Seminary; Secretary of the Refor¬ 
matory Board ; Treasurer of the General Mission¬ 
ary Educational Board; Treasurer of the State B. 
Y. P. U. Convention ; Chairman of the Reid Orphan 
Home, at Covington, Georgia; Member of the Exe¬ 
cutive Board of the Madison Association; Geor¬ 
gia’s Foreign representative of the National Bap¬ 
tist Convention and Instructor in the Divinitv De¬ 
partment of Morehouse College. 


134 













7 fi 


ROBERT EDWARD PHARROW. 

E Jft LTHOUGH there are a great num- 
M ber of Negro carpenters and 
K builders there are comparatively 
few who might be termed con 

buildings, dormitories, school houses, temples for 
the fraternities, hotels and office buildings. 1 his 
is due in a large measure to the fact that such 
contracts call for a large outlay of money and very 
few Negroes have the capital to back up such con¬ 
tracts nor the influence and ability to secure it. 

Another reason why so few Negroes undertake 
the erection of large buildings is that it requites 
a special training and equipment for such work. It 
involves confidence, bookkeeping, managing big 
squads of men, time-keeping, dealing in lai ge 
freight orders, running engines and so mar shading 
it all that the structure will be reliable and satis¬ 
factory and the profits ample. 

Mr. Pharrow is among the few Negro contrac¬ 
tors who have risen to prominence in the con¬ 
tracting business. He did not rise to this distinc¬ 
tion at a bound, but reached it after years of pa¬ 
tient toil and strict application to his work. 

He began his career as a brick mason, when a 


lad of only sixteen years of age, working under 
the old system of apprenticeship. He was quick 
to learn and made the best of the opportunity 
offered him while serving his apprenticeship and 
in seventeen years’ time had not only learned the 
trade of Masonry, but all that one could learn of 
the intricacies of the business without being in it. 

At the age of thirty-three he began the con¬ 
tracting business upon his own account. 

Mr. Pharrow exhibited the virtue of patience 
during his long apprenticeship and was so well 
fitted for his work when he started business on his 
own account that he rose rapidly in the confidence 
of the public and received a goodly share of its 
patronage. 

His reputation as a builder was not confined to 
his home town of Macon, Georgia, but he entered 
and won, in competing for contracts throughout 
the States of Georgia and Alabama. He erected 
the new Recitation Hall at Morehouse College, At¬ 
lanta, and has built structures in most of the large 
cities of Alabama and Georgia. 

Mr. Pharrow figures close and does good work 
and consequently has made money out of his con¬ 
tracts. 

Besides the capital invested in a well establish¬ 
ed business he owns a good home and twelve addi¬ 
tional houses which brings him in a monthly rental 
of pleasing amount. 

Mr. Pharrow has sought health and pleasure in 
travel, his travels having carried him over the 
greater part of United States, Canada and Cuba. 

Mr. Pharrow was born in Washington, Georgia, 
in 1868. As he went to work at his trade when 
very young the amount of his schooling was real¬ 
ly very small. But he has always made haste slowly 
and has thereby atoned for much that he might 
possibly have gained from further schooling. 

He has, further, kept himself intellectually and 
socially fit by membership in the church and in 
many of the leading organizations of his State. 
Mr. Pharrow is a member of the A. M. E. Church 
—of the Masons, of the Odd Fellows, of the Elks, 
of the Knights of Pythias. He is Past Grand 
Master of the Patriarchs, Past Chancellor of the 
Pythians and Senior Warden of the Masons, An¬ 
cient Free and Accepted Masons. 

Mr. Pharrow bases much of his success upon the 
sympathy, advice and cooperation of his helpmates 
at home. He has been twice married. He was 
married to Miss Martha L. Harris, of Atlanta, in 
1892. She it was who stood by him so faithfully 
in his first ventures as a contractor. Mrs. Phar¬ 
row died in 1911. The present Mrs. Pharrow was 
Miss R. V. Gariy, of Savannah, Georgia. Mr. 
Pharrow has one child, Miss Estelle, who is a 
graduate of Atlanta University, and who teaches 
in the Atlanta public schools. 


135 







HENRY HUGH PROCTOR, A. B., D. D. 

NE of the best known Congrega¬ 
tional ministers of the Colored 
Race is Dr. Henry Hugh Proctor 
born in Fayetteville, Tennessee, 
December 8, 1868, and it was a 
very fortunate date, because he 
was among the first to enjoy the 
fruits of freedom. 

As a boy he attended the public school of his 
town. This school was not among the best, judg¬ 
ed even by the standard of that time, but the 
young man applied himself most diligently and ac¬ 
quired at least the habit of organized studying 
aside from some real knowledge. He worked hard 
here and when he had gotten all that he could from 
his town school, he entered Fisk University. Here, 
where the standard was high and the method of 
instruction good, the young student developed 
very rapidly, distinguishing himself both by con¬ 
duct and scholarship. Before finishing his college 
course one ideal so took possession of him as to 
dominate his being—service through the Christian 
Ministry. Thus when he graduated from the Col¬ 
lege Department of Fisk, he went to New Eng¬ 
land, the cradle of American culture, and entered 
Yale Divinity School in New Haven, Connecticut. 
Here he lived and worked, studying hard while he 
laid the foundation for his great life work. His 
scholarship rewarded his efforts and when he com¬ 
pleted the prescribed course, his was truly a com¬ 



mencement—a commencement of work in a field 
toward which he had so eagerly looked. 

His first regular charge was Pastor of the First 
Congregational Church at Atlanta, Georgia. Of 
this church Dr. Proctor is still the beloved pas¬ 
tor. To the year of his taking charge of the work, 
1894, Dr. Proctor looks back as the beginning of 
his vital career. One would be justified in saying 
that the church was really established by Rev. 
Proctor. 

Here in Atlanta, for twenty-four years Dr. 
Proctor has labored, developing his church and of 
necessity growing himself. With wonderful fore¬ 
sight as to the needs of our people—not necessar¬ 
ily the needs of the people of his congregation, but 
the needs of the Colored people of Atlanta—Dr. 
Proctor developed his church, adding to it one line 
of work after another until today it is one of our 
foremost institutional churches. 

Aside from the regular church with its Services, 
Bible School, Y. P. S. C. E. and Prayer Meetings, 
there are the Employment Bureau, Free Public 
Library, consisting of 3000 volumes and the only 
Public Library accessible to Negroes in Atlanta; a 
gymnasium open afternoons and evenings; the 
Avery Congregational Home for Working Girls; 
the Conally Water Fountain, whereby through a 
unique device ice water is furnished the passerby 
in summer; the Prison Mission, whose object is to 
help those held in prison through religious ser¬ 
vices, literature distribution, and visits giving pas¬ 
toral comfort: a Trouble Department whose ob¬ 
ject is to render any service possible to those in 
trouble; an Auditorium with a seating capacity of 
1000, provided with grand pipe organ, heated by 
steam, lighted by electricity and opened for any 
beneficial gathering for the community; and the 
Georgia Music Association, which gives the city 
an opportunity to hear the best musical talent of 
the race. The Annual Musical Festival held by the 
colored people in the Auditorium Armory is due 
largely to the Musical Association. 

For all this Dr. Proctor is directly responsible. 
He has been able to obtain aid for his work from 
both the white and the colored people of Atlanta 
because they could see the benefit of the organiza¬ 
tion. 

Though the Institution and his church demand a 
large share of his time, Dr. Proctor has still found 
time to serve in other ways. He is President of 
the Carrie Steel Orphanage in Atlanta; Assistant 
Moderator of the National Council of the Congre¬ 
gational Church; Vice-President of the American 
Missionary Association of New York; and Secre¬ 
tary of the Congregational Workers among Col¬ 
ored People. 

One year before he came to Atlanta, Rev. Proc¬ 
tor married Miss Adeline Davis of Nashville, Ten¬ 
nessee. Their home has been blessed by the com¬ 
ing of six children, Henry Hugh, Jr., a graduate 
of Fisk University, and at present serving as a 
First Lieutenant in France ; Richard Davis, deceas¬ 
ed; Muriel Morgan and Lillian Steele, students at 
Atlanta University; Roy and Vashti, public school 
children. 

Dr. Proctor is beloved by all. He is acknowl¬ 
edged a Reformer and an Educator. He is doing 
much good in bringing about a better understand¬ 
ing between the races. 


136 




Thomas Heath Slater, A. B., M. D. 


N the South there are at least two 
cities in which there is a splendid 
galaxy of educated, prosperous, 
refined Negroes. These are Nash¬ 
ville, Tennessee, and Atlanta, 
Georgia, which could claim super¬ 
iority is a grave question. Both have a Negro Col¬ 
lege or University on nearly every hill in the city. 
Both are full of business men, professional men and 
tradesmen. Competition among the colored men in 
nearly all pursuits is close. Therefore, he who 
gains his place and holds it, does so largely by dint 
of excellence. 

In Atlanta one could count on all the fingers of 
his hands physicians with conspicious careers, 
with reputations and practices well established. 
Very prominent among these is Dr. Thomas H. 
Slater. Dr. Slater is a North Carolinian by birth, 
having been born in Salisbury, December 25, 1865. 
He attended the schools of Salisbury, his birth¬ 
place, and then went to college at Lincoln LTniver- 
sity, Pennslyvania, where he received his Bachel¬ 
or’s Degree in 1887, and was graduated with first 
honors. He then entered Meharry Medical College 
in Nashville, Tennessee, completing his course early 
in 1890, here he also won first honors. 

In March of the same year, Dr. Slater went to 
Atlanta, Georgia and began the practice of his pro¬ 
fession. Here in the same city in nearly the same 
spot, he has continued for this quarter of a century. 
Dr. Slater, (with Dr. H. R. Butler) was the real 
pioneer of the Negro Medical profession in Atlanta. 

Up to this period the Negroes were attended al¬ 
most exclusively by the white physicians, in whom 
they had the utmost confidence, and it was not an 
easy matter to turn them to the colored physicians 
who were then beginning to establish themselves 
in the South. 

It was Dr. Slaters mission to win the confidence 
of his people and turn them to the physicians of 
their own race, and it was largely due to the fact 
that Dr. Slater’s unusual ability and qualifications 
as a diagnostician and practitioneer were recognized 
by Dr. J. S. Todd, at that time Atlanta’s leading 
practitioner of internal medicine, enabled him to so 
rapidly gain this confidence. Dr. Slater has always 
been grateful to Dr. J. S. lodd for his recommend¬ 
ations and kind assistance in those early days. 

In the midst of sharp competition, the constant 
injection of new blood and the rapid advancement 
of the profession, he has held his place both in At¬ 
lanta and in the state of Georgia as one of the 
leading and best equipped physicians. 

This has not been done through idleness or a sat¬ 
isfied state of mind. He has studied continually, 

137 


both in theory and in practice. His eye is ever alert 
for the latest and best in medicine and in the equip¬ 
ment of service. His office equipment is among 
the best and most modern in the city. It has every 
modern convenience and appliance, including an 
equipment for Chemical and Blood tests. There is 
possibly no physician who realized more forcibly 
the importance of hard, continuous study in keep- 
ng up with the latest and most successful methods 
of diagnosis and treatment of all internal diseases. 
He has viewed with keen interest the rapid yet pos¬ 
itive changes in the therapy of his profession. 
From the ‘excessive use of drugs in the general 
treatment of diseases he has watched and followed 
the successful advancement of the practice to spe¬ 
cific treatment through the use of specific agents, 
vaccines, bacterins, phylacogens and organic ex¬ 
tracts. His work as a physician early won for him 
distinction, both among the men of his profession 
and in other bodies. He is President of the Atlanta 
Meharry Alumni Association and has served among 
the doctors of the state as President and as Sec¬ 
retary of the Georgia State Medical Association of 
Negro Physicians, Dentists and Pharmacists. 

Dr. Slater was reared and educated a Presbyter¬ 
ian, and has always found time to faithfully dis¬ 
charge has religious duties toward his church. He 
has learned that the opportunities for service 
comes to the Christian physician in a larger meas¬ 
ure than from any other line of endeavor outside 
of the Christian ministry. He believes that a strong 
moral and religious character is the best asset that 
any physician can have, and at this period of racial 
development and progress he deems it absolutely 
essential. 

Dr. Slater is interested in the various orders of 
the Colored race, and takes an active part in them. 
He is a member of the Masonic Fraternity, the Odd 
Fellows and is a Knight of Pythias. He is a Mas¬ 
ter of the Local Lodge of Masons. 

Dr. Slater has been twice married. His- first 
wife, Mrs. Marie A. Taylor, of Austin, Texas, and 
a graduate of Wilberforce University, he married 
in June, 1903, but lost her by death in February, 
1905. In July, 1907 he married Mrs. Celestine 
Bass Phillips, of Michigan, a graduate of Bay City 
High School. He had only one child, a son, Thomas 
Heathe, Jr., who was born February 21st, 1905, and 
died November 5th, 1906. 

Dr. Slater’s home on Piedmont Avenue is among 
the colored residences that Atlantans point to for 
proofs of their prosperity and good taste. His 
home life is a source of pride, pleasure and comfort, 
and he attributes his success to domestic peace and 
happiness. 










PANORAMIC VIEW OF SPELMAN SEMINARY. 


PELMAN Seminary, of Atlanta, 
Georgia, the largest school in the 
world for Negro girls, carries in 
the story of its growth many a 
thrilling romance—the romance 
of faith, of prayer, of struggle, of 
successful rendering of service. For fifteen years 
Father Quarles, ex-slave and pastor of the Friend¬ 
ship Baptist Church, laid the Spelman foundation 
in prayer, beseeching that God would send some 
means of elevatiing the Negro women of Georgia. 
In the fifteenth year while he tarried in supplica¬ 
tion, the answer came. Two ladies, Miss Sophie 
Packard and Miss Harriet E. Giles, of Massachu¬ 
setts, were the evangels. They came to seek out 
Fa at her Quarles and actually knocked on his study 
door while the good man still lingered in prayer. 

■ With the coming of the two ladies began the ro¬ 
mance of struggle. Here were the workers, the 
pupils were legion ; but there was no school room. 
Combining faith and work as best he could, Father 
Quarles surrendered to the workers the basement 
of his church. This was the setting for the strug¬ 
gle. To begin with the school was sneered at by 
white and black, being stigmatized as the “Out 
Hill.” The basement was cold and damp, admit¬ 
ting water when it would rain. There were no 
desks, no seats. The flooring was rotting away. 
A rickety, smoking flue, held up by wire ; darkness, 
approaching gloom! the increase of enrollment 
causing them even to hold a class in the coal bin ; 
no salary, no definite assurance of support—all this 
confronted two women far from home, on soil still 
hostile ; women who had taught in buildings com¬ 
fortably heated and properly ventilated, who had 
drawn their salary regularly and lived amidst hap¬ 
py relatives and cordial friends. However, prayer 


again entered the struggle. The school had for¬ 
mally opened its doors, April 11, 1881. It had elev¬ 
en pupils, some old and some young; some were 
single, some married. Among the older students 
was a grown woman, who day by day looked up 
the hill which was then occupied by the Barracks, 
and prayed that one day Spelman, (then Atlanta 
Baptist Female Seminary,) might occupy this spot. 
Each day they gathered, prayed, toiled in the base¬ 
ment. The enrollment increased from eleven to 
eighty in three months and to one hundred seventy 
five by the end of the year. The next year, 1882, saw 
the prayers answered. The American Baptist 
Home Missionary Society bought a part of the 
Barracks, nine acres, which had on the grounds, 
five frame buildings. Here Spelman has remained 
expanding in territory, in number of buildings and 
in useful service to the people. 

Grappling every day with want of buildings, of 
equipment, of food, clothes and comforts for their 
students, the founders nevertheless began early to 
shape the courses of study to suit the need of the 
people among whom their students had to labor. 
To this end they started the Spelman Nurse Train¬ 
ing Course in 1886, the Missionary Department in 

1891, the Teachers’ Professional Department in 

1892, the College Department in 1897. In doing 
this Spelman was not only serving its graduates 
and those among whom they would work, but was 
serving as pioneer to a host of Negro schools in 
the South, which only in recent years have adop¬ 
ted similar courses in their curriculums. Later, 
Spelman further expanded its courses. To Nurse 
Training, Teaching, Missionary Courses, have 
been added courses in music, in Domestic Science, 
in Laundering, Sewing, Dressmaking, Millinery, 
Basketry, Gardening, Printing. There are, too, 
courses in High School and College Departments, 
which comprehend the study of Latin and German, 
Higher Mathematics and the Sciences, looking to 
careers of thought and scholarship. 



138 











PANORAMIC VIEW OF SPELMAN SEMINARY. 


The school is under the direct control of a strong 
board of trustees and affiliated with the American 
Baptist Home Mission Society. It has had 
three presidents, its two founders, Miss Sophia 
Packard and Miss Harriet E. Giles, Miss Giles suc¬ 
ceeding Miss Packard in 1891. The present en¬ 
cumbent is Miss Lucy Hale Tapley, who came all 
the way from the ranks of the teachers and who 
has grown with the school. Spelman has a faculty 
of fifty teachers. Each teacher receives her com¬ 
mission direct from the Women’s Baptist Home 
Mission Board. It registers an average attend¬ 
ance of 750 students a year. In all the departments 
the school is thoroughly and intensely religious. 
Whatever courses a student may pursue, prayer 
and Bible study, required and volunteer, and the 
doctrine of service play a major part in shaping 
the lives of those who come within her walls. 

The usefulness of an institution is judged by the 
amount of good work done by the graduates and 
former students turned out. Judged from this 
point of view, Spelman ranks among the highest 
institutions in the country. Teaching has been and 
continues to be the leading occupation of Spelman 
graduates. They are found to be in nearly every 
State of the South—in city graded schools, in in¬ 
dustrial schools and in ungraded schools in rural 
districts, and a number have served on the faculty 
of their Alma Mater, Morehouse College, Selma 
University, and Similar schools. One tribute to 
the ability of these Spelman girls as teachers came 
from a former State School Commissioner of Geor¬ 
gia. He said that if he had fifty teachers from 
Spelman’s Normal department, he would revolu¬ 
tionize teaching in Georgia. 

A large and important class of the graduates are 
bright examples of Christian wives and mother s. 
’Of these many are helpful wives of ministers; oth¬ 
ers are assisting their husbands in their work as 
teachers; all are exerting a helpful influence on 
the lives of the next generation. I hen theie ai e 
graduates in a number of other callings there is 
an editor, bookkeepers, stenographers, several 
doctors. There are workers in Orphan Homes, 

139 


kindergartens, charity work, Y. W. C. A. work, 
home and foreign mission work. All of these young 
women go out as representatives of the school that 
has done so much for them and they are proud to 
hold up her banner. 

Spelman graduates do not confine their teaching 
to books. They undertake to teach their pupils 
both old and young, how to live. One encouraging 
thing about the work of these young women is the 
fact that, as a rule, women and girls, living in com¬ 
munities where Spelman students have labored, 
have a higher ideal of life, which manifests itself 
in the care and the training of the children. 

The grounds of Spelman are an expression of 
well-organized orderly life within. Th campus it¬ 
self has a good effect on the pupils who attend the 
school. Going out from Spelman, each girl is op¬ 
posed to dirt and trash. Each girl feels that she 
must make her surroundings attractive. Then 
there is about Spelman an air of having time to 
think, to feel, to commune with one’s self and with 
ones God. The value of this time cannot be over¬ 
estimated. 

Another feature of the life of the students at 
Spelman Seminary is the manner in which they 
are cared for while students there. The system 
is unique. The boarders are divided into groups of 
about fifty, and placed in the care—not of a ma¬ 
tron, not in the care of a preceptress, but in the 
care of a “Hall Mother.” Each girl is at home with 
the “Hall Mother,” and a “Hall Mother” feels 
just as responsible for the girls in her care as 
though they were really her own. Here in the pri¬ 
vacy of their own halls the girls of any given 
group, have their prayers, their study hours, their 
little concerts and Christmas entertainments, etc.; 
and then go out and enjoy the more public ones 
which take in the whole school. In this manner, 
the atmosphere of home is thrown around the girls 
and they have the feeling of being really loved 
and protected. 

Spelman Seminary is one of the best, if not the 
best, organized institution among our people. Its 
training is thorough. 








GEORGE WASHINGTON HILL, PRESIDENT 
WALKER BAPTIST INSTITUTE. 

HE Walker Baptist Institute is lo¬ 
cated in Augusta, Georgia, where 
it was moved eleven years after 
it was founded, from Waynes¬ 
boro, Ga. It was founded in the 
year 1881 by Father Nathan Wal¬ 
ker. Since its removal it has grown in popularity 
and efficiency until it has become known as one 
of the most substantial secondary schools in the 
State of Georgia. 

It is owned and partly supported by a board of 
seventy-eight trustees selected by the Walker Bap¬ 
tist Association. 

While the property of the Institute belongs to 
the Walker Baptist Association it has been foster¬ 
ed by the Negro Baptists of the entire state of 
Georgia, and in a considerable measure of late 
years, by the General Education Board of New 
York. 

In recent years the general public has also con¬ 
tributed to its support. In addition to this it has 
had many srong Baptists as sponsors. 

The founder, Nathan Walker, was followed by 
T. J. Hornsby who in turn was succeeded by the 
Reverand C. T. Walker. 


Under the care of C. T. Walker, popularly known 
as the “Black Spurgeon”, Walker Baptist Institute 
has gained its widest publicity, expanded most, and 
done its best service. 

The Walker Baptist Institute is a secondary 
school with large elementary enrollment. It has 
three departments: Grammar School, a College 
Course, and a Department of Theology. 

The Grammar School covers a course of eight 
years. This department is under the direction of 
Professor G. W. Hill, who is the principle and who 
is assisted by Dr. James M. Mabritt, Dr. L. C. Wal¬ 
ker, Mrs. Rubena Newson, Mrs. U. L. Golden, 
Misses Labara Kech, Naomi Wright, and Mrs.An¬ 
nie E. Wheelston. 

This organization under the management of 
Professor Hill, has done much for the young Bap¬ 
tist pupils for whom it was especially organized. 

While it is a denominational school no student is 
kept from receiving its instruction because of his 
religious beliefs. 

After passing through this department the 
scholars are prepared for their college course and 
for the study of Theology. 

The aim of the school is to prepare its students 
for entrance into life where they must further ad¬ 
vance through the school of experience. 

The foundation laid for them here will enable 
them to gain from the school of experience addi¬ 
tional knowledge and strength to ensure a noble 
and useful life. 

The courses in the college and theological de¬ 
partments cover Latin, Greek, Mathematics, The¬ 
ology, Psychology, English, Pedagogy, Domestic 
Science, and where there are young lady students, 
music and studies relating to the Bible as well as 
the Bible itself. 

The Institution is now nearly forty years old. It 
has grown slowly but steadily, both in size and 
efficiency. It has rendered a large service to the 
students coming under its influence and to the de¬ 
nomination which brought it into existence. 

Its property valuation is thirty-five thousand 
dollars and includes three large buildings, one of 
which is a four story brick building containing 
thirty-two rooms, used for a girl’s dormitory, 
chapel and dining room. 

The Institution has never been satisfied with its 
attainment, though pleasing, but is continuously 
striving to advance. Its president has caught a 
vision of a great and influential school and he is 
bending his energies to translate his vision into an 
accomplished fact. The Institution has a bright 
outlook for an enlarged and more efficient service. 

In this effort he is ably assisted by the Baptists 
of the Walker Baptist Association, and especially 
by the Reverend C. T. Walker and the members of 
his congregation. 



140 




















CHARLES T. WALKER, D. D„ LL. D. 



R. Charles T. Walker is among the 
leading colored men of the world 
today. Few are better known. 
By common consent, he is the 
ablest Negro preacher in the 
world without regard to denomi¬ 
nation. He is pastor of the Ta¬ 
bernacle Baptist Institutional 
Church of Augusta, Georgia, where he has been 
laboring for nearly thirty-five years continuously, 
excepting two or three years when he was pastor 
of the Mount Olivet Baptist Church, in New York 

His church in Augusta is frequented on each Sun¬ 
day morning during the winter or tourist season by 
scores and scores of the wealthiest and most in¬ 
fluential American people, both men and women. 
John D. Rockfellow was for years among his re¬ 
gular attendants. The same is true of for met 
President, William Howard Taft, who declares that 
Dr. Walker is the most eloquent man he ever 
heard. The late Booker T. Washington said: 1 
do not know of any man, white or black, who is a 
more fascinating speaker either in private conver¬ 
sation or on the public platform. 

Dr. Walker was born in the little town of Hep- 
zibah, Georgia, a few miles South of Augusta in 
the county of Richmond, on February 5, 1858. His 
father was a deacon of the Baptist church and was 
also the coachman of the family that owned him. 
Dr. Walker comes of a race of preachers. One of his 


141 


uncles was pastor of the little church which was 
organized in 1848, and of which Dr. Walker’s father 
was a deacon. The freedom of this uncle—Rev. 
Joseph T. Walker, was purchased by the slaves in 
order that he might devote his entire time to 
preaching the gospel. It is after this same uncle 
that the Walker Baptist Association is named. 

1 his association founded and maintains the Wal¬ 
ker Baptist Institute at Augusta. 

The Johnson’s the Hornsby’s the Youngs, the 
Whitehead’s and, of course, the Walker’s are all 
related to the family of the older Walker’s. 
These men are the foremost ministers, and have 
been for many years the leading ministers and 
pastors in Eastern Georgia. Quite recently the 
Walker Baptist Association, of which Dr. Walker 
has been the moderator for the past eighteen years, 
raised fop educational purposes, $22,000 in cash— 
the largest amount ever raised by any Baptist As¬ 
sociation or State or national convenion in the his¬ 
tory of the United States. 

Dr. Walker’s work has not been confined to the 
pastorate. He has been interested in the publlca- 
t'jn of two weekly newspapers—the “Augusta 
Sentinel,” of which he was business manager for 
several years, and the “Georgia Baptist,” founded 
at Augusta, by Dr. W. J. White, and at whose 
death Dr. C. T. Walker became editor-in-chief of 
the paper in which position he served for many 
successful years. His accounts of travel in the 
Holy Land, originally published in the Sentinel, 
were afterwards published in book form and receiv¬ 
ed a very wide circulation. He was founder and 
for many years president of the Negro Fair Asso¬ 
ciation, at Augusta. He founded the colored 
men’s branch Y. M. C. A., on 53rd Street, in 
New York City, and also founded the colored Y. M. 
C. A., at Augusta. 

As an evangelist, Dr. Walker has no superior 
among the colored preachers and pastors of this 
country. He has been holding meetings in all 
parts of this country from Maine to California, 
for the past thirty years, and always with success. 
No colored preacher in this country draws larger 
crowds anywhere . 

He has also taken a prominent and active part 
in the business and political developement of his 
race. He is a director in the Penny Bank, Augus¬ 
ta’s only colored savings bank; he is director in 
the Pilgrim Health and Life Insurance Company, 
the biggest corporation of any kind in the city of 
Augusta, owned and operated by colored people; 
he is a member of the Augusta Realty Corpora¬ 
tion—a band of seven men owning and controlling 
some of the best city property; and he has long 
been a member of the Republican State Central 
Committee and he has twice been elected by the 
people of his district to represent them in Repub¬ 
lican National Conventions. 

In all this work, and in all his many activities, 
Dr. Walker has not been an agitator. He has done 
more than any other colored citizen of his home 
town to bring about pleasant relations between the 
two races, and Booker T. Washington says that he 
did more than any man he knew to bring about 
peace and good will between the two sections of 
our country and the white and colored races. 

It is a benediction to have lived in the same age 
and in the same country with Dr. C. T. Walker, 






JAMES RUFUS WEBB. 

OR some years the city of Macon, 
Georgia, has been making bids to 
have the state headquarters re¬ 
moved from Atlanta to her soil. 
Macon’s arguments have not al¬ 
ways been convincing, but some¬ 
how they have more than worried the thinkers and 
writers of Atlanta. If wide awake progress of the 
Negro means anything Macon certainly cannot be 
dismissed with a wave of the hand. Atlanta has 
her Odd Fellows building, but Macon has her Pyth¬ 
ian Temple, not so pretentious, but very useful nev¬ 
ertheless. Her Negroes have not the complicated 
interests, due to the multiplicity of big schools and 
strong religious denominations, that Atlanta has. 
Her black people move more in unison. 

Conspicuous among the big Negro business men 
who would aid in weighing down the scales for 
Macon, is James Rufus Webb, grocer, real estate 
dealer, farmer, barber shop proprietor, holder of 
big shares in and promoter of undertaking and 
broom manufacturing establishments. Indeed they 
look upon him in Macon, as a sort of Cotton Ave¬ 
nue King. 

Mr. Webb was born in 1863, in Crawford county, 
Ga. He got his education in Bibb County, in the 


city schools and in Ballard High School. Much of 
his way he earned, the other his father paid. Fin¬ 
ishing his school career, Mr. Webb was none too 
certain just what he was to do to earn a livelihood 
and to make his place in the world. However he 
thought he saw an opening. 

The Negro business man was making his way, 
but feebly, with a rare exception, in Macon in those 
days. There was no Douglass Hotel on Broad 
Street, no Pythian building, little Negro real estate. 
However, in 1889 Mr. Webb courageously set forth 
as a grocer on Cotton Avenue. Prosperity came 
quicker and more abundantly than he had dared 
hope. His business flourished without a failure for 
thirteen years, when he thought he would change. 

Selling out the grocery business he took up that 
of dealing in Realty. He had some money and had 
learned some of the tricks of business and of invest¬ 
ments. Situated in his office in the Pythian build¬ 
ing where he could think and plan, he not only made 
profitable investments for himself but became a 
thinker, a planner, and a promoter for Negro bus¬ 
iness in general. He saw that there was a big op¬ 
portunity as well as a chance to render improved 
service in the business of undertaking. Hence two 
undertaking establishments were soon under way, 
backed by his name, influence and capital. The 
Central City Undertaking Company of Macon is his 
own business and he carries a controlling interest 
in the Webb and Hartley Undertaking establish¬ 
ment. 

Just as he saw the chance for the Negro under¬ 
taker to render bigger and better service, so he 
saw it in several other callings. He thought there 
was much room for the improved barber shop in his 
town, and he started the Union Barber shop. He 
thought there was a chance for the Negro to suc¬ 
ceed as a broom maker and he established the O. R. 
Broom factory. 

Planning and working incessantly, working not 
only to succeed himself, but also to give the colored 
people employment, it is no wonder that Mr. Webb 
has prospered. He does not hoard money, rather he 
keeps money moving, investing it, making it in¬ 
crease itself. He owns thirty houses, three stores, 
and a 165 acre farm in addition to his other busi¬ 
ness interests. The farm which has its houses, 
barns and the like, he takes pride in looking after 
himself. 

Thus engrossed in business Mr. Webb has devot¬ 
ed but little time to organizations of any other kind. 
He and his wife, Mrs. Clara B. Webb, are members 
of the A. M. E. Church. He is a Mason, a St. Lukes 
Knight of Pythias. He has been treasurer of the 
Macon Lodge of Masons and past Chancellor of the 
Knights of Pythias. 

All his business career, running over a quarter 
of a century, Mr. Webb has spent on Cotton Ave¬ 
nue. Here are the scenes of most of his invest¬ 
ments. Here are all the business establishments 
of the King of Cotton Avenue. Thus it is that 
through Webb, through Douglass and others, that 
if Macon were bidding for the capital on the basis 
of Negro business, she could not be dismissed with 
a mere gesture. 



142 















MADAM MARTHA BROADUS ANDERSON B. M. 


HICHEVER city of America may 
claim to be the Negro money cen¬ 
ter, social and intellectual center 
and the like, it is certain that Chi¬ 
cago alone carries the palm as the 
center of Negro music. There are 
but a few of our best musicians 
before the public today, whatev¬ 
er be their specialty, but have come by the way of 
Chicago. Their talent may have been discovered 
elsewhere, but the finish and the corn age to 
mount stages of the country and sometimes of the 
entire globe, come from Chicago. Such among the 
many are the Williams’, Singers, Kemper Harreld, 
Morehouse and Madame Martha Broadus An¬ 
derson. Mrs. Anderson is among those whose talent 
was discovered and in goodly measure developed 
elsewhere. Born in Richmond, Virginia, she gamed 
her early literary education in the public schools 
of Washington, D. C. It was in the public schools 
of the District of Columbia that she first discover¬ 
ed her talent on the one hand, and learned t le e e 
mentary technique on the other, under the tutelage 
of the late Professor John T. Layton. She soon be¬ 
came the leading singer in all public school sing- 

At the age of fifteen she was chosen official cho¬ 
rus director of the Second Baptist Lyceum, a ly- 
ceum which at that time was regarded as one ot 
the best literary societies in the country. 

On finishing her studies in the public schools of 

143 


Washington, Mrs. Anderson took the civil service 
examination and was appointed to a position in the 
Government Printing service, where she worked 
for many years. In the meantime, however, she 
did not wholly neglect her talent. She studied and 
practiced regularly, and appeared in public when¬ 
ever time and opportunity permitted. 

In 1898 Mrs. Anderson was married to Mr. Henry 
S. Anderson and took up residence in Chicago. 
Here she made her home, launched out into musi¬ 
cal studies and into the musical life of Chicago. To 
quote George L. Williams of the Williams Jubilee 
Singers—“Madam Anderson is in the first division 
of the men and women of the race who are doing: 
things musical. For ten years she has been active 
in the musical life of Chicago, having built up and 
directed a great choir at Quinn Chapel, A. M. E. 
Church, which, during the time of her direction, 
was acknowledged to be the best organization of 
its kind in the great city of Chicago. She is now a 
director of an excellent choir at Bethesda Baptist 
Church and maintains a beautiful and well appoint¬ 
ed studio at 3518-22 South State Street, Chicago, 
to which a large number of students go to study 
vocal and instrumental music.” 

She was graduated from the Chicago Musical 
College in 1908, with the degree of Bachelor of 
Music. This is one of the oldest colleges of music 
in the West, and Mrs. Anderson is one of the few 
colored people to have studied there and the only 
Negro to obtain a degree there. Her voice 
is described as lyric soprano, very flexible, 
'capable of wonderful range. She numbers 
among teachers, in addition to those at the Chi¬ 
cago Musical College, Herbert Miller,Pedro T. Tin¬ 
sley, both well known in the musical world, Her¬ 
bert Miller says of her: 

“She has had a protracted course of study with 
me, covering a period of years and understands the 
principles which underly and govern the art of 
singing. I also know her to be an accomplished 
musician, her studies of composition, history, sight¬ 
reading and piano giving her education a breadth 
unusual among vocalists.” 

Mrs. Anderson spends her time teaching pri¬ 
vate pupils, directing chorusus and appearing in 
recitals. She appears before the public not only 
in lighter solo singing but in prolonged and heroic 
roles. For example, some of the best work on the 
stage, that by which audiences best remember her 
are the “Rose Maidens,” “Esther the Beautiful 
Queen,” and “The Messiah.” In these she is a great 
favorite before the general public and before audi¬ 
ences of college students. She has sung, among 
many institutions, at Howard and at Fisk. At Fisk, 
where music is in the foundation stones of the Uni¬ 
versity and throbs in everybody’s pulse, she won 
words like this from the Nashville Globe: 

“The entirely new feature on the program was 
the appearance of the soprano soloist, Mrs. Martha 
Broadus—Anderson, of Chicago, Illinois. To say 
that she won a place in the hearts of her audience 
is to state it mildly. Her stage manners were sim¬ 
ply perfect, and her perfection lay in her simplicity. 
To be received as she was by such a gathering as 
greeted her was an enviable compliment. She was 
to sing four solos, but the audience compelled her 
to sing seven, and clamored for more, but the 
length of the program forbade her singing longer.” 









GEORGE WASHINGTON ELLIS 













George Washington Ellis, K. C., F. R. G. S., LL. D. 



ton, 


Missouri, 


HOSE who marvel at the versatil¬ 
ity of Mr. George W. Ellis, of 
Chicago, will be even more amaz¬ 
ed to know of the wide range of 
his education. Mr. Ellis was 
born in 1’latte County, at Wes- 
May 4th, 1876. His parents were 


also Missourians, his father being of Lexington, 
Missouri. His mother was Miss Amanda Drace 
of Clinton, County, Missouri. Mr. Ellis began 
his education in his native city, of Weston, where 
he attended public schools. From Weston he en¬ 
tered Atchison High School, Atchison, Kansas. 
Graduating from here, he spent the next two 
years in the Law Department of the University of 
Kansas. Then he began the practice of law to as¬ 
sist in paying his way for four years in the College 
of Arts in the University of Kansas. Next he 
spent two years in the Gunton’s Institute of Econ¬ 
omics and Sociology, in New York. From New 
York he enrolled in the Department of Philosophy, 
and Psychology, in Howard University, Washing¬ 
ton, D. C. He has a diploma from Gunton’s Insti¬ 
tute (of Economics and Sociology), a diploma from 
Gray’s School of Stenography and Typewriting, 
and the degree of LL. B., from the University of 
Kansas. In 1918 Wilberforce conferred upon him 
the degree of LL. D., in appreciation of his exten¬ 
sive work. 

Set over against this long list of achievements 
in education are his many successes in life. Mr. 
Ellis began the practice of law in Lawrence, Kan¬ 
sas, in 1893. In 1899 he passed the Census Board 
of Examiners, and was appointed a clerk in the In¬ 
terior Department at Washington. Transferred 
in 1902, he was appointed by President Roosevelt 
and confirmed by the Senate as Secretary of the 
Legation to the Republic of Liberia. 1 he next eight 
years, Mr. Ellis spent in Africa. He made no end of 
excursions into the hinterland, studying the lives 
and manners of the African people. Retiring in 1910 
Mr. Ellis began the practice of law in Chicago, un¬ 
der the firm name of Ellis and Ward, d his name 
was changed in 1912 to Ellis and Westbrooks, as 
it now stands. In addition to a large general prac¬ 


tice, Mr. Ellis was elected in 1917 as assistant Cor¬ 
poration Counsel, a position which he still holds. 

Throughout his career, Mr. Ellis has been a 
strong and active Republican. He has been much 
in demand as a campaign speaker and advisoi. He 
is very active in all political movements in C hicago, 
taking a conspicious part in their direction and 
giving voice to their outcome in various magazines 
and newspapers. Active and useful as he is 


in National and city politics, Mr. Ellis will 
no doubt be the longest remembered, as he is pro¬ 
bably best known by his writings. A mere list of 
his writings will illustrate how very prolific he has 
been with his pen and what service he has been 
able to render all black peoples through the press. 
His three books are “Negro Culture in West Af¬ 
rica,” “The Leopard’s Claw,” and “Negro Achieve¬ 
ments in Social Progress.” Among his contribu¬ 
tions to various publications are “Education in 
Liberia,” (National Bureau of Education;) “Justice 
in the West African Jungle,” (New York Indepen¬ 
dent;) “Liberia in the Political Psycology of West 
Africa,” (African Journal;) “The Mission of Dun¬ 
bar,” (The Champion;) “Negro Morality in West 
Africa,” (The Light;) “Negro Morality in the Af¬ 
rican Black Belt,” (The Light;) “The Outlook of 
the Negro in Literature,” (The Champion;) “The 
Chicago Negro in Law and Politics,” (The Cham¬ 
pion;) “Dynamic Factors in the Liberian Situa¬ 
tion;” “Islam as a Factor in West African Culture;” 

To enter into the merits of these publications is 
far beyond the limits of space alloted here. Suffice 
it to say that most of the leading daily papers of 
the country along with many of the best magazines 
have given most wholesome praise to both his 
books and articles. Fully as substantial, if not 
more so, is the endorsement given him by many 
of the leading intellectual societies of the world. 
In recognition of his contributions in ethnoligical 
studies, Mr. Ellis upon the recommendation of Sir 
Harry Johnston, and Dr. J. Scott Iveltie, has been 
elected Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society 
of Great Britian. Upon the merits of the same 
writings he has been made a member of the Af¬ 
rican Society, London, of the American Sociologi¬ 
cal Society, of the American Political Association, 
of the American Society of International Law. He 
has been decorated a Knight Commander of the 
Order of African Redemption, and has been chosen 
an honorary member of the Luther Burbank So¬ 
ciety. 

Mr.Ellis was married to Miss Clavender Sher¬ 
man, in 1906. Mrs. Ellis died in 1916. 

He is as has been indicated a strong Re¬ 
publican, a Methodist in his religious belief, 
and was last delegate to -the General Con¬ 
ference, 1912-1916. He was given a place in Who s 
Who in America, in 1912. and in The Book of Chi¬ 
cagoans, in 1917. He has just been selected for a 
place in the National Encyclopedia, of American 
Biography, volume XVIII, now in the press. 

July 1, 1918, at the Coliseum, in a convention of 
15P00 people, Mr. Ellis was nominated for judge of 
the Municipal Court, of Chicago, for the Repub¬ 
lican primaries, September 11, 1918, 


145 










RICHARD EDWARD MOORE. 

EBRUARY 7, 1850, Richard Ed¬ 
ward Moore was born in Browns¬ 
ville, Pennsylvania. He moved 
with his parents to Chicago in 
1858 

In 1871 when he was thirty-one 
years old ,he joined Bethel A. M. 
E. Church, where he has labored 
for the past forty-six years, filling almost every 
position a layman can fill in a church. 

He is Superintendent of the Sunday School 
which is now a splendid working force. Having 
all the advanced ideas of Sunday School work, 
tatight. At the present time the membership is 
740 pupils. 

In 1868, at the age of eighteen, Mr. Moore organ¬ 
ized a military company of boys, ranging from 
fourteen to twenty years. They were called the 
“Hannibal Zouaves,” fashioned in dress after the 
famous French Zouaves, of France. The com¬ 
pany adopted the lightning quick Zouave tactcis 
and soon became the pride of Chicago, and when¬ 
ever they appeared in public parades, they were 
given rousing applause by the citizens, white and 
colored, who saw them. 

And a few years later this company entered the 
State Militia of Illinois and was enrolled in com¬ 
pany “A,” 16th Battalion, Illinois State Guards 
under Governor Tanner. Mr. Moore received the 
first Captain’s commission ever issued to a colored 
man in the State of Illinois. It was the military 
spirit of Captain Moore and good service rendered 
by the “Hannibal Guards,” in the railroad riots and 
the 16th Battalion in the services of the State, that 
paved the way for the admission into the State of 
the now famous 8th. regiment, Illinois Infantry, 
now doing service in the regular army of the Un¬ 
ited States, This company is now in France, 
known as the 370 Regt., U. S. Infantry, and which 


is the only regiment of Colored men in military 
service in the world that is commanded by Negro 
officers from corporal to colonel. 

When a boy sixteen years of age, Mr. Moore’s 
mother had Richard to join, with his mother, the 
Good Samaritans. With the coming years he 
became a member of the Odd Fellows, Masons, 
Knights of Pythias, True Reformers, and several 
Social and Business organizations. Finding it im¬ 
possible to render his full duty to all of these fra¬ 
ternal organizations, he confined his efforts to the 
Masonic Order. From October 1878, to October, 
1913, he served as R. W. Grand Secretary of the 
Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of the State of Ill¬ 
inois, for 35 years. During the same time for 5 years 
he filled with credit to himself and the Masonic 
Order, the offices of Secretary of the Grand 
Chapter of the Royal Arch Masons, Grand Recor¬ 
der of the Grand Commandery Knights Templar, 
and later on, the Supreme Council Scottish Rite 
Masons 33, of the Northwestern jurisdiction; and 
Imperial Recorder of the Imperial Council of No¬ 
bles of the Mystic Shrine of the LTnited States. 

In 1890 he organized the Grand Chapter of the 
Eastern Star, and served as Grand Patron for four 
years. In 1892, he began a three year’s term in the 
office of Grand Joshua Heroines of Jericho. In 
1913, he organized the Arabic Court, Daughters of 
Isis, auxiliary to the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. 
In 1916 he organized the Chicago Assembly Loyal 
Ladies of the Golden Circle, auxiliary to the Su¬ 
preme Council Scottish Rite Masons. At the 
present time he is serving in the office of Lieut¬ 
enant Commander of the Supreme Council Scottish 
Rite, of the Northern jurisdiction and Chief Rab- 
ban of the Imperial Council A. E. A. O. Nobles of 
the Mystic Shrine of the United States and Can¬ 
ada. 

On April 1, 1871, Mr. Moore was employed as 
porter in the office of the American Express Com¬ 
pany. He gradually worked his way up to pri¬ 
vate messenger to Mr. Charles Fargo, Vice-Presi¬ 
dent and General Manager of the Company. He 
remained in this position until the death of Mr. 
Fargo, in 1902. He was then transferred as filing 
clerk to the new Foreign Department of the com¬ 
pany, and had charge of more than fifty thousand 
files which covered the transactions of that very 
important branch of the company’s business from 
the date of its introduction, 1900 to April 30, 1913. 

The world’s war caused a general reduc¬ 
tion in the employee’s rank of all express compan¬ 
ies and the company generously placed Mr. Moore 
on the Pension Roll, after having served for forty- 
six years and six months without ever losing a 
day’s pay or causing a demerit to be placed against 
his record. 

At the present time Mr. Moore is actively engag¬ 
ed in Y. M. C. A., Church, Sunday School, and So¬ 
cial uplift work . 

On December 5, 1874, Mr. Moore was united in 
marriage to Miss Rosa E. Hawkins, who was a 
charming young Chicago belle, of that period. They 
lived happily together until the time of her death, 
April 15, 1912. Mr. Moore is now pleasantly loca¬ 
ted with his daughters, Mrs. Alberta Moore-Smith, 
and Mrs. Etta M. Shoecraft, and their husbands, 
and his son, Richard Moore, Jr., all forming one 
happy household group. 



146 












High Degree Masonry in Illinois 



of Chicago. 


HE three high branches of the 
Masonic Order of the State of 
Illinois, are the M. E. Grand 
Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, 
the Occidental Consistory, A. A. 
Scottish Rite Masons, Valley of 
Chicago, and Arabic Temple No. 
44, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, 


The Grand Chapter of the Royal Arch Masons 
was organized in the city of Chicago, October 9, 
1879, with four chapters, Saint Mark’s, Chicago; 
Saint John’s, Springfield; Eureka, Chicago, and 
Mount Moriah, Cairo. These chapters were chart¬ 
ed by the most excellent Grand Chapter Royal 
Arch Masons, of the State of Pennsylvania, which 
was organized about twenty-two years, prior to 
the organization of the Grand Chapter of Illinois, 
by Royal Masons, who were regularly made Mas¬ 
ons in lodges established by Prince Hall, Grand 
Lodge F. and A. M., and successors, in the State of 
Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, the members of 
which afterwards received the Royal Arch degrees 
in regular constituted chapters in Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania, and Boston, Massachusetts, said 
chapters organized the Grand Chapter of Pennsyl¬ 
vania. The four chapters, composing the Grand 
Chapter of Illinois, at the time of organization, 
numbered only one hundred and sixty companions 
Royal Arch Masons. At this time there were 
thirty subordinate lodges of Master Masons with 
a membership of eight hundred and thirty. The 
higher one goes into the higher degrees of the 
Masonic fraternity, the number of eligibles to draw 
from in order to increase the membership de¬ 
creases ; this accounts for the small membership 
composing the four Chapters which formed the 
Grand Chapter. 

Joseph Washington Moore, was elected the first 
M. E. Grand High Priest. He was a Mason of ex¬ 
ceptional executive ability and integrity. 

Companion, William D. Berry, was elected the 
first M. E. Grand Secretary. At the present 
time, there are fifty-four subordinate Chapters 
in the State, with the membership of 2370. The 
present M. E. Grand High Priest Companion, Al¬ 
bert R. Lee, of Champaign, a man of extraor¬ 
dinary ability, is the youngest Companion who has 
occupied the exalted position of Grand High Priest. 

Occidental Consistory, No. 28. Valley of Chica¬ 
go, was organized in the year 1889, by the conso¬ 
lidation of Prince Hall Consistory, holding a chap¬ 
ter issued by the Supreme Council of Illustrious 
Inspectors Generals of the thirty-third and last 
degree of the Southern jurisdiction; whose Grand 
East is at the city of Washington, D. C.. Illus¬ 
trious Thornton A. Jackson, is Sov-Grand Corn- 
mender, and Excelsior Consistory, holding a char¬ 
ter issued by the Supreme Council of Illustrious 
Inspectors General of the thirty-third and last de¬ 
gree of the United States, whose Grand East is at 
the City of New York, N. Y., Illustrious Brother, 
Peter W. Ray, Sov-Grand Commander. The illus¬ 
trious brethren of the thirty-third degree of the 
two Consistories were consolidated under the name 


147 


of Occidental Consistory, which was granted a 
patent issued by the Supreme Council of Inspec¬ 
tors Generals of the Northern jurisdiction in the 
year of 1913. Their Grand East is at the city of 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Illustrious Brother J. 
Francis Rickards is Sov-Grand Commander. The 
two Consistories held concurrent jurisdiction in the 
Valley of Chicago, for a period of eighteen years, 
before a consolidation was effected, owing to the 
long dispute, as to the legality of the five existing 
Supreme Councils, which was finally settled by re¬ 
cognizing one for the Southern jurisdiction and 
one for the Northern jurisdiction, which by the 
two Supreme Councils was consummated during 
the administration of Illustrious Brother James E. 
Bish, Commander-in-Chief of Occidental Consis¬ 
tory. 

Occidental is the largest consistory among Col¬ 
ored men in the United States, having a member¬ 
ship of three hundred and five Sublime Princes. 
The present commander of Occidental Consitory, 
Illustrious Brother, Charles T. Scott, is consider¬ 
ed to be one of the best ritualists and thorough 
Masonic workers in the Northern Jurisdiction, and 
to him, is due the credit of having brought the 
Consistory up to its present high standard among 
Scottish Rite Masons in America.. 

Arabic Temple, No. 44, of the Oasis of Chicago, 
Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, was organized in 
the month of June, 1893, by Noble Milton F. Fields, 
a duly accredited representative of the Imperial 
Council Nobles of the Mystic Shriners of the Unit¬ 
ed States of North America. There existed at the 
time of organization, another Imperial Council, 
called “The Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the 
Mystic Shrine of the United States and Canada.” 
The right to the supreme control of work of the 
Order was a serious contention between the two 
Imperial Councils for twenty years, but was finally 
settled by all the Temples of the two factions in 
1913, by agreeing to amalgamate. In order to pre¬ 
vent future trouble and to obtain incorporation 
papers, the title of the order was changed to be 
known in the future as the “Ancient Egyptian Ara¬ 
bic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.” 

When Arabic Temple was organized in 1913, No¬ 
ble Henry Graham was elected the first illustrious 
potentate and Noble R. E. Moore, the first illus¬ 
trious Recorder, with an enrollment membership 
of twenty-six Nobles. By careful management, by 
these two officers, with the undivided support of 
the charter members, the Temple was built upon 
a strong foundation and succeeded in increasing 
the membership until 1913, when the Temple took 
out a charter under the amalgamated Imperial 
Council, Noble Robert I. Hodge being the Illus¬ 
trious Protentate, and Noble Richard E. Moore, 
Illustrious Recorder. The present Illustrious Po¬ 
tentate Noble Marcellus F. Coley has no equal in 
the country as a live, wide-awake, soul-stirring, 
potenate, always presenting something new for the 
edification of the members. The Temple now has 
a membership of 345, which makes it the largest 
temple of Colored Shriners in the United States. 










'*V : 



WILLIAMS FAMOUS SINGERS. 














Williams Famous Singers 


H1CAGO is their post office ad¬ 
dress : the world is their home. 
From Canada to Mexico, from 
Maine to California, from London 
to Berlin, they journey with all 
the ease of the cosmopolite. The 
impassable snow banks of Montana, the washouts 
in Florida, the heatless theatres in Alabama, none 
of these can suppress the rich melody, the good 
cheer, the masterly rendition of these singers 
gathered and blended from many parts of America. 

For fifteen years this troup of William Colored 
Singers has had an unparalleled vogue before the 
international public. It had its origin back in 1904, 
being organized by Mr. Charles P. Wiliams, from 
whom the company takes its name. The personnel 
of the troup has been practically the same from the 
beginning; no wonder they can blend their voices 
with equal fascination in “Who Built de Ark?” and 
in the sextet by Lucia 

These are no picked-up ‘harmonizers,” but edu¬ 
cated, refined people, to begin with; and intense 
students of music besides. Mr. Charles P. Wil¬ 
liams, the organizer, was formerly a student in 
Rust University, Holly Springs, Mississippi. His 
father, D. A. Williams, Presiding Elder of the Me¬ 
thodist Episcopal Church, of Mississippi, was one 
of the leading men of his race, but died when 
Charles was eighteen years of age. When his fa¬ 
ther died Charles was left with the care of a mo¬ 
ther and five sisters. Prior to this time he had 
been a student of Rust University, and had known 
no responsibility greater than that of study and 
college athletics. However, he went to Chicago, 
and working in various capacities managed to take 
care of the family and home. He was not con¬ 
tented with the nature of his occupation, and final¬ 
ly secured a position with a traveling Male Quai- 
tette, which in time was abandoned by its leader 
and which was ultimately taken over by Mr. Wil¬ 
liams. With the remaining members of that quar¬ 
tette, he, with the assistance of Dr. brank L. Love¬ 
land, of the M. E. Church, of Iowa, organized 
the Dixie Singers. In the Spring of 1904, Mi. and 
Mrs. Williams, and J. H. Johnson resigned from 
the last named company to organize what is at 
present the famous “Williams Singei s. 

Mr. J. H. Johnson, who is Mr. Williams business 
partner and Musical Director of the company, was- 
born in Coal Creek, Tennessee. He and his bro¬ 
ther, G. L. Johnson, the first tenor singer of the 
company, are sons of a Methodist ministei, but 
they were in early life sent to Knoxville College, 
a United Presbyterian School, Knoxville, Tennes- 
where they each received their literary and 

149 


musical education. Each of them afterwards trav¬ 
eled with the Knoxville College Glee Club, until J. 
FI. Johnson located in Chicago, and G. L. Johnson 
accepted a call to one of the mission schools of the 
United Presbyterian Church. Mr. Williams was 
attracted to J. H. Johnson when he was directing 
a choir in one of the large Chicago churches and 
induced him to fill a vacancy with the Dixies, and 
to ultimately join Mr. Williams in organizing the 
present “Williams’ Singers,” G. L. Johnson was 
then called to this new company. Mr. J. S. Crabbe, 
the basso, was formerly manager for the Mutual 
Lyceum Bureau. Mrs. Chas. P. Williams was for¬ 
merly Miss Clara Kindle of Oberlin College and of 
the Maggie Porter-Cole Fisk Singers. The prima 
donna, Mrs. Virginia Greene, studied under Profes¬ 
sors Perkins and Tinsley of Chicago. Mrs. Hattie 
Franklin Johnson was trained at Fisk University, at 
Walden and in Chicago under Professor Tinsley. 
Mrs. Marie Peeke Johnson was born in Madison, 
Wis., and reared in the city of Chicago. She was 
sent at early age to Fisk University at Nashville, 
Tennessee, where she had eight years in literary 
branches combined with piano and vocal music un¬ 
der Miss Grass and Miss Robinson, respectively. 
Later Mrs. Johnson studied under Mr. Kurt Don- 
ath and Mr. A. Ray Carpenter, Chicago, and in the 
meantime filled professional engagements with 
Fisk Jubilee Singers. 

Miss Inez L. McAllister was born at Pueblo, 
Colo., and is a graduate from the High School of 
that city, is a contralto singer and is Mr. Williams’ 
private secretary. She substitutes for Mrs. Wil¬ 
liams as contralto singer of the company. 

To years of constant devotion to their life’s work 
in the United States and Canada, they have added 
a year of travel and study in England, Scotland, 
Wales, Holland, Belgium, Germany and France. 
They were eighteen weeks in London, where they 
gave 130 performances, singing in many of its best 
known theatres, among which was the World-fam¬ 
ous Coliseum. While in London the entire company 
was under the instruction of one of the world’s 
greatest vocal teachers—Miss Ira Aldridge, who is 
a scholar of the London Royal Conservatory of 
Music, and whose early teacher was the famous 
Jennie Lind. This experience added to natural tal¬ 
ent and former years of faithful application en¬ 
hances the ability of each individual singer, and has 
produced in their case a remarkable musical com¬ 
bination. 

The vorld war has brought changes among these 
singers, as it has among all kinds of groups the 
world over. But their popularity is unchanged; 
their enthusiasm is unabated, their talent seems to 
grow richer and richer as the days pass by. 




see, 





A. WILBERFORCE WILLIAMS, M. D. 


SB * 8 


ANUARY, 1864, Dr. A. Wilber- 
force was born to Baptice and 
Flora Williams. For thirteen 
years young Williams lived on the 
plantation, toiling happily with¬ 
out the knowledge of his A. B. 
C’s. Then, in 1876, he came to 
Springfield, Missouri, and for the 
first time had a chance to attend school. In 1881, 
he obtained a license to teach common school in 
Mount Vernon County, Mo. 

He alternated teaching and studying until he 
was graduated from the Normal Department at 
Lincoln Institute, Jefferson City, Mo. He then 
taught in the summer school, Kansas City, Mo., 
and at the same time continued to study. He pur¬ 
sued private studies, took a course at the Y. M. C. 
A., attended evening school and the Summer Nor¬ 
mal. 

Young Williams had some difficulty in choosing 
his life work. He was a most excellent teacher, 
but he felt that he would not like to make it his 
life work. He was advised to become a minister. 
The } oung man decided that he was not fitted for 
such a calling. Then for a time he felt that his 
future happiness depended upon his becoming a 
lawyer and a member of the bar. There had been 
a cyclone and young Williams had watched the 
skill of Dr. Taft, an ex-army surgeon care for 
the wounded. He admired that skill as a boy, and 
he could not forget it as a young man. And so in 


the choice of his profession, Dr. Williams, one of 
our foremost surgeons, went back to his childhood 
for the inspiration that made him choose the pro¬ 
fession for which he was best fitted. And having 
definitely decided on his profession, Dr. A. Wilber- 
force Williams set his heart on becoming one of 
the best, with the ability to saw bones and bind 
up wounds as he had seen Dr. Taft do. 

Thus it was that in 1890, he left Kansas City, 
Mo., and went to New York to attend Bellevue 
College—but, they refused him admittance and he 
returned to his school room for another year. 
When next he started out to get admittance in a 
medical school, he applied for the place before 
leaving his home. And so, we find him a student 
of medicine in Northwestern University, Chicago, 
Ill., where he received the same credit as that of 
any other student. He was graduated in 1894, and 
then served for two years as resident physician in 
Provident Hospital in Chicago. 

Dr. A. Wilberforce Williams is Professor of In¬ 
ternal Medicine; head of the Medical Department 
of the Post Graduate School of Provident Hos¬ 
pital; Secretary of the Medical Staff and Attend¬ 
ing Physician of Provident Hospital and lecturer 
on Hygiene, Sanitation and Medicine in its Train¬ 
ing School for Nurses. Attending Physician for 
six years at the South Side Municipal Tuberculo¬ 
sis Dispensary Supervisor of the Municipal Tu¬ 
berculosis Sanitation Survey; he is an authority on 
all forms of tuberculous diseases, a well recogniz¬ 
ed Heart and Lung Specialist and Health Editor of 
the Chicago Defender. He is an active member of 
the A. M. A., Illinois State and Chicago Medical 
Societies, Mississippi Valley Tuberculosis Confer¬ 
ence, Robert Koch Society for the Prevention and 
Study of Tuberculosis, the National Society for the 
Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis and a mem¬ 
ber of the Executive Board of the National Med¬ 
ical Association and also a member of a committee 
of that Association, to wait on Secretary Baker 
for the purpose of having colored professional men 
(physicians and dentists) commissioned in the U. 
S. Army or to give them deferred classification and 
not be forced to enlist as privates on account of 
racial relations. He is President of the Physicians, 
Dentists and Pharmacists Association of Chicago. 

The U .S. Government selected him to act as a 
member of the Advisory Board in the supervision 
of the work of Local Exemption Boards in the ex¬ 
aminations of registrants. He was Chairman of the 
Second Ward Committee of the Fourth Liberty 
Loan, Chairman of the Committee of Physicians 
of the Red Cross Home Service Medical Section in 
the medical care of dependents of relatives now 
fighting at the front; and aside from these purely 
medical organizations, he is a member of the 
Knights of Pythias, Odd Fellows, Y. M. C. A., 
Court General Robt. Elliott, A .0. F., Urban 
League and Social Service Club. 

In connection with his profession he has traveled 
extensively over the United States, Mexico and 
Canada. 

He was married June 1902, to Miss Marry Eliza¬ 
beth Tibbs, of Danville, Ky., who enjoys with him 
the comforts of their attractive modern home. 

Forty years ago he stood before his cabin door 
an unlettered boy of thirteen. Now he has found 
his place in life and fills it with credit and honor. 


150 












WILLIAM H. ANDERSON, D. D. 



hi< 

w< 


ORN in Vigo County, Indiana, May 
,8th, 1843, the Reverend Wil¬ 
liam H. Anderson has seen innum¬ 
erable changes in the history of 
the country, has been party to 
many of them, and has enjoyed 
with delight approaching ecstasy the strides for¬ 
ward by his own people. 

From his youth until the outbreak of the Civil 
War, his life was much like that of the ordinary boy 
of the northwest. The school being four miles 
from his home, he got his first teaching from an 
older sister. As soon as he was large enough to 
walk the distance to school in Vigo County, he be¬ 
gan to attend the public schools. As a pupil he be¬ 
came very brilliant, usually standing at the head 
of his class. 

He was just coming into young manhood when 
the Civil War broke forth. His first appearance as 
a speaker before the public was due to conditions 
surrounding the enlistment of Negroes. As is com¬ 
mon knowledge now Massachusetts was forming 
two Negro regiments, the Fifty Fourth and the 
Fifty Fifth. The recruiting officers were seek¬ 
ing to draft the Negroes of Indiana into the Massa¬ 
chusetts regiments. This Mr. Anderson opposed, 
taking the position that the Indiana Negroes should 
be enlisted for Indiana and not for another state. 

That he was sincere in his protest and not seek¬ 
ing to evade, was made clear by later action. When 
the time came for the Indiana Negro to take up 
arms and bear his share of the burden of war, all 
four of the Anderson sons, he and three others, 
shouldered arms and went to the front in the Unit¬ 


ed States Army and served until the close of the 
war. 

The war over, he began immediately on his life 
as a public servant, and later as a minister. In 1865 
he was sent by his regiment as a delegate to the 
Negro Convention, which met in Nashville in Au¬ 
gust, 1865. In 1870 he began his pastorate. His 
first pastorial work was in Rockville, Indiana, 
which church he served one year. From Rock¬ 
ville he went to Terre Haute, Indiana, where he 
was pastor of the Baptist church there for ten 
years. From Terre Haute he went to the Mc¬ 
Farland Chapel, in Evansville, Indiana, where for 
thirty-five years he has served this church with 
untiring zeal and fidelity. This long pastorate 
places Dr.‘Anderson at the head of the Indiana Col¬ 
ored pastors in point of continuous service to one 
church, and but very few if any can claim a like 
distinction in the United States. Another mark of 
distinction in his long life of service as a pastor, 
(forty seven years) is that he has only served three 
churches—the one at Rockville, one at Terre 
Haute and the McFarland Chapel at Evansville. 
The fact of a preacher serving a church as pastor 
for thirty five years is itself evidence of wise lead¬ 
ership but to cover this period with only two un¬ 
pleasant meetings of the church, is a remarkable 
showing. Such has been the record of Dr. Ander¬ 
son. 

Dr. Anderson has not been an extensive traveler, 
but his mind has visited almost the entire globe. He 
spends much of his time in his library where he has 
access to books of travel and history. He can con¬ 
verse intelligently with those who have visited this 
and other countries. 

He has held many posts of honor in the In¬ 
diana Baptist Association and in secret orders. He 
has been a Mason for forty years, and is at present 
Grand Chaplain of the Masons of Indiana, a posi¬ 
tion which he has held continuously for twenty-sev¬ 
en years. He is said to be the first preacher of his 
denomination in Indiana to receive the degree of 
Doctor of Divinity, this was conferred upon him 
by the State University of Kentucky, in 18S9. The 
Kentucky Colored people chose him to fight the Jim 
Crow Coach Law in the Blue Grass State. This 
law was declared unconstitutional by Judge Barr 
of Louisville. 

He owns his home in Evansville and has interest 
in other property. He is the author of a booklet, 
“Negro Criminality”, which is pronounced one of 
the best publications on that subject, Indiana 
knows him as the young preacher’s friend. 

Reverend Anderson has been twice married: 
He was married to Miss Sarah Jane Stewart of 
Terre Haute, May 31st, 1866. He was married to 
Mrs. Mattie D. Griggsby of Indianapolis, Novem¬ 
ber 8th, 1917. 


151 












MOSES A. DAVIS. 

IRECTOR of Manual Training and 
of Vocational Education, in the 
colored schools of Evansville, In¬ 
diana, Moses A. Davis was born 
in Savannah, Georgia, February 
3rd, 1870. In his early years he 
attended the public schools and then Knox 
Institute of Athens, Georgia. His study in Athens 
brought to the surface an almost insatiable desire 
for learning of all kinds, but especially of the me¬ 
chanical and technical branches. 

These he sought as the old scholars pursued 
learning in the various centers of Europe. He en¬ 
tered Hampton Institute, was graduated there in 
1891, then did post graduate work there. During 
summer sessions he went to the Stout Institute at 
Menomine, Wisconsin; then to the Massachusetts 
Institute of Technology at Boston; then to Chicago 
University; and Greer’s Automobile College of Chi¬ 
cago. He has also in his spare time pursued tech¬ 
nical courses in the International Correspondence 
School of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 

Mr. Davis was among the last to receive a com¬ 
mission from General Armstrong. One of his first 
positions as a teacher was given him through Gen¬ 
eral Armstrong, who sent Mr.Davis to Frankfort, 



Kentucky, to take charge of the technical course 
and manual training work in the Kentucky State 
Normal School at Frankfort. Here, being among 
the first colored men to teach these subjects suc¬ 
cessfully, and knowing his work from a practical 
as well as from a theoretical angle, Mr. Davis be¬ 
came very popular both as a teacher and as a prac¬ 
tical builder. Many of the buildings of Frankfort 
were both designed and constructed by him during 
his thirteen years as a teacher in the State Normal 
School. From Frankfort he went to the State Col¬ 
lege in Savannah, his native city, where he taught 
for one year. 

From 1905 to 1918 he has held his present posi¬ 
tion as director of Manual and Vocational training 
in Evansville. All along the line Mr. Davis has 
been a pioneer in his work, as a manual training 
teacher, directing knowledge into useful channels 
and convertng prejudice and information into en¬ 
thusiasm and devotion. 

Great indeed has been his joy in his work. Dur¬ 
ing the twenty-seven years of his teaching he has 
seen his favorite subjects shake off the ashes of re¬ 
jection and become a main feature in nearly every 
curriculum in the country. He has put up many 
buildings along with giving class instruction. He 
is at present erecting with the students of the 
Clark High School of Evansville an Industrial Art 
Building, which is to be the largest of its kind north 
of the Ohio River. Most agreeable to him how¬ 
ever, of all his constructive endeavors, is the fact 
that while he was a post graduate at Hampton, 
he designed the school residence of Dr. Booker T. 
Washington. 

As busy as he is professionally, Mr. Davis finds 
time to do many useful things as a citizen and as an 
organization worker. Though a Christian Scientist 
in his beliefs, he has affiliated himself with the A. 
M. E. Church as a Sunday School teacher and 
worker in this body in Evansville. He is a Mason 
and a Knight Templar, and is a Past Deputy Grand 
Master of Masons of Kentucky. He organized the 
present Colored Y. M. C. A., of Evansville, and 
was for many years chairman of the committee of 
management. 

Mr. Davis is very fond of one kind of travel, he 
likes to attend the National Exposition. He num¬ 
bers on his list the Atlanta Exposition, 1895 ; the 
St. Louis Exposition, 1904; Jamestown Exposition, 
1907; and the Panama Exposition, 1915. 

Mr. Davis was married in 1895 in Atlanta, Ga., to 
Miss Beulah Thompson, Mrs. Davis is a graduate 
of Hampton Institute, of the class of 1889. She 
was trained in the famous Whittier School at 
Hampton, and was later a teacher at Tuskegee 
Institute. Mrs. Davis is, like her husband, devoted 
to practical arts. She is director of the Domestic 
Science work of Evansville. 

Mr. and Mrs. Davis live in their own home, a very 
well equipped and modern residence in Evansville. 
They own property valued at about $10,000. 

On March 13th, 1918, Mr. Davis gave up his work 
in Evansville with an indefinite leave of absence 
from the Board of Education, to go to New York 
City, from whence he sailed March 30th, for Y. M. 
C. A. War work with the men in France under 
General Pershing. 



152 















JOHN WALTER HODGE. 


N the establishment of the Nation¬ 
al Negro Men’s Business League, 
the founder, Booker 1. Washing¬ 
ton, had as one of the objects 
the lending of inspiration and in¬ 
centive to men of color to ventur e 
for themselves, out in the realm of business. This 
it has done. It has been the cause of do¬ 
ing more and better business among those who 
were already out for themselves, and it has caused 
many who were timid to cut loose from the jobs 
that held them, and take the final plunge for 
themselves. Mr. John Walter Hodge belongs to 
this latter class. When this organization met in 
Boston, at its first meeting he was present. He was 
at that time a Pullman Porter. He had served in 
this work for six years, and like many anothei 
young man was content with the easy money to be 
made in this work. But when Mr. Hodge heard 
of the work in the business world, done by other 
men in his race, when he heard them tell of how 
they had built up their business from very meager 
beginnings, he became inspired with the idea of 
venturing out for himself. 

Mr. Hodge was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, 


September 29th, 1878. Here he spent his child¬ 
hood and young manhood. He entered the Pub¬ 
lic Schools of his native city and remained to get 
all that was offered in that line. As a boy he 
worked at odd jobs, in and around places of busi¬ 
ness in Chattanooga. In 1899 he obtained a place 
in the Pullman service and remained in this until 
1905. In 1905 he left the service of the Pullman 
Company and went to Indianapolis, Indiana, where 
he opened a Real Estate office. His office does 
General Sales business, rental and Commission bus¬ 
iness. Among the big deals that have been made 
by Mr. Plodge might be mentioned the sale of the 
present site for the Y. M. C. A. Building, and the 
site for the Knights of Pythias Building. 

After adopting Indianapolis for his home town, 
Mr. Hodge decided to indentify himself with all 
the worthy institutions there. So we find him a 
very active member of the Y. M. C. A., of this city. 
This branch is one of the most prosperous and 
most beautiful among colored people. Mr. Hodge 
serves the organization in the capacity of Secre¬ 
tary of the Board of Managers. He is Past Chan¬ 
cellor of the Knights of Pythias and Secretary of 
the Local Negro Business League. He is a Mason 
and a member of the Baptist church. In fact, 
wherever we find colored men gathered together 
working for the betterment of the race there we 
will find J. Walter Hodge. He is interested in all 
movements for the advancement of the race, and 
is one of the most popular leaders out in Indiana¬ 
polis. 

In the interest of his business and for pleasure 
the subject of this sketch has traveled all over the 
United States. This has served to broaden him 
and to make him easy of approach to all men. Aug¬ 
ust 15, 1910, Mr. Hodge was married to Miss Janie 
Parrish, of Boston, Massachusetts. Mrs. Hodge 
has as great an interest in the uplift of the race 
as has her husband. In fact they are one in their ef¬ 
forts to improve the people around them. Mrs. 
Hodge is an active worker in the Y. W. C. A., of 
Indianapolis and stood by the organization through 
all the struggles when it was getting its footing. 
All of the city love and respect this very unselfish 
couple. They live in their own home at 924 Fa¬ 
yette Street. 

This is a record of a man who, when he heard the 
call of a bigger chance, even though he could not 
see his way to the end of it, did not hesitate to ac¬ 
cept the challenge. And having accepted the chance 
offered him, he has used every opportunity to bet¬ 
ter others while he was helping himself. For this 
unselfishness, he has gotten a reward in the esteem 
in which he is held. All of Indianapolis look up¬ 
on him as one of her most useful and most prospe¬ 
rous business men. 



15j 






























F. B. RANSOM, LL. D. 


R. F. B. Ransom of Indianapolis, 
Indiana, is a southerner by birth, 
having been born in Grenada, 
Mississippi, July 13, 1882. He 
spent his early days in Grenada, 
working on the farm and attend¬ 
ing the public schools. 

Completing his course in the public schools he 
went to Walden University, Nashville, Tennessee, 
where he finished his literary training, and where 
he also gained the degree of L. L. D. His L. L. D. 
he won in 1908. He studied Theology in the same 
university. Later he read law in Columbia Univer¬ 
sity in New York. In 1910 he began to practice 
law in Indianapolis. 

In Indianapolis he began not only his career as a 
lawyer, but a career of usefulness. Walden had 
taught him that no matter what his chosen career, 
a man counted in a community or state only in so 
far as he made himself a genuine asset to his com¬ 
munity. This general teaching had been very large¬ 
ly supplemented by his study and application of 
Theology. 

Going into Indianapolis he immediately allied 
himself with the Bethel A. M .E. Church and began 


to take hold and give practical help in all deliber¬ 
ations and undertakings of the church. Here again 
both his training in Theology and his education and 
practice in law made him a most decided asset to 
the Indianapolis Church. 

He joined the Masons and Knights of Pyhthias 
and, once more put his shoulder to the wheel to 
make those organizations greater lights to their 
members and to the world. 

It was not long before both the church and the 
city saw his worth. When therefore there was an 
honor to bestow or a responsibility to be assumed 
Mr. Ransom was forthwith thought of. Bethel 
Church soon elected him to the Board of Trustees. 
The Good Citizens’ League made him president of 
their organization. He had been in the city but a 
few years when Mr. Julius Rosenwald, the Chicago 
philanthropist, sent abroad his offer to give twenty 
five thousand dollars towards building Negro 
Young Men’s Christian Associations. Indianapolis 
had a great many young men. She had been strug¬ 
gling to keep their feet in good and circumspect 
paths, especially during evening hours of leisure. 
The colored citizens saw here the opportunity of a 
life time, to build an attractive building, to equip 
it with such appointments as the young men would 
find in the pool rooms and in the parks without 
the liability of vice. A committee was formed to 
devise plans for raising funds to put up and equip 
such a building. Who but F. B. Ransom, skilled 
in law, in theology, in the affairs of life, should con¬ 
stitute the bone and sinew of such committee? The 
Y. M. C. A. was built and equipped. It was one 
of the first to embrace Mr. Rosenwald’s offer and 
one of the best Negro Y. M. C. A. buildings of the 
country, of the world. Much of the credit of all 
this is due to F. B. Ransom, to his skill, to his will¬ 
ingness to serve. 

One by one other honors came to him. If the 
church and Y. M. C. A. relied upon him, why not 
the world? The Advisory Committee of the Col¬ 
ored Alpha Home for the aged colored people need¬ 
ed an attending attorney, who was concerned not 
so much with fees, but with the general welfare of 
the Home and of the people. Mr. Ransom was 
called upon to fill this post. The Knights of Py¬ 
thias chose him to serve for a number of years as 
its Grand Lecturer. Thus today in church, in 
civic work as well as in the courts of law, Mr. 
Ransom is numbered among the best citizens of 
Indianapolis. For the last seven years he has been 
acting attorney for the Mine. C. J. Walker Manu¬ 
facturing Company and for the last year he has 
acted solely in that capacity, having had to give up 
all other clients, and perhaps Mr. Ransom receives 
the highest annual retainer of any colored attor¬ 
ney practicing law. 

Mr. Ransom has traveled much both on business 
and for pleasure, his trips having taken him over 
the whole country. He was married on July 31, 
1912, to Miss Nettie L. Cox, of Jackson, Mississippi. 
Three little lads brighten the home of the Ransom 
family; Frank, Frederick, and Willard, aged four, 
three and two, respectively. 



154 











REVEREND DIXIE CICERO CARTER 


NVIABLE indeed is the attain¬ 

ment of Reverend D. C. Carter of 
Frankfort, Kentucky. He is both 
a minister and a physician. Stand¬ 
ing on the vantage point of these 
two professions, he commands 

the secrets of the body and of the spirit. His ap¬ 
proach must be one of large sympathy; for look¬ 
ing into the Mechanism of men’s bodies he can un¬ 
derstand wherein the spirit has free play in some 
and is debarred or suppressed in others. In him 
science and religion unite and clasp hands instead 
of crossing swords as they often do in other in¬ 
stances. 

Reverend Carter, who follows the ministerial 

career, was born in Giles County, 1 ennessee, Nov. 

25, 1866. A poor lad, he garnered bits of learning 
wherever he could, laboring in the meantime fo. 
bread. Having accumulated sufficient knowledge 
he finally entered Walden University in Nashville, 
Tenn. He later studied medicine in the Louisville 
National College, in Louisville, Kentucky. Com¬ 
ing in a time when education for Ins people was 
unpopular and when the few who wished well had 
only wishes to offer, he had to labor at all kinds 

155 


of tasks to pay his way. Now he toiled in the 
bristling August sun, picking cotton, now on the 
railroad, in the hotels, wherever he could turn an 
honest and honorable penny, here he was found. 

He entered the ministry under the impulse of an 
inner suggestion or as it is often called, a divine 
call to service, but the inspiration to study medi¬ 
cine came from quite another source—it Avas the 
suggestion of the son of his employer. The young 
man had just graduated in medicine and was at 
home on a visit before beginning his practice. 
While at home he urged the young colored lad to 
study for the career of doctor of medicine. So 
deeply was he impressed with the suggestion that 
he decided.to act upon his advice and in due time 
entered the Louisville National College to prepare 
for this line of work. 

However, the call to preach took a much 
stronger hold upon him than the desire to enter 
the medical profession and to the service of the 
ministry he has in the main devoted his life. His 
knowledge of medicine gives added strength to his 
work and influence as a minister. 

Reverend Carter is blessed with a good, vigorous 
mind which he is using to the best advantage and 
being a man of unusual energy it is not surprising 
that he was soon equipped mentally for his profes¬ 
sion of a minister. His first charge as a minister 
was at Elkton Tennessee which he assumed in 1885 
at the age of nineteen years. In accordance with 
the policy of the A. M. E. church, he was moved 
from place to place at stated intervals but always 
gave up a charge with the best of feeling between 
him and his people. He never left a community 
without leaving some imprint of his work for the 
betterment of both the church and community, 
which caused him to be held in grateful remem¬ 
brance by his people and won the gratitude of his 
successor. 

When he was pastor in Brandenburg, Ivy. he built 
a church there. He bought a parsonage during his 
sojourn at Elizabethtown, Kentucky; another dur¬ 
ing his stay at Shelbyville and built still another 
church at Pleasureville, Kentucky. He was the 
pastor of the A. M. E. Church in Frankfort for 
five years, but is now pastor of the A. M. E. 
Church at Ashland, Kentucky. 

Reverend Carter has four times been represen¬ 
tative to the General Conference of his church; is 
a life Trustee of Wilberforce Univrsity and a Trus¬ 
tee of Wayman Institute of Kentucky. 

He is a member of the National Medical Asso¬ 
ciation and a member of the Mosiac Templars of 
America. 

He was married in Jefferson, Indiana, in Decem¬ 
ber, 1902, to Miss Jennie Williams, and they have 
one child, Geneva Ossin, six years of age. 











JAMES NEWTON SHELTON. 


HEN you go to Indianapolis, In¬ 
diana, on business, and wish to 
talk business with the colored 
men who not only know business, 
but do business, it will not be 
long before some one will intro¬ 
duce you to James Newton Shelton. Mr. Shel¬ 
ton is working in his native state. Tie was born 
in Charlestown, Indiana, June 12, 1872. He had 
from his earliest youth, good educational advan¬ 
tages. His mother and father moved to Indiana¬ 
polis when he was one year of age. He attended 
the public schools of Indianapolis, Marion county, 
till he was ready for the High school and then he 
entered The Indiana High School. Here he made 
a record for himself not only in scholarship, but in 
deportment. While still in High school, Mr. Shel¬ 
ton decided to be a business man. No other busi¬ 
ness to his mind offered the opportunities to the col¬ 
ored man that are offered in the undertaking bus¬ 
iness. Colored people die at a rapid rate, if not at 
a greater rate than do the people of other races, 
and of course they require a burial. This, to the 
mind of Mr. Shelton, was work for a colored man. 

So on leaving high school he entered Chicago 
University. Here, along with other subjects taken 
up he took up the embalming. In this sub¬ 


ject he did all the work offered by the Univer¬ 
sity and on leaving received a diploma in Embalm¬ 
ing. Mr. Shelton had as much foresight in choos¬ 
ing the place to establish his business, as he had 
in choosing the kind of business. And so instead 
of returning to his native town to open his shop, 
he stayed in Indianapolis. Here colored people 
live in large numbers and here he felt sure that he 
could get a great deal of the colored undertaking 
business. Starting out on a small scale, Mr. Shel¬ 
ton has steadily developed his business, putting 
back into the business the profits received from it, 
till today his is one of the choice business houses 
operated by colored people in the city of Indiana¬ 
polis. For his work he now uses Auto Hearses 
entirely. And because of the good equipment of 
his establishment and because of the courtesy with 
which all persons are received he gets a very large 
share of the work in this line. 

Mr. Shelton, while he has in no way neglected 
his business, has, nevertheless taken time to serve 
his people and his city in other capacities. He has 
served as delegate to the last three Republican Na¬ 
tional Conventions. This shows the esteem, in 
which he is held by his people in the matters of 
political issue, not only is he a good organizer, but 
an orator of ability also. He has for the past twelve 
years served as Deputy of the Department of As¬ 
sessor of Center Township, Indianapolis. Mr. 
Shelton is the Past Grand Chancellor of the Knights 
of Pythias for the state of Indiana, and has served 
the order as supreme delegate for the past ten 
years. He is equally as active, though not in so 
prominent a post, in other orders. He is a Mason, 
Shriner, an Odd Fellow, a member of the United 
Brothers of Friendship, and a prominent member 
of the Negro Men’s Business Feague. In all of 
these organizations, Mr. Shelton lends his weight 
for the betterment of the majority. Not only has 
this man loaned his business ability to the develop¬ 
ment of secular orders that look for the betterment 
of the race, but he gives freely of his means and of 
his advice to the church of which he is an active 
member. Although a member of the Baptist 
church, he helps all the Colored churches. 

November 25, 1894, Mr. Shelton was married to 
Miss Mamie E. Pettiford, of Franklin, Indiana. 
Mrs. Shelton has been of great help in the business 
of her husband, helping not only with her advice, 
but with actual work, whenever the occasion de¬ 
manded this. There is one daughter born to them, 
and who is the joy of their life. This is Miss Ze- 
ralda Marion Shelton. She attended Fisk Univer¬ 
sity, Nashville, Tennessee, and for a time was a 
student of music in the Chicago School of Music. 
She is now Mrs. Scott, her husband being a sol¬ 
dier in Company A, 92 Brigade, now stationed in 
France. 



156 










LOGAN H. STEWART, LL. B. 


HE son of Wesley and Victoria 
Stewart, Logan H. Stewart, news¬ 
boy, reporter, real estate dealer, 
was born in Union Town, Ken¬ 
tucky, July 22, 1879. Shortly af¬ 
ter his birth he was taken to In- 
Mr. Stewart was three years old 
his father died, leaving the mother and three small 
children. When he was ten years old his mother 
took him with the other children to Evansville, 
where they lived for a time in want, but at least 
one son achieved victory over want, and success in 
life. 

Mr. Stewart began his career in Evansville by 
selling papers. He sold the Evansville News, now 
the Evansville Journal-News. Here the young man 
of fourteen proved his worth. In a short time he 
had built up one of the best routes of the city. In 
return the Evansville News made him manager of 
a district. He was also given the post of reporter 
for the colored people, being responsible for all 
local news about Negroes. 

However, the young man with all this success 
was not merely working for the newspaper. He 
was also going to school. In 1899 he was graduat¬ 
ed from the Latin course in Evansville High School. 

157 


Having decided to enter business he took a com¬ 
mercial course in the High School in 1900. 

Mr. Stewart thanks all newspapers for his busi¬ 
ness career. He gained his first experience in bus¬ 
iness by handling newspapers. Moreover, while 
he was attending school, he was able to save three 
hundred dollars. In the year of his graduation he 
invested a part of this sum in real estate. The ven¬ 
ture proved so profitable that he immediately re¬ 
solved to enter the business of buying and selling 
land and lots. 

In this business, Mr. Stewart has been both a pi¬ 
oneer and a benefactor in Evansville. Before he 
entered the business of real estate, the 10,000 Ne¬ 
gro population of Evansville was thought of mere¬ 
ly as workers and church goers, not as dealers in 
finance. Their realty holdings were less than $10,- 
000. They had no bank credit, and woefully little 
business recognition. Thus matters stood when 
Mr. Stewart opened his office in 1900. By lanuary 
1, 1917, the Negroes of Evansville had $500,000 
invested in real estate, substantial bank credit, and 
a wider general credit and recognition throughout 
the city. Mr. Stewart himself, beginning in pov¬ 
erty back in 1889, now owns his home, which is 
valued at $7,000; one quarter block of stores and 
shops in a business section, valued at $15,000; a fac¬ 
tory for the manufacture of concrete stone and 
building material, worth $3,500; and other real es¬ 
tate values amounting to $15,000. 

Absorbed in business Mr. Stewart has, however, 
missed no opportunity to grow and to serve. While 
joining no special church he has worked with the 
Methodist in his town and with any denomination 
that set out to serve the people. He was one of 
the early members of the National Negro Business 
League, joining that body in 1905. He was charter 
member of the Negro Y. M. C. A. of Evansville and 
very instrumental in securing funds for the Negro 
Association when it was in its infancy. In 1915 he 
organzed Health and Clean-Up Week in Evansville 
causing five thousand colored people to clean up 
and beautify their homes and surroundings, and 
two hundred and thirty-five gardens to be planted. 
He was president of the Evansville Negro Busi¬ 
ness League for more than ten years and a member 
of the Executive Committee of the National Negro 
Business League. He is on the Board of Manage¬ 
ment of the Negro Y. M. C. A. of Evansville. He 
is a member of the Evansville Chamber of Com¬ 
merce, the only colored man to have this honor. He 
has traveled extensively in the East, in the West, 
and in the South. He has spent much time and en¬ 
ergy in putting on their feet struggling Negro bus¬ 
iness men, who needed recognition at the banks 
and instruction in handling business matters. In 
honor of his good services to his fellow men and 
in appreciation of his continued education, Lin- 
coln-Jefferson University of Hammond, Ind., con¬ 
ferred upon him the degree of Bachelor of Laws, 
in 1913. 

Mr. Stewart was married on November 30, 1911, 
to Miss Sallie L. Wyatt of Evansville. Mrs. Ste¬ 
wart was formerly a teacher of Domestic Science in 
the Evansville High School. 



















GEORGE WILLIAM WARD, D. D. 

R. George William Ward, pas¬ 
tor of the Mount Zion Baptist 
Church of Indianapolis, Indiana, 
was born in Port Gibson, Mississ¬ 
ippi, July 2, 1869. His early days 
were spent on the farm, where he 
found his first inspiration to labor and wait; where 
he learned to dream in big terms and to execute 
patiently and persistently. This by the way, this 
quiet country life, in a warm and fertile country, 
was his first school. 

He had two more early schools. He attended the 
district schools of Clayborne County, learning from 
books what knowledge he and his teacher could dig 
out. Neither of them at that time was over adept 
at this task, the times being considerably out of 
joint, by reason of Reconstruction and general rest¬ 
lessness, and by reason of the scarcity and very 
limited preparation of the Negro teachers. How¬ 
ever, a third means of learning supplemented the 
efforts of the struggling young lad and his district 
teacher. He was fortunate enough to be thrown 
into a private white family, and was given five 
years schooling by a white teacher. Here he got 
environment, which did in actuality what he had 
been taught in books. Hence Dr. Ward learned to 


speak, to think, to act, by example as well as by 
precept. 

These three were his preparatory schools, nature, 
the district school, the private white family, in the 
last named speaking and acting education were a 
habit and not a theory. These prepared him for 
college. He chose Roger Williams University, of 
Nashville, entered Corresponding department The¬ 
ology, under Dr. Geurnsey, having already become 
a thorough going Baptist. Theology and a higher 
literary training completed his studies and he went 
forth ready to preach and to work among his peo¬ 
ple. 

In his pastorates he has been unusually fortunate, 
as Baptist pastorates go. He has been pastoring 
now for a quarter of a century, and yet he has had 
but four charges in all this time. His first two 
charges were in Mississippi, at Duncan, Mississip¬ 
pi and at Gumunion, Mississippi; at the latter 
named he worked for five years, developing here 
the habit of staying at one post long enough to 
make his work count. In 1899 he was called to 
Chattanooga, Tennessee. In Chattanooga he built 
the Monumental Baptist Church, and so made for 
himself a name in this section of the country, and 
alson got in the habit of church building. 

From Chattanooga he was called to his 
present charge in Indianapolis, Indiana, 1907. Here 
he again applied his old practice of getting congre¬ 
gations into new and spacious church homes. In 
1908 he built the Mount Zion Baptist Church 
on Twelfth and Fayette Streets, a handsome brick 
structure, modern in all of its appointments and 
conveniences. 

From building churches and giving his services in 
other directions, honors have come to him. He is 
a Past Master Mason and a moderator of the Union 
Baptist Association of Indiana. State University 
at Louisville, Kentucky, has conferred upon him 
the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity. 

Dr. Ward has evidently made up his mind to set¬ 
tle down in the West, or at any rate he is remaining 
true to the old habit formed back there in Gumun¬ 
ion, Mississippi, of becoming part and parcel of 
the place and section he works in. Moreover, as a 
minister he feels that he must teach by example as 
well as by precept. Therefore he has invested his 
savings and his influence in homes and enterprises 
in and around Indianapolis. He owns his home on 
West Street in Indianapolis and one rent house, and 
he is stockholder in the Studebaker Auto Tire Cor¬ 
poration of South Bend and in the Irvington Sick 
and Accident Insurance Company of Indiana. 

Dr. Ward was married at Cartersville, Georgia, 
in 1904. Mrs. Ward was formerly Miss Emma 
Robinson. What Dr. Ward is by example to the 
men of his congregation, Mrs. Ward has in great 
measure been to the women. She has been a great 
helper in church organization and in church build¬ 
ing. 



158 






William Henry Ballard 


EARED in Kentucky where he 
seems to have found the Elixir 
of youth as well as business suc¬ 
cess, Dr. William H. Ballard, 
though approaching close upon 
three scole years, carries upon 
him no mark of age, either in his actions or in his 
mind. To be sure, his profession may be respon¬ 
sible for this as he is a pharmacist. Or it may be 
the full life of achievement for himself and of help¬ 
fulness to others which he has led. 

Among the picturesqe scenes of Franklin County, 
Kentucky, with its rugged cliffs overhanging the 
placid waters of the Kentucky River, was born to 
Down and Matilda Ballard, October 31, 1862, a son, 
whom they named William Henry. His parents 
being industrious and energetic people, and seeing 
that a liberal education was essential to success, 
moved to Louisville in 1870. Here their son was 
placed under a private tutor and remained under 
his instruction until the opening of the public 
schools in 1873, when he entered the public schools 
and continued his course of studies in them. His 


was married to Miss Bessie H. Brady, one of the 
most estimable young women of Nashville, Tenn¬ 
essee, a teacher in Meig’s High School, a woman 
respected and beloved by all who knew her. 

He has an interesting family, consisiing of a wife 
and four children—three sons and a daughter. Up¬ 
on these he bestows his most devoted care and af¬ 
fection and seeks their highest good. The chil¬ 
dren have listened to the counsel of their father, 
and like him are making something of their lives. 
William Henry Ballard, Jr., is studying Pharmacy 
at Howard University, Washington, D. C.; Orville 
L. Ballard is studying medicine at the same Insti¬ 
tution ; Edward H. Ballard is a student in the Lex¬ 
ington High School, and Miss Vivian Elizabeth 
Ballard is ‘Studying in the Chandler Normal School. 

Dr. Ballard began business in Lexington, Ken¬ 
tucky, February, 1893, opening the first Pharmacy 
owned and controlled by Negroes in the State. He 
has the confidence of all his acquaintances and has 
been highly honored by many fraternal orders to 
which he belongs. He is Past Chancellor of the 
Knights of Pythias ; ex-State Grand Master of the 
United Brothers of Friendship; Commander in 
Chief of Blue Consistory Scottish Rite Masons; and 
has the distinction of being a polished, capable and 
conservative business man. 



progress was rapid; he took advantage of every 
opportunity to improve himself. After seven years 
of faithful application to his studies he was gradua¬ 
ted from the Louisville High School. His thirst 
for knowledge was far from being quenched when 
he completed his course in the high school. W hat 
he had attained only whetted his appetite foi 
greater knowledge, and made him dissatisfied with 
the preparation he had received, which was far 
above that of many youths. Dr. Ballard entered 
Roger Williams University, where he pursued a 
special course in science and languages, complet¬ 
ing it in 1884. While at Roger Williams Univer¬ 
sity, Dr. Ballard began the work of teaching. He, 
like many others who were striving to be a credit 
to their race and ancestry, taught in the common 


school districts of Tennessee and Kentucky during 
the summer and pursued his studies at the L niver- 
sity during the winter. 

The next step in the upward progress of Dr. Bal¬ 
lard was his election to the principalship of the 
Mayfield, Graves County, Kentucky, where he 
served with satisfaction for some time. His suc¬ 
cess as a teacher is shown by the great number of 
ambitious young men and women now employed in 
the schools of Southwestern Kentucky, many of 
whom were under his immediate charge. ns a so 
shows that the fourteen years spent in the schoo 
room were characterized by conscientious and pain¬ 
staking study. . 

In 1890 he entered Northwestern University at 
Chicago, III, for the purpose of studying phar¬ 
macy. He was graduated from this course m 1892 
receiving honorable mention. Shortly after gradu¬ 
ating- from Northwestern University, Dr. Ballard 

159 


Dr. Ballard is a Methodist in church affiliation, 
and is a member of St. Paul African Methodist 
Episcopal Church. He is also a Trustee of the St. 
Paul A. M. E. Church. His interest in the welfare 
of the colored race enlists him in all enterprises 
looking to their development. The Colored Agri¬ 
cultural and Mechanical Fair Association was or¬ 
ganized to encourage the colored citizen to take 
more active interest in agriculture and mechanical 
pursuits. Dr. Ballard not only connected himself 
with this enterprise but served as Assistant Secre¬ 
tary, thus giving it the benefit of his organizing 
ability. 

While he has not visited foreign countries, Dr. 
Ballard has seen much of the United States. 

Dr. Ballard exemplifies what a man of strong 
character and indomitable courage may do. He is 
worthy of emulation, not only for what he has 
achieved for himself, but for the service he has ren¬ 
dered in putting others on their feet. The clerks 
who worked in his store have been inspired to 
launch out for themselves. Four of the drug stores 
of the state are run by men who were one time 
clerks in the Ballard Pharmacy. One doctor, Doc¬ 
tor White of Owensboro, also served time as clerk 
in this same store. Indeed so high is the business 
in the esteem of both races that Dr. Ballard has 
been for years a member of the State Pharmacent- 
ical Association. Thus Dr. Ballard has lived a long 
life of usefulness, helping to better all whom he 
touched. 

The man who makes the most of his opportuni¬ 
ties both for fitting himself for a useful life and in 
serving others gets the most out of life, and learns 
from experience that a life of service is a life of 
joy. 

“What we are is God’s gift to us, 

What we make ourselves is our gift to God.” 





THOMAS L. BROOKS. 


R. T. L. Brooks, the subject of 
this sketch, was born in Char¬ 
lottesville, Albemarle County, Vir¬ 
ginia, in 1862, being the fourth 
child of Thomas and Mildred 
Brooks. His father was a carpen¬ 
ter by trade and was employed at the University of 
Virginia to help in keeping up the repairs around 
the College and it was here that young Brooks 
learned the trade of his father. 

Commencing at the early age of ten he continued 
to work with his father until 1883 when he came 
to Frankfort, Ivy., secured employment with Rod- 
man and Sneed, Contractors, and later with Wake¬ 
field & Choate. He remained with the latter firm 
eight years serving the last half as Foreman. 

On October 18, 1892, he was married to Miss 
Mary L. Hocker of Frankfort, Ky., one of the 
Public School teachers of Franklin County. From 
this union one child was born, which died in infancy. 
Both being very fond of children the home has nev¬ 
er been without a child, having adopted one daugh¬ 
ter who remained with them until her marriage and 
at present they are rearing two of his Sister’s child¬ 
ren. 

In the same year Mr. Brooks decided to go into 

160 


the contracting business for himself. Although he 
has contracted and built throughout Eastern Ken¬ 
tucky, it has been in Frankfort that he has made 
his chief mark. Some of the most beautiful and 
costly edifices erected all over the Capitol City and 
wth values ranging in the thousands are the pro¬ 
duct of his brain and skill. It can be truthfully 
stated that fully ninety percent of his work has 
been for white people and against the sharp oppo¬ 
sition of white competitors. Over one-half of the 
residences of the celebrated “Watson Court”—the 
most exclusive and handsome section (white) of 
Frankfort was built by him. The Columbia Thea¬ 
tre, a $15,000 structure and the leading and 
most attractive moving picture theatre of the city 
is also his work. 

The Auditorium and the Trades Buildings of the 
Kentucky Normal & Industrial Institute which 
were erecter at a cost of thirty thousand dollars 
were also contracted for and built by him and it is 
an object of pride that both these handsome stone 
buildings were built exclusively by Negro labor. 
The ten thousand-dollar Colored Odd Fellows build¬ 
ing and the twenty-five thousand-dollar Colored 
Baptist Church were also erected under his imme¬ 
diate supervision. 

Mr. Brooks has a high standing among the banks 
and business men of Frankfort and has accumu¬ 
lated much valuable property, and his word is ac¬ 
cepted as readily as most men’s bond. He is held 
in the very highest esteem by both races, and is 
one of the most popular men in the Capitol City. 
He also takes high rank as a Churchman, being one 
of the most widely known Baptist laymen in Ken¬ 
tucky. He has been a Sunday School Superintend¬ 
ent for twenty years, a Trustee for sixteen years, 
Deacon for six years and was Church Clerk for ov¬ 
er four years. 

He is also a prominent Secret Society man, hav¬ 
ing been Secretary of the Capitol City Lodge of 
Odd Fellows for twenty-seven years, frequently 
a delegate to the B. M. C. and has served his state 
as Secretary-Treasurer of the Insurance Bureau 
and State Grand Master, at present being State 
Grand Treasurer. He was the pioneer of the Ne¬ 
gro Fraternal Insurance in Kentucky Grand Lodge 
of Odd Fellows over twenty-six years ago. He also 
holds high official positions in the Masons, Knights 
of Pythias and the United Brothers of Frendship. 
At this time he holds position as Secretary of Meri¬ 
dian Sun Lodge which he has held for sixteen years. 
He is Past Grand Chancellor and Treasurer of the 
Knights of Pythias which office he has held for 
twelve years and has held the office of Secretary of 
Charity Lodge, United Brothers of Friendship for 
five years and is also a member of the Union Benev¬ 
olent Society and of the Mosaic Templars of Amer¬ 
ica. 

Mr. Brooks is of an affable temperament, up¬ 
right life and a high Christian character with an in¬ 
tense interest in the welfare and advancement of 
his people. 














JOHN BENJAMIN COOPER. 



OHN Benjamin Cooper, Funeral 
Director, Embalmer, a business 
man of many interests, and a 
member of all the secret orders 
of his state, was born in Mobile, 
Alabama, in April, 1872. He is 
the son of Benjamin and Elizabeth Aga Cooper. 
In early childhood he was possessed of an am¬ 
bition to make something of his life and follow¬ 
ing his career from childhood to man’s estate it 
will be seen that he kept his eye upon his goal and 
followed his course unwaveringly. He received 
his early education in the public schools of Mobile 
and in the Emerson Institute, and A. M. E. School, 
also of Mobile. 


With this foundation, Mr. Cooper left Mobile 
and continued his education in Cincinnati, Ohio, 
where he entered the City High School. Finishing 
his course here he felt himself sufficiently equipped 
for a business career, but like numerous other 
young' men he found it necessary to earn some 
money before branching out for himself. 

With this aim in view he entered the service of 
the Pullman Company and was soon rated among 
their best employees. While in the employ of the 


Pullman Company he came to a decision as to the 
character of business he would embark in and en¬ 
tered the Barnes School of Embalming in Chicago 
to study the Cindertaking business. Completing 
his studies here he went to Louisville in 1907 and 
took charge of the Watson and Est which he now 
owns and controls, conducting a very successful 
business. 

However, the business of funeral director ap¬ 
pears to be but a convenient peg upon which Mr. 
Cooper hangs an excuse for being in business. 
From this, to change the figure, he radiates into 
every sort of Negro enterprise national or local, 
that one finds on the calendar. One wonders where 
he finds time and thought for it all. He is a mem¬ 
ber of the National Negro Business League, a 
member of the Kentucky Funeral Directors’ As¬ 
sociation, and of the Falls-Cities Undertaking As¬ 
sociation. In each of these he is a live member, 
keeping track of the workings of the organiza¬ 
tions and keeping abreast of and bringing before 
these bodies all the latest inventions and devices 
in handling and embalming the dead. 

In business he is director of the Falls City Realty 
Company of Louisville, a director of the Louis¬ 
ville Cemetery Association and Treasurer of the 
Colored Funeral Directors’ Association of Louis¬ 
ville. 

These obligations together with the demands of 
a large business would seem to be more than the 
average mortal could bear, but Mr. Cooper is equal 
to the task and does his work well. But Mr. Cooper 
is especially more than the average mortal. He 
has united himself with fully a score or more other 
organizations, all of which require time, thought, 
and in many instances, a good deal of study and 
travel. He is a member of the Methodist Church 
and is a Republican in politics. He is a Mason, 
having reached the thirty-second degree. He is a 
member of the Odd Fellows, of the Pythians, of 
the United Brothers of Friendship, of the Sons 
and Daughters of Moses, of Cooper’s Union, 
of the Son’s and Daughters of M o r n i ng , of 
the Brilliant Comet Tabernacle, Sisters and Broth¬ 
ers of Friendship, Maces Lodge, Union Star Lodge, 
Lampton Street Aid Society, Grand Star Court, 
and active member of Y. M. C. A. In none of these 
is he merely a member but is active in all the mat¬ 
ters of business transactions and in all that per¬ 
tains to disposing of and handling the dead mem¬ 
bers of these orders. 

Mr. Cooper was married to Mrs. Lavinia Brady 
Watson of Louisville, August 19th, 1907. Mr. and 
Mrs. Cooper live in their own home on West 
Chestnut Street, and are both looked upon as lead¬ 
ers in social uplift work, as well as in business and 
in secret orders. 


161 















THOMAS MADISON DORAM, M. D. V. 


HE Negro has yet in any consider¬ 
able numbers to make his way in¬ 
to the field of Veterinary practice. 
For this there appears to be sev¬ 
eral causes. In many cases the 
calling appears not to have been 
attractive. Again to practice it, has been rather ex¬ 
pensive; and finally many of the Veterinary schools 
have been hard for the black man to enter and still 
harder for him to leave—with a diploma. 

Thus it is that Dr. T. M. Doram, M. D. V., of 
Danville, Kentucky, will have an added attraction 
for the average reader beyond that of mere per¬ 
sonal achievement. Dr. Doram is on record as the 
first and only Negro in the state of Kentucky to re¬ 
ceive a diploma from a Veterinary College and one 
of the first two colored men in the United States 
to win such a diploma at all. 

Dr. Doram was born in Danville, Ivy., in 1871. He 
comes of a hardy stock of farmers and tradesmen, 
who loved to handle animals and wield tools. Dr. 
Doram’s father, though a Carpenter by trade, own¬ 
ed valuable land and kept good horses. It was here 
that the young man discovered and cultivated fur¬ 
ther his love for the horse. It is a Kentucky in¬ 


stinct to love a good horse and from this state has 
come some of the best blooded stock of the world. 
Young Doram was born and bread in the Kentucky 
atmosphere and it only needed that he should be 
brought into a personal contact with the horse to 
develop a strong attachment for this noble animal. 

While attending public schood at Danville, and 
during vacation, the young man worked with his 
father at the trade of carpentry. Finishing the pub¬ 
lic school, Dr. Doram entered the Eckstein Norton 
University at Cane Springs, Ivy., the institution re¬ 
ferred to in the story of Dr. C. H. Parrish in this 
volume. It was here, that the young man had his 
skill acquired at carpentry under his father stand 
him in good stead. During his course here, one of 
the University buildings burned. Young Doram 
now turned to and lent great aid in rebuilding the 
University. 

In 1896 he matriculated in the McKillip Veter¬ 
inary College at Chicago, Ill. As a matter of course 
the rest of the students were white, but to show 
what one can do with an opportunity, at the close 
of the first year, Doram led his class in Materia 
Medica; the second year he was at the head of his 
class in Pharmacy, and during his last or senior 
year he was appointed senior assistant instructor 
in Pharmacology of his class, an honor of which 
he may be justly proud. 

After graduating, in 1899, he opened an office in 
Evanston, Illinois, a beautiful suburb of Chicago, 
with a population of thirty thousand, where he 
commenced the practice of his profession. 

While his practice here was successful and grow¬ 
ing, numbering among his patrons many of the 
wealthy people of that aristocratic community, he 
gave it up after three years residence there and 
moved to his old home in Danville, Kentucky. 

His practice has continuously grown and Dr. 
Doram is now fully satisfied that he made no mis¬ 
take when he entered the Veterinary profession. 

In October of same year, at Danville, Kentucky, 
he was married to Miss Bertha James Hancock, a 
native of Austin, Texas. She received her educa- 
t : on at Mary Allen Seminary, Crockett, Tex. They 
are now the parents of eight children, three girls 
and five boys. Dr. Doram very much hopes that 
at least one or more of his boys may be inspired 
to take up the profession of Veterinary Medicine 
and Surgery, as well as many other young men of 
his race; for he is confident that many could suc¬ 
ceed in many parts of the country. Notwithstand¬ 
ing that we are in the day of the Automobile, and 
that so many of them are in use, Dr. Doram is 
thoroughly convinced that the horse is not a back 
issue and that this noble animal will always be 
in demand, which will call for expert men of his 
profession. 



162 

















S. H. GEORGE, M. D. 



E story of the small boy left 
alone, either by desertion of his 
relatives, by robbery or by the 
death of his parents used to be a 
favorite subject of the writers of 
fiction. The subject was one that 
always elicited eager perusal and often sobs. 1 hen, 
however, the matter was very remote. No one 
thought of such a thing as happening in real life. 
The rise of modern biography and autobiography, 
the willingness of our great men to talk about 
themselves in magazine articles and to be intei- 
viewed by the reporters, have turned the light on 
quite a different aspect of the growth of our youths 
into manhood. No longer is this matter of priva¬ 
tion, of sleeping out in the open, of tattered clothes 
and blistered feet a fiction. It is all a very eveiv 
day reality. Booker 1. Washington, Jacob Riis, 
Henry W. Grady, with the numberless capitalists 
who have risen from hunger to opulence, have 
made early hardships a sort of premium in the life 
of the American. So much is this so that it is 
counted a sort of blessing to start off handicapped 
with hunger, lack of antecedents and with nobody 
to appeal to but your own strong arms. 

Such was the early beginning of Dr. S. H. George 

163 


of Paducah, Kentucky. Dr. George lays no partic¬ 
ular claim to distinction, is rather stingy with the 
data of his boyhood and early life, indeed is rather 
inclined to withdraw within his shell when he is 
pressed for the story of his career. Yet the distinc- 
ton of his career lies in a most desirable direction. 
It is this: It is all normal. It is just what the 
average boy with pluck and hard work could do. 
The story of Douglass or Washington might be dis¬ 
heartening to some; because those men seemed 
to accomplish so very much out of so little. That 
of Dr. George comes quite within the reach of us 
all. 

Dr. George was born in Kentucky. His mother 
having died when he was three years old, the lad 
soon found it necessary to go forth and earn a pen¬ 
ny wherever he could. He attended the public 
schools of his native state, whenever he could af- 
ord to do so. The farm, the restaurant, the rail¬ 
road all held out chances for him to earn his way. 
Many of these opportunities he embraced, now 
dropping out of school, now returning, when he 
had earned enough to sustain him for a whole or 
part of a term. When he had been sufficiently 
trained to do school work, he became a teacher, and 
for seven years labored in the school room. With 
school teaching and other work he finally became 
able to push his education to the desired end. He 
entered Walden University in Nashville, Tennessee, 
and after a good long struggle was graduated. 
Daunting nothing because of the cost of the col¬ 
lege course he next registered in the Meharry Med¬ 
ical College. Again he had to fight a lone battle, 
having few to whom he could look in the time of 
need. Expenses here were higher, the hours of 
work were much longer, because of experiments, 
lectures and outside reading. Yet Dr. George was 
not to be halted. A doctor he wanted to be and a 
doctor he became ; and he used only those means 
which any aspiring youth with good strong arms 
and lusty will can use to attain the goal. 

Completing his course in Meharry Medical Col¬ 
lege, he returned to his native state and began to 
practice. In a few years he felt more than rewarded 
for all the hardships he had suffered; for he had 
hung out his sign at Paducah, had made many 
friends and had built up a very sucessful practice. 
He joined forces with all the progressive organiza¬ 
tions of his state and community. He allied himself 
with the church and with many of the secret so¬ 
cieties of Kentucky. He is a Mason, an Odd Fel¬ 
low, a Pythian, and a member of the Court of 
Calanthe. As a professional man and a leader Dr. 
George felt that he must both teach and show the 
people of his section the ideal way to live. He, 
therefore, joined the several business organiza¬ 
tions. He joined the Pythian Mutual Industrial 
Association of the State and soon became its Vice- 
President. In a little while the leading Negroes of 
Kentucky saw a wider need for reliable insurance 
for colored people. They founded the Mamoutli 
Life and Accident Insurance Company. Dr. George 
was one of these founders and promoters, and has 
been one of the staunch supporters of the company. 

Dr. George was married to Miss Nettie N. Mc- 
Claine. Dr. George owns his home in Paducah. 












JAMES H. HATHAWAY. 

ENTUCKY has long taken a lead¬ 
ing place as a prosperous state. 
She has made a happy adjustment 
of the so-called race question, by 
giving all her citizens a fair meas- 
sure of privileges, yet holding to 
the social restriction. Apparently this is all her 
darker sons have wanted, indeed all that black folk 
want any where. The Kentucky men of color have 
gone far beyond their brothers in farming, in busi¬ 
ness and in many instances in education. Thus her 
sons, like the one here mentioned, have an open 
road to essay their talents. 

Among the big business men in Louisville, Ken¬ 
tucky, James H. Hathaway looms large and impor- 
ant. He is not only a business success in one direc¬ 
tion, but in several. Indeed Mr. Hathaway appears 
to have acquired the Midas’ touch; only unlike the 
king of old, Mr. Hathaway worked for his touch in¬ 
stead of gaining it through any special favor of the 
Gods. 

Of the business he has developed, Mr. Hathaway 
can hardly tell which, had he to make a choice, he 
would select above all the rest. He tried his hand 
at running a grocery. He succeeded at that. He 
tried Undertaking, and again he was a success. He 


essayed farming, both tilling the soil and raising 
stock; again he received abundant yield. He put 
his hands to the transfer business'and once more 
the gods of fortune smiled upon him. 

Born in Montgomery, Kentucky, Mr. Hathaway 
did not spend much time in gaining an education. 
He is educated, but his is an education of things ; 
an education from intimate contact and combat, 
rather than the brand gained from schools and 
books. He began his business experiences in 
Mount Stirling, Kentucky, where he set up and 
ran for a good many years a grocery store. 

Selling out his grocery, he made his way to Lou¬ 
isville, Kentucky, and secured a wagon or two and 
started in the transfer business. Thus for fourteen 
years he plied his trade and continually increased 
and multiplied. When Mr. Hathaway entered 
business, there was a transfer firm in Louisville, 
known as Smith and Nixon. Seeing the business 
acumen and dispatch of their colored rival, they 
sold him their wagons and horses for a mere song 
and got him to handle their business by contract. 

In 1902, Mr. Hathaway saw an opportunity to buy 
an Undertaking business. He secured this and is 
now one of Louisville’s most successful colored 
Undertakers. 

As he increased his income from transfer work 
and from Undertaking, Mr- Hathaway looked out 
upon the farmers and saw what a happy invest¬ 
ment could be made in farms and in stock raising, 
especially in Kentucky, where the grass is luxuriant 
and the temperature is congenial to raising nearly 
every breed of useful animals. Thus he has an¬ 
nexed to his holdings a 118 acre farm, which is now 
well stocked with thorough-bred horses, sheep, 
hogs, and cattle. After entering the transfer bus¬ 
iness it was an easy glide into the other branches 
of business he took on. As a transfer men his ve¬ 
hicles was called into constant demand for funeral 
occasions and this brought to his attention the un¬ 
dertaker’s business. It did not take him long to 
see that this business and the transfer business 
could be worked together and with the large stock 
of horses such a business demanded it was easy 
for him to determine that farming would be a val¬ 
uable adjunct to his business. So the three work¬ 
ed together to his profit. Mr. Hathaway’s other 
property holdings are his own house and the build¬ 
ing in which he runs his undertaking business. 

He divides his energies between his family and 
his business. Other than his membership in the 
Christian church, he has few affiliations. He was 
married in 1892 to Miss Columbia Gray of Louis¬ 
ville, Ky. There are six children in the Hathaway 
family: Miss Ethel Louise, a graduate of the 
Louisville High School, is her father’s secretary. 
James Harris, Warner Mason. Columbia S. and 
Ruth are still of school age. 



164 









ROBERT HORACE HOGAN. 


HE words of the song, “Inch by 
Inch” find apt significance in the 
life of Mr. Robert H. Hogan, con¬ 
tractor and builder, of Lexington, 
Kentucky. Mr. Hogan was born 
on a farm near Macon, Ga., Feb. 
12, 1881. The Hogans were a very large family who 
lived the earlier years of their history in the coun¬ 
try, but who later moved into Macon. Mr. Hogan 
was born on the farm near Macon before the fam¬ 
ily had migrated to the city. 

Born of a large family the young man had no 
time for school, but had to earn money to aid in 
supporting the family. One of his first jobs was 
that of elevator boy in the Wesleyan Female Col¬ 
lege at Macon, Georgia. As good fortune would 
have it, the president’s wife, Mrs. John D. Ham¬ 
mond, passed up and down on that elevator. She 
saw that young Hogan had no learning and set out 
to teach him. Mrs. Hammond not only taught him 
herself but made arrangement for several of the 
teachers to g'ive him help. She went further. She 
wrote Dr. Washington about the boy and later had 
him enter Tuskegee Institute. 

While Mr. Hogan liked Tuskegee well enough, 


the call of the large family once more threw him 
out into the world. He worked a while in Macon, 
Ga., then in Jacksonville, Florida, as a Government 
brick-layer. In the meantime he was doing private 
studying with the International Correspondence 
school. For five years he worked about in Florida, 
Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee as a brick-layer, 
studying and working at the same time. In 1905, 
leaving Alabama, where he had been assisting in 
the building of a steel mill, he went to Lexington, 
Kentucky, and accepted work as foreman for H. A. 
Tandy, an old and successful contractor of that 
city. By this time his studies began to bear fruit. 
On completing his studies with the International 
Correspondence School, he was ofifered a position 
with the Combs Lumber Company, as superintend¬ 
ent of their brick construction work. This was 
one of the largest firms of the kind in the state 
and gave Mr. Hogan opportunity to appiy his the¬ 
ories, to learn new ones, and to practice on big 
undertakings. For the past seven years he has 
superintended the construction of all the largest 
buildings of Lexington. Continuing to study in 
private, and now having completed a course in 
Building Superintendence, Contracting and Estim¬ 
ating, with the American School of Correspondence, 
Mr. Hogan thought it was time for him to launch 
into business for himself. This step he took, Jan. 
1, 1916. Since that time he has built a mansion for 
C. B. Shafer, which cost $40,000; constructed the 
brick work in the Physicians’ Office Building at a 
cost of $20,000; put up the Bamby Flat for $10,- 
000 and erected and superintended many residences 
and smaller buildings and including his own two- 
story brick residence. At present he is doing the 
brick work on the new Senior High School Build¬ 
ing, a $60,000 building. 

One feature in connection with Mr. Hogan’s new 
line of work is that upon the guarantee to Combs 
Lumber Co. that he would take care of a certain 
amount of their work as well as the fact that he 
has an excellent- standing with them, he has been 
able to secure financial backing from that strong 
company. 

Mr. Hogan in all his rush of study and work has 
maintained his connection with the church and 
many other bodies. He is a member of the First 
Baptist Church of his city, chairman of the Board 
of Deacons and Superintendent of the Sunday 
School. In Lodge affiliation he is a Mason of the 
32nd degree. 

Mr. Hogan was married in 1903 to Miss Letetia 
Hunter Jones of Macon, Ga. Of the three child¬ 
ren born in the household, two are living. Robert 
H., Jr., died in infancy. Horace Wesley, 10 years 
of age, is in the sixth grade of the public school; 
Marion Letetia is five years old. 



165 












MARSHALL BELL LANIER, A. B, B. 1). 


EVEREND Lanier was born in 
North Carolina, at Mocksville, in 
1869. He first attended the pub¬ 
lic schools of Salem, North Car¬ 
olina, hut did not remain there a 
great while, hut went to Wash¬ 
ington, D. C, where he enrolled in Wayland Semi¬ 
nary. Here he studied for two years, when he 
made another change. He had become deeply im¬ 
pressed that he was called to preach and with a 
view of preparing himself for his ministerial work 
he left Wayland and entered the Lincoln Univer¬ 
sity, located near Philadelphia. He was then a 
young man, barely eighteen years of age, hut very 
ambitious. 

He graduated from the Lincoln University in 
1892, and received from that Institution his degree 
of Bachelor of Arts. Wishing to specialize further 
in Theological studies he took a course in Western 
Theological Seminary, in Pittsburg, Penn., and 
was graduated as Bachelor of Divinity in 1896. 
This was the eventful year in the life of Reverend 
Lanier, for he not only completed his studies and 
received his degree, but it was the year in which 
he was ordained to the ministry and installed in his 


first pastorate. His first pastorate was that of 
Grace church, Pittsburg, Penn. He was soon re¬ 
garded as an eloquent preacher and a sound theolo¬ 
gian and his progress in his new field of labor was 
rapid. 

His reputation as a preacher soon spread and be¬ 
fore he had served his church very long he rceived 
a call to be the Dean of the Theological Depart¬ 
ment of the State University. At the same time 
he was called to be Dean of the University at 
Louisville, Kentucky. He accepted the latter call 
and for eight years has served the institution. 1 he 
holding of this office has not prevented him from 
continuing his work as a minister. He has not ne¬ 
glected his duties in connection with the Univer¬ 
sity, but has at the same time acceptably served 
the following churches as Pastor: First Baptist 
Church of Irvington, Kentucky, and the Corin¬ 
thian Baptist Church, of Frankfort, Kentucky. Pie 
is still the Pastor of the latter church. 

Reverend Lanier is especially interested in 
young men and boys and never tires in working in 
their interest. He sees in them great possibilities 
for the advancement of the race, and is exceeding¬ 
ly ambitious to place before them high ideas of life. 

Along with his duties as Pastor and Dean, he is 
trustee of the Home for Colored boys. This office 
gives him a fine opportunity to get in close touch 
with the boys and lead them to improve their 
minds and hearts. 

While a minister, he does not forget his duties 
to his country and State, and in politics he very 
naturally sides with the Republicans. He is also 
a member of the Masonic fraternity and makes his 
personality felt in that order. 

He was married in 1901, to Miss Maud E. Bryce, 
of Pittsburg, Penn., in whose companionship he 
finds great delight. They live in their own home 
on West Chestnut Street, in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Reviewing the life and work of Reverend Lanier 
it is probable that in no other way could he have 
served his people better than in the manner chosen 
by him. First his years of preparation gave him 
a fund of information which not only fitted him for 
his work, but enabled him to scatter with a lavish 
hand to the youth growing up about him. 

As Dean of the Theological Department of the 
State University at Louisville, Kentucky, he has 
had the privilege of touching with his life a large 
number of young men who are preparing to enter 
the ministry. He has impressed them with his 
high ideals and has sent them forth to influence 
other lives in like manner. 

All over the State of Kentucky, you will find 
men, young and old, who have been helped to a 
better life because at some point, the life of Rev¬ 
erend Lanier touched their’s. 



166 










JOHN A. C. LATTIMORE, M. D. 


O man is a hero to his valet, some¬ 
one has said. This was not the 
case with Dr. John A. C. Latti- 
more, of Louisville, Kentucky. 
Dr. Lattimore was not a valet, but 
he fulfilled the real spirit of the 
he was very close to the man who 
to enter the medical profession. 

Dr. Lattimore when a lad was a buggy boy for 
a physician, Dr. Bullock of Greensboro, Noith 
Carolina. He was a very observant boy and was 
quick to note, as he went with the Doctoi in 
making his daily calls, the cordial greeting he re¬ 
ceived and the high esteem in which he was held. 
He also made a note of the handsome income 
which came from a large practice. 1 bus uncon¬ 
sciously, Dr. Bullock influenced his buggy boy to 
become a physician. Seeing the interest magni¬ 
fied by his buggy boy in his work the good Doctor 
suggested to him that he study medicine, a sug¬ 
gestion which he was quick to adopt. Having 
formed the purpose he held to his comse until 
he received his diploma and hung out his shingle. 

Dr. Lattimore was born in Lawndale, Noith Cat - 
olina, where he received his early training in the 

167 


Lawndale Public Schools. After passing through 
the public schools he entered Bennett College, 
Greensboro, North Carolina, and was graduated 
from this Institution in the fall of 1897. His next 
enrollment was in Meharry Medical College in 
Nashville, Tennessee, from which institution he 
received his doctors degree and the same year, 
1901, he began practicing in Louisville, Kentucky. 

The goal was a magnet to draw him through 
meshes of difficulties before the end was obtained. 

However, his way through school was not one 
fraction so easy as it is to relate. The young med¬ 
ical student was far from rich and had to toil at 
many things to defray his expenses. In vacation 
time, like many other students, he worked in the 
hotels of.Atlantic City, N. J., and New York as bell 
boy and waiter. Throughout Dr. Lattimore’s life 
of hardship as a student he remembers with great 
tenderness the kindness of the president of Ben¬ 
nett College, who took the young man into his 
home and cared for him as a father would do for 
his son. This side of his training brought into the 
life of the young man a new phase, that side which 
neither the text-books nor the laboratory can dis¬ 
cover; that is, the spirit of helpfulness. This, Dr. 
Lattimore exercises in his relation to the individual, 
but more so in his public spirited attitude toward 
life and needs in his community. He is always 
willing and eager to lend a hand to any progressive 
enterprise of his city or state. With money, with 
counsel or with time, he has helped all movements 
for the betterment of his race in his city, state, or 
country. He is found holding many responsible po¬ 
sitions of his city : A member of the executive board 
of National Association for the Advancement of 
Colored People, an ex-member of the board of man¬ 
agers of the Y. M. C. A., a trustee of his church. 
He is a member of the K. of P., of the Masons, of 
the U. B. F. and of the Court of Calanthe. He is 
ex-Grand Medical Register of the Knights of Py¬ 
thias of the state, a postion which he held until he 
resigned to become Treasurer of the Pythian Mu¬ 
tual Industrial Association of Grand Lodge of the 
State, a position he holds until today. In all these 
bodies he is looked upon as a wise leader, a gen¬ 
erous helper, and a man with initiative. He also 
belongs to all the leading Natonal organizations 
of his race: the National Medical Association, and 
National Negro Business League, etc. Dr. Latti¬ 
more is a member of the African Methodist Epis¬ 
copal Church. 

Dr. Lattimore has been fairly successful finan¬ 
cially. He owns a beautiful home and other prop¬ 
erty to the value of ten thousand dollars. He is 
also interested in several business enterprises in 
Louisville. 



saying in that 
influenced him 










ALBERT ERNEST MEYZEEK, A. M. 


ROFESSOR Albert E. Meyzeek, 
Principal of the Normal and East¬ 
ern School of Louisville, Ken¬ 
tucky, is the proverbial human 
dynamo in the school teaching 
world of Louisville. He was once 
who is first to fight for the rights of 
his fellow countrymen. Serious to the point of se¬ 
verity, business like to a fault, a friend to be sought 
after, a foe to be feared, a champion for the rights 
of the black man, but with all a jolly good fellow. 
In business life a mighty factor in the struggle to 
mould the characters of our future men and women 
in the private life, a model husband, a property 
owner and a Christian gentleman. 

The original of the above drawn picture was born 
in Toledo, Ohio. Completing the course in the pub¬ 
lic schools of his native city, he pursued further 
study in Terre Haute, Indiana. Finishing in Terre 
Haute, having planned definitely to make school 
teaching his life work, he entered Indiana State 
Normal College and later studied at the state Uni¬ 
versity. Ready now for the business of life, he 
went to Louisville, Kentucky, and began to work 
in his chosen field. 


Inch by inch he rose in the scale as a school 
teacher, becoming principal of the Grammar, then 
of the Normal and Eastern Schools of Louisville 
and then of the Kentucky State Normal and In¬ 
dustrial School. 

In his school work, Prof. Meyzeek always leaned 
towards the practical, the useful. He put discipline 
and order into the Eastern schools of Louisville, 
because he looked upon discipline as a fundamental 
item in education. He established courses in domes¬ 
tic science even when the city could not provide 
funds for it, because he felt that such was needed 
in the every day lives of his pupils. He organized 
clubs for parents because he saw a means of bring- 
nig parent and child to a better understanding with 
each other and both in a relation to the school. He 
established the Normal training school on a busi¬ 
ness basis, employing teachers specially trained to 
teach teachers, and he organized his courses so that 
those who studied the theory could later secure 
the practice. 

To him was intrusted the establishment of the 
Normal courses and the organization and equip¬ 
ment of same was left entirely to his discretion 
and supervision. Students are appointed to posi¬ 
tions in the public schools according to a list fur¬ 
nished by him and done upon merit and no influ¬ 
ence can change the plan adopted by him. 

Thoroughly alive in all the details of school work. 
Professor Meyzeek nevertheless connected his 
school life with the life of a citizen. Noticing that 
the advertisements in the papers stated “white pre¬ 
ferred” in asking for cooks, he opened courses for 
domestic science that he might improve the effi¬ 
ciency of the colored cooks already in service. He 
entered the campaign for a new Y. M. C. A., was 
the means of securing a pledge of $6,500 from the 
white citizens. He entered in the fight against the 
separate street car law in Louisville and broke the 
back of that measure. He fought the Louisville 
Segregation ordinance tooth and nail, pointing out 
that the white people drove the best colored people 
out of colored sections of the city by planting there 
the white “palaces of sin.” 

It is no wonder that the Kentucky people loved 
Prof. Meyzeek and that various organizations hon¬ 
or him. For more than seventeen years he has been 
a member of the Y. M. C. A. board of directors and 
for ten years, president. The state University re¬ 
cently honored him with the degree of Master of 
Arts. He is a pioneer Juvenile Court worker, a 
promoter of libraries and an all round citizen of 
whom Louisville is exceedingly proud. 

Prof. Meyzeek owns his own home and three 
rent houses in Terre Haute. In 1896 Prof. Mey¬ 
zeek was married to Miss Pearl Hill, who was a 
teacher in the Louisville Public School. 



168 











ROBERT MITCHELL, A. M., D. D. 


EW big undertakings have occur¬ 
red among the Negroes of Ken¬ 
tucky, or indeed among the color¬ 
ed people of the Nation during the 
past quarter of a century without 
enlisting the services of Reverend 


Robert Mitchell, A. M. D. D. of Lexington, Ken¬ 



tucky. He has been in constant demand on the lec¬ 
ture platform, at Chautauquas, at temperance gath¬ 
erings and at revivals. In his denomination and 
out he has worked incessantly. For two yeais he 
was president of the Kentucky State 1 eachers As¬ 
sociation.. For four years he was moderator of the 
General Association of Kentucky Baptists. He was 
for fourteen vears Auditor of the National Baptist 
Convention and is now its vice president. Foi 
twenty-five years he has been a 4 rustee of State 
University at Louisville and still holds his place 
there. He was a member of the committee which 


appeared before the state legislature in 1891against 
the separate car law. Reverend Mitchell was chos¬ 
en by his committee to address the legislature of 
Kentucky on that occasion. Two years later in 
1893, he was a member of the committee from the 
National Baptist Convention to appear before 


President Cleveland on matters pertaining to the 
Negro race. 

In spite of all these extra duties, Dr. Mitchell has 
been a constant and hard worker at a special post. 
He was born in Fulton County, Kentucky, March 
1, 1864. When a mere infant he was taken to Mis¬ 
sissippi where he attended the public schools and 
studied also in private schools. From Mississippi he 
attended the State University in Kentucky, where 
he gained the degree of Master of Arts. From 
Louisville he entered Gaudaloupe, Seguin, Texas, 
where he won the degree of D. D. He is one of 
the many to get his education by waiting on the 
tables mornings and evenings. He preached in odd 
times when he could get a hearing. 

Finishing his course he immediately entered the 
ministry. His first charge was at Paducah, Ivy., 
over the Seventh Street Baptist Church. Here he 
was pastor four years. From Paducah he went to 
Bowling Green, where he served eighteen years, 
two periods of nine years each. He was pastor of 
the Main Street Baptist Church, Lexington, for two 
years: of the First Baptist church of Frankfort five 
and a half years; of the First Baptist church of 
Kansas City, Kansas, three years and of the First 
Baptist Church of Lexington, his present charge, 
two years. He was president of Simmons Memor¬ 
ial College at Bowling Green for eight years. He 
has built one church, completed and paid for the 
State Street Baptist Church of Bowling Green at a 
cost of $7,500, purchased and paid for the present 
site of the First Baptist Church of Frankfort at a 
cost of more than five thousand dollars. 

While he has given himself untiringly to the de¬ 
velopment of his work among his churches, he has 
not been altogether unmindful of his obligations 
to his family and has accumulated a property, per¬ 
sonal and real, valued at eight or ten thousand dol¬ 
lars. 

Dr. Mitchell was married in 1885 to Miss Virginia 
Leech of Paducah. One daughter, Miss Emma B. 
Mitchell has been their only child. She died in 
1911. She was a young woman of rare attainments, 
having been graduated from the Frankfort High 
School and from the Kansas City High School and 
having done special work in both Chicago Univer¬ 
sity and Miami University. 

Dr. Mitchell was appointed also by the National 
Baptist Convention as a member of the delegation 
to the World’s Baptist Alliance, that convened in 
London, England, July 1905, but owing to pressing 
home obligations it was not possible for him to at¬ 
tend. 

He is a splendid specimen of what honesty, 
sturdy pluck, and persistency will do for one, al¬ 
though born and reared under unfavorable circum¬ 
stances. 


169 












REVEREND JAMES JODY McCUTCHEN. 


N November 9th, 1868, in Logan 
County, Kentucky, was born Rev¬ 
erend James J. McCutchen, of 
Lexington, Kentucky, who began 
his career in public by winning 
honors, and throughout his long 
and serviceable career he has continued to carry 
laurels won on fields of labor. Attending the pub¬ 
lic schools of his native county he was awarded the 
gold medal for excellence in scholarship and was 
Valedictorian of his class, in 1891, at Simmons Me¬ 
morial College, Bowling Green, Kentucky. 

His habit of study accpiired in Logan County led 
him into several institutions and into courses, of 
study in various ways.—He took a post graduate 
correspondence course in the scientific studies from 
Danville, New York; gained an honorary degree 
from Eckstein Norton Institute at Cane Spring, 
Kentucky, finished a teacher’s training course with 
the American Baptist Publication Society, and com¬ 
pleted a course of study in stenography. 

The early age at which he finished his education¬ 
al courses gives evidence of an ususually vigorous 
mind, which his after career enlarged and develop¬ 
ed. These courses he finished at the early age of 


sixteen and for some years thereafter he taught 
school. He taught nine years in Logan County, 
where he was born, and two years in Bowling- 
Green Kentucky. From Bowling Green he enter¬ 
ed the Theological College of Glascow, Kentucky, 
where he served as Principal for one year. 

Rev. McCutchen is a Missionary Baptist and 
was ordained to the ministry of that church in the 
year 1893. He took up his work as a minister at 
once after his ordination and found his first field 
of labor in the pastorate of the Bristow Baptist 
Church, of Bristow, Kentucky. Here he labored 
for one year, but gave up the work for a larger 
field, to which he was called. From 1905 to 1913, 
he served as State Missionary for the Western dis¬ 
trict of Kentucky, in which capacity he rendered 
his denomination a great service. The National 
Baptist Home Mission Board and the Southern 
Baptist Board co-operated with the State Board in 
this work. 

He built the church at Daniel Boone, Kentucky; 
remodeled the church at Adairville, Ky., remodeled 
the church at Townsends Grove, Ivy., built the 
church at Auburn, Ky., and two school houses in 
Logan County. He also assisted in establishing 
the “Baptist Voice,” a Baptist paper which is pub¬ 
lished at Princeton, Ivy., and is at present the offi¬ 
cial organ of the Baptists of Western Kentucky. 

His good work was of a character to stand, for 
he built upon a good foundation 

When he accepted the Main Street Baptist 
Church, Lexington, Kentucky., that body was heav¬ 
ily in debt and much discouraged, and there was 
a great falling off in membership. 

Reverend McCutchen in less than two years rais¬ 
ed over nine thousand dollars ($9,000), re-united the 
forces of the church, lifted the mortgage, put in 
a two thousand dollar ($2,000) pipe organ, put in 
modern equipment and appliances, and added 275 
members, which gave the church a total member¬ 
ship of 1200. In his career as minister, he has bap¬ 
tized some 1400 souls. 

The great denomination to which he belongs re¬ 
cognized his ability as a leader and has placed him 
in many positions of honor and responsibility. He 
is First Assistant Moderator for the State, and 
holds the position of Secretary of the Minister’s 
and Deacons’ meeting of Lexington and vicinity. 

Reverend McCutchen has been twice married; 
the first time to Miss Katy Morrow, of Mortimer, 
Kentucky, in 1892. She died in 1897, leaving a son, 
Walter L., who died at the age of sixteen, having 
graduated from the preparatory department of M. 
and F. College, Hopkinsville, Ky. The second Mrs. 
McCutchen was Mrs. Lucy Morse, of Mayfield. 
Kentucky. They were married at Mayfield in 1900. 



170 






REVEREND ELMORE THEVALL OFFUTT. 



MONG the Baptist of Kentucky, 
Reverend Elmore Thevall Offutt, 
Lexington, Kentucky, is one of 
the peers. His preparation has 
been ample and thorough: his 
knowledge or education from con¬ 
tact and experience has been fully as broad and in¬ 
timate as his studies in books. 

He is out and out a Kentuckian. He was horn 
in Logan County March 17th, 1871. For several 
years he attended common school but because of a 
lack of finance he was forced to stop school and to 
remain on the farm where he worked in the tobac- 
to fields to aid in the support of the family. At the 
age of eighteen by the consent of his father he went 
to Louisville to find work with the idea of finish¬ 
ing his education. It was there he learned the 
tanner’s trade, working during the day and study¬ 
ing at night. At noon hours or whenever oppor - 
trinity permitted he used the blacked side of a tan¬ 
ned cow hide as a substitute for a black boaid upon 


which he solved problems in mathematics and dia¬ 
gramed sentences which he had not been able to 
solve the preceding night. 

He was married in Louisville in 1893 to Miss Jo¬ 


anna Kemble, whose faithful cooperation and Chris¬ 
tian life has made his success possible. There are 
nine children in the Ofifutt family: Miss Elnora B. 
who is teaching in the public school, Elmore T. Jr., 
Barnett, James Arthur, Olivia, Queenie, Garland 
and William, who are students and pupils in school 
and Joanna Kimble Offutt who is yet a baby. 

He was converted and baptized into the fellow¬ 
ship of the Portland Baptist Church in 1894 and 
was ordained to the gospel ministry in 1896. In 
connection with his school work he has sucessfully 
pastored the following churches each of which 
protested his resignation: Harrods Creek, Jeffer¬ 
son County; Elk Creek, Spencer County; Indiana 
Ave. Baptist Church, Jeffersonville, Ind.; La 
Grange, Oldham County, Ky.; Eminence, Henry 
County; Portland Baptist Church, Louisville, which 
he resigned to accept his present charge, the Pleas¬ 
ant Green Baptist Church, Lexington, Ky. He has 
recently written a short history of this church 
which is of great value to those who are interested 
in the early history of Baptists in this country. This 
is the oldest Colored Baptist church west of the Al- 
leghanies and one of the oldest in the United States. 
It was organized in 1790, has a membership of 
twelve hundred and a property valuation of thirty 
thousand dollars. The prosperity of the church 
was never greater than at present. 

In 1901, he entered State University, Louisville, 
an opportunity he recognized as answer to prayer. 
Here, he was not long in making his presence felt, 
becoming a brilliant student in most of the branches 
he pursued. After his graduation from the Colleg¬ 
iate and Theological departments, he became a 
teacher in the University, a position he filled with 
credit for several years. While teaching at the 
University he continued his pastoral duties and 
studied medicine in the Louisville National Medi¬ 
cal College. He has also taken a course in law 
from the American Correspondence School of Law, 
Chicago. 

Rev. Offutt is active in both the state and nation¬ 
al work of his denomination. For several years he 
served as moderator of Central District Association 
of Kentucky Baptist. Because of his modesty and 
Christian piety combined with his general knowl¬ 
edge, especially of the Bible, he is held in high es¬ 
teem by the ministry and has been honored for the 
past three years by the minister’s meeting of his 
city as lecturer on the Sunday School lesson, one of 
which is delivered each Monday morning. In his 
church he conducts a class twice a week for the 
benefit of all ministers who have not had the ad¬ 
vantage of theological training. He is interested 
in the Sunday School work of the State and con¬ 
ducts institutes in his own district convention. He 
is a contributor to the Sunday School Teacher pub¬ 
lisher by the National Baptist Publishing Board, 
Nashville, Tenn. From time to time he has served 
on the various boards of the National Baptist Con¬ 
vention and is now a member and treasurer of the 
Educational Board of that body. 


171 













CHARLES HENRY PARRISH, A. B„ A. M., 
D. D., LL, D„ F. R. G. S. 


T was the late Mark Twain who 
insisted that mere facts contained 
by far more mystery and more 
thrills than fiction. Such certain¬ 
ly are the facts of the life of Dr. 
C. H. Parrish. D. D., F. R. G. S., 
the Eckstein Norton University, 
Cane Springs, Ivy., and thirty years pastor of the 
Calvary Baptist Church, Louisville, Ky. Dr. Par¬ 
rish was born a slave on the Beverly A. Hicks plan¬ 
tation in Lexington, Ky. At ten years of age he 
was converted and baptized, by Reverend James 
Monroe, Pastor First Baptist Church, Lexington. 
Ky. Shortly after this he began a life that has 
been crowned with rare distinctions, unusual and 
out-of-the-way honors and happenings. 

Dr. Parrish began to win laurels in school. One 
of the early students in the State University, he was 
the first valedictorian from the college department 
of that insitution. This was in 1886. The Univer¬ 
sity thought so well of its first valedictorian that it 
afterwards engaged him as a Professor of Greek 
and secretary and treasurer of Eckstein University. 

Jointly with the Reverend Win. J. Simmons, he 
founded the Eckstein Institute, in 1890, where he 
remained as its President for twenty two years, at 


which time Eckstein Institute was connected with 
Lincoln Institute. Dr Parrish is Secretary of the 
Board of Trustees of Lincoln Institute. 

During this period, so full of responsible labors, 
he remained the Pastor of the Calvary Baptist 
Church, of Louisville Kentucky, never once halting 
in his active duties in connection therewith. His 
time was fully occupied in teaching, preaching, vis¬ 
iting and the other multiform duties of a city pas¬ 
torate. He won the degree of A. B. and A. M. and 
D. D. from the Kentucky State University, LL. D. 
from the Central Law School and Fellow of the 
Royal Geographical Society from London. 

He went to the world’s Baptist Congress, which 
met in Jerusalem in 1894; was messenger to the 
World’s Sunday School Convention the same year; 
under the direction of Karl Mascliar inspector of 
German Baptist Missions, he traveled through Ger¬ 
many and preached in seventeen German towns, 
winning six hundred converts; he was a messen¬ 
ger to the Baptists of Jamaica in 1915; he has trav¬ 
eled through the Holy Land and has stood waist 
deep in the waters of the river Jordan; he has 
baptised believers in the Carribean Sea, and in the 
Gulf of Mexico. 

Traveling thus abroad and extensively in this 
country, Dr. Parrish has nevertheless held no end 
of important posts at home. As has been stated, 
he has been the pastor of the Calvary Baptist 
Church of Louisville for thirty years. He is Sup¬ 
erintendent of the Kentucky Home for Colored 
Children ; president of the citizens National Hospi¬ 
tal and Vice President of the Mammoth Life and 
Accident Insurance Company; Ex-Moderator of 
the General Association of Kentucky Baptists. Yet 
these side duties appear only to have multiplied Dr. 
Parrish’s offices in the church. He has baptised 
1500 persons, united 160 couples in marriage, 
preached 548 funerals, preached 3000 sermons and 
delivered even more lectures. Probably his great¬ 
est effort as. a pulpit orator came at the Nashville 
Convention a few years ago, known as the fiftieth 
Jubilee sermon. Dr. J. M. Frost of Nashville, said 
of the sermon : “It was a most fitting crown of the 
fifty years of remarkable progress of the colored 
people.” 

Many of his sermons and tracts have appeared in 
print. Aside from these he has published several 
books entitled: “What Baptists Believe,” “God and 
His People,” “The Gospel in the Adjustment of 
Race Differences,” “Orient Light or Travels in the 
Holy Land,” “The Golden Jubilee of Kentucky Bap¬ 
tists.” 

Dr. Parrish was married in 1898 to Miss Mary V. 
Cook, of Bowling Green, Kentucky. One son, 
Charles Henry, Jr., has been born into the Parrish 
Home. The young man is now in school in How¬ 
ard University, Washington, D. C. 



172 









OTHO DANDRITH PORTER, A. B, M. D. 

R. O. D. Porter, A. B. and M. D. 
is one of those to contradict the 
saying that the prophet is without 
honor in his own country. Born in 
Bowling Green, Kentucky, he has 
spent most of his life there. As a 
boy he attended the public schools there. As a 
young man struggling to find the light he worked 
in and around his native city. 

On finishing the public schools of Bowling Green, 
Dr. Porter went out as a school teacher and for 
years gave instruction in the country schools. Two 
factors contributed to his stay in the school room: 
one was that he was' not yet fully persuaded of his 
calling: the other, persuasion or not, he had to 
earn a livelihood and also pay his way if he de¬ 
cided to study further. 

His experience with the people in the country 
soon pointed to a decision. The people’s ways of 
eating, of sleeping, of wearing clothes convinced 
him that no need was so crying as that for a phy¬ 
sician and a social worker, one who not only admin¬ 
istered drugs, but spread everywhere and at all 
times common knowledge of health and sanitation. 

So persuaded, he entered Fisk University piepai- 
atory department in 1884. He was not seeking 

173 


short cuts but thorough preparaton. From the pre¬ 
paratory department, he entered the college from 
which he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in 
1891. During this time he taught school in Ken¬ 
tucky, Tennessee, Texas, and many other places to 
earn money to make his way. However, though he 
had to work his way, he stood as one of the best 
scholai s of his class and one of the institution’s 
strongest men. 

F r °m bisk, Mr. Porter enrolled as a medical stu¬ 
dent m Meharry Medical College. From here he 
received his doctor’s degree in three years. Back 
to his native home he went, passed the state ex¬ 
amination and set out to right the wrongs of health 
such as he had seen during his boyhood days and 
during his school teaching in the country. Know- 
mg Ins community and state. Dr. Porter was able 
to go to the heart of his work at once. He has 
been practicng a little more than 20 years. During 
this period, though he came out of school all but 
penniless, he has equipped himself with the best 
books and tools his profession affords, has his auto¬ 
mobile, owns some of the choicest real estate in 
Bowling Green and owns and lives in a two-tory 
brick resdence. His two-story office building faces 
main street and joins the costly lot on which is 
built the $150,000.00 Custom House. 

During the few years of his practice, Dr. Porter 
has been president of the National Medical Asso¬ 
ciation of Colored Physicians and Surgeons, a post 
to which he was elected in 1899. One of the best 
facts about his election to this post is the fact that 
it came unsought. He is one of the founders of the 
State Medical Association and is a member of the 
State Association of both white and colored doc¬ 
tors. 

Doctor Porter was married in April, 1895, to Miss 
Carry Bridges of Macon, Miss. Mrs. Porter was 
educated at Fisk Universty. To her Dr. Porter 
gives most of the praise for his success. 

From his own town comes this tribute: 

“The public takes keen interest in Dr. Porter’s 
work. The white physicians have no hesitancy in 
sitting in consultation with him because they know 
his worth and ability as a physician, and therefore 
value highly his opinion in cases which require 
rare skill and experience. He is thoroughly inter¬ 
ested in all business, social or benevolent move¬ 
ments for the advancement of the race in this city 
a..d vicinity, and never refuses to give encourage¬ 
ment to the struggling young men and women of 
the race. As busy as Dr. Porter is with matters 
as above indicated, he devotes time to religious 
work in his church in an official capacity. 

Dr. Porter believes in race co-operation along all 
lines, and his willingness to help his people by serv¬ 
ing at the head of many organized bodies for uplift 
in this city is an evidence of his sincerity.” 







































WILLIAM HENRY STEWARD 





William Henry Steward 


Y virtue of devoted services as well 
as by dint of years, William H. 
Steward of Louisville, Kentucky, 
is known throughout the country 
as the “Dean of Colored Editors.” 

He began the publication of the 
American Baptist in 1879. For thirty eight years 
therefore he has molded the sentiments of his peo¬ 
ple both in his state and wherever Baptists are 
found. But the American Baptist has merely serv¬ 
ed as a sort of peg for him to hang on while he 
labored here and advised there. For fourteen years 
he was secretary of the National Baptist Conven¬ 
tion. For forty years he has been secretary of the 
Kentucky Baptist Association, and for forty years 
chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Kentucky 
State University. 

Mr. Steward was born on July 26, 1847, at a time 
when neither the advantages of education nor op¬ 
portunities knocked very energetically on the black 
boy’s cabin door, but his ear was keen to hear even 
the slight knocking of opportunity and to seize it 
by the forelocks while it was passing. 

He received the ground work of his education 
through private instruction and when he had ad¬ 
vanced to a certain point he was sent to Louisville 
where he entered private schools. He proved an 
apt pupil and became very proficient as a scholar 
so that when emancipation came he was ready to 
take his place as an efficient worker and leader 
among his people. 

His preparation during the period of slavery was 
a God send to both himself and his people for his 
services came at a time when the demand for edu¬ 
cated leadership among the Negroes was great and 
the supply exceedingly small. 

Mr. Steward was quick to recognize the situa¬ 
tion and quick to respond to the cry of help and 
to devote his life to the uplift of his race. 

Like most persons who at that time chanced to 
have an education, Mr. Steward entered the pi<>- 
fession of school teaching. He began at h rank- 
fort, Kentucky, where he taught for three yeai s. 
From Frankfort, he returned to his native heath, 
Louisville, continuing in the same profession. 

The teaching profession did not offer the model- 
ate income and fair opportunities for service and 
advancement as it does now. Mr. Steward there¬ 
fore left the schoolrooms. He entered the employ 
of the railroad and for a number of years served 
as messenger for the Louisville and Nashville Rail¬ 
road Company. From Railroad messengei he be 
came letter carrier, being the first colored mail car¬ 
rier ever appointed in the city of Louisville. Hus 

175 


post he held for sixteen years. By this time he had 
established himself as a thinker and writer. His 
paper had become known along with him. He could 
now give his time to the publishing of the American 
Baptist and to the uplift work with which he had 
aligned himself from the beginning of his career. 

He had begun his career by joining the church. 
In 1867, when he launched out as a school teacher, 
he became a member of the Fifth Street Baptist 
Church in Louisville. Subsequently he taught a 
Sunday School class, the largest in his church, be¬ 
came secretary of the choir and Sunday School 
Superintendent. He was elected secretary of the 
Board of Directors of the Louisville Colored Public 
Schools from which place lie was later advanced to 
chairman of the board. He joined the Masonic 
Lodge and was soon made Grand Master. In 1905 
he was chosen one of the lay delegates to the 
World’s Congress which was held in London, Eng¬ 
land. 

Mr. Steward has traveled much, mainly as a 
newspaper man and as an active servant of his 
people. Few Negro organizations assemble with¬ 
out him. The late Dr. Washington was won’t to 
say, speaking at the annual Farmers Conference, 
“This conference would be very incomplete without 
the presence of Mr. W. H. Steward, he has come 
here regularly with his sympathy and words of 
cheer for years.” 

Mr. Steward lives in his own home, a brick res¬ 
idence in Louisville, surrounded by a happy and well 
educated family. He was married to Miss Mamie 
E. Lee, in Lexington, in 1878. Mrs. Steward is well 
known herself as an educator and a woman of tal¬ 
ent. She was for years a teacher of music at the 
State University, a native Baptist worker among 
women and a lecturer in continual demand. There 
are three daughters and one son in the Steward 
family Misses Lucy B. and Jennette L. are gradu¬ 
ates of the Louisville High School; Miss Carolyna 
is not only a graduate from the High School, but 
from the State University. All three have been 
successful school teachers. Willim H. Jr., is a Me¬ 
chanical Engineer, being a graduate of the Armour 
School of Technology of Chicago. He was for two 
years a teacher in Tuskegee Institute, having 
charge of the school’s heating plant and lending 
great aid in the construction of the larger Tuske¬ 
gee heating and lighting plant. He is drafting en¬ 
gineer. 

The veteran editor and worker, though seventy 
years of age, is still in the heyday of service, active 
in mind and in body, editing, lending aid, giving ad¬ 
vice, attending organizations just as if he were ne¬ 
ver to grow old. 








EDWARD E. UNDERWOOD, M. D. 


HE black man of the North and of 
the West is rapidly coming into 
his own. Time was when the man 
of the South boasted that the 
“Doers” all came from their ranks. 
Not so in these days. Dr. E. E. 
Underwood is a conspicious ex¬ 
ample of the plucky boy born and 
reared in the West. Dr. Underwood was born in 
Mt. Pleasant, Ohio, in 1864. As a lad he attended 
the Mt. Pleasant High School, where he was grad¬ 
uated in 1881. Ten years later he was graduated 
from the medical department of the Western Re¬ 
serve College of Cleveland, Ohio. For a time he 
studied theology under the direction of a private 
tutor. 

On graduating from the Medical College, Dr. 
Underwood began to practice medicine, hanging 
out his sign in Frankfort, Kentucky. For twen¬ 
ty-five years, now he has practiced medicine in 
Frankfort. In that time he has carried honors 
and responsibilities enough to stagger the average 
man. He was for seven years a school teacher, 
teaching in the Enerson Colored School, of Ohio. 

In 1891 he began the editorship of th e “Blue 
Grass Fugle,” the colored weekly of Frankfort, 
which was edited by him for ten years. He was 
for four years assistant city physician of Frank¬ 
fort; for fourteen years secrctaiy of the U. S. 
Board of Pension Examining Surgeons. In 1910 
he established the People’s Pharmacy and was its 

176 


first president. He has been its secretary since 
1911. He is Educational Editor of the Lexington 
News; is author of the “History of Colored Church¬ 
es of Frankfort,” and of several poems. 

Besides all of these duties and honors, Dr. Un¬ 
derwood has been a “Daniel Boone” among and 
for the Negroes of his section. The numbers of 
first times for a colored man to do things in his 
section seems to fall upon him. He was the first 
colored student to enter and graduate from the 
Mt. Pleasant, (Ohio) High School; first colored 
member of the Jefferson County (Ohio) Republican 
Committee; first Negro member of the Mt. Pleas¬ 
ant, City Council, being elected over four white 
aspirants for the office. He is the first colored 
member of the Board of Regents of Kentucky Nor¬ 
mal and Industrial Institute, having been appoint¬ 
ed by Governor Bradley in 1898, and appointed 
again by Governor Wilson, in 1907. 

Large as the number of first things that Dr. Un¬ 
derwood has done, they utterly pale before the num¬ 
ber of organizations with which he is actively affi¬ 
liated. 

Dr. Underwood is a Mason, a Knight Templar, 
a Knight of Pythias, an Odd Fellow, United Bro¬ 
ther of Friendship, member of the Union Benevo¬ 
lent Society, and of the Mosiac Templars. He is 
not merely a member of good standing in these 
bodies, but has held offices in all of them. He is 
at present Supreme Keeper of Records and Seals, 
of the Knights of Pythias, N. A. S. A. E. A. and A., 
and member of the Kentucky State Board cf Man¬ 
agers of the United Brothers of Friendship. 

Having so wide and intimate contact with his 
people, Dr. Underwood became extremely sensi¬ 
tive to their needs and to the wrongs they have 
suffered. Thus he is found undertaking many ser¬ 
vices in their defense and for their uplift. From 
1891 to 1893, he was Executive Secretary of the 
Anti-Separate Coach State Executive Committee, 
which tested the constitutionality of the “Jim 
Crow” law. In 1895, he was the Kentucky Commis¬ 
sioner to the Cotton States Exposition, which was 
held in Atlanta, and at which Booker T. Wash¬ 
ington leaped into fame as an orator. Two years 
later he was commissioner from his State to the 
Tennessee Centennial Exposition, held in Nash¬ 
ville. In 1898, he organized and was first presi¬ 
dent of the State League of Colored Republican 
Clubs of Kentucky. He is a member of the Frank¬ 
lin County Republican Committee in his State and 
has been a delegate to every Republican State 
Convention since 1892. He was delegate at large 
to the Republican National Convention of 1904 and 
was strongly endorsed in his State for Register 
of the United States Treasury in 1909. He is 
president of the Franklin County Colored Ag¬ 
ricultural and Industrial Association, member of 
the National Medical Association, of the Nation¬ 
al Association of Pension Examining Surgeons, of 
the National Negro Business League, of the Na¬ 
tional Association for the Advancement of Thrift 
among Colored people and of the Kentucky State 
Medical Association. 

Dr. Lhiderwood married Miss Sarah J. Walker. 
There are two sons : Ellworth W. and Robert M., 
the former is a student in the Dept, of Pharmacy, 
Western Reserve University of Cleveland, the lat¬ 
ter a Senior in the Frankfort Colored High School. 
















DR. RANDOLPH FRANKLIN WHITE. 


HILE he is really filling the place 
of a modest business and profes¬ 
sional man, Dr. Randolph Frank¬ 
lin White, the Negro Pharmacist, 
of Owensboro, Kentucky, has so 
so happily mixed business, educa¬ 
tion, work and travel, that he may be almost called 
a globe trotter. His travels, which all the time 
had in them the purpose of business, have taken 
him into the leading cities of America, into Can¬ 
ada, into Hawaii, into Japan, and into the Philip¬ 
pine Islands. Few men have made the profession 
of pharmacy serve them such triple service—pro¬ 
vide travel, gain experience and supply a livelihood. 

Dr. White was born in Warrentown, Florida, 
June 25th., 1870. He spent his early school days 
in his native State, and early made up his mind to 
become a pharmacist. To this end he entered Ho¬ 
ward University, from which he graduated in 1897. 
But Dr. White cannot be said to have begun or to 
have completed his course at any one time. As he 
mixed travel with business, so he mixed school ed¬ 
ucation and practical education, d hus while he 
was attending Howard University, pursuing a 
course in Pharmacy, he was at the same time gain¬ 

177 


ing practical experience in Pharmacy, working for 
the Plumnur Pharmacy, in Washington, D. C. 

His graduation in 1897 was therefore more at¬ 
taining freedom and license for he was already ripe 
in his calling, ready to take charge and manage ra¬ 
ther than serve the usual apprenticeship. He found 
no trouble under the circumstances with securing 
good responsible posts at the very outset. His 
fiist position was in Louisville, Kentucky. Here 
he took charge of the Peoples’ Drug Store, and 
ran it, giving satisfaction to its stockholders. From 
Louisville he went to Lexington and for a time 
joined forces with Dr. Ballard. He was already 
well known as a pharmacist. The United States 
Government, needing a Hospital Steward, Dr. 
White was appointed to the post, and commission¬ 
ed to serve in the Philippines. Here he worked for 
two years, from 1899 to 1901. Hence it was that 
he got his trip to the Orient, and other countries 
while he was away from the United States. 

Having completed his travels and finished his 
services with the Government, he returned to Ken¬ 
tucky, to begin business for himself. In 1901 he 
opened a drug store in Owensboro. Dr. White had 
some difficulty in securing a place to begin busi¬ 
ness. He therefore bought the store which he 
was to use and which he still uses. His business 
prospered from the outset, as he had had wide ex¬ 
perience in handling drugs and in handling people. 
He owns his home and his store in Owensboro and 
owns three rent houses in Lexington. 

Dr. White is a good churchman and a member 
of several fraternal bodies. He is an Episcopalian, 
a Mason, an Odd Fellow, U. B. F., and a Knight of 
Pythias. In the Masonic order he is Deputy Grand 
Master of the State. 

Dr. White was married in Lexington, July 23, 
1901, to Miss Fannie Hathaway. 

Almost every city has some one individual or 
business which holds a unique position because of 
some marked and distinctive feature or characte¬ 
ristic. 

Thus in Owensboro, Kentucky, Dr. Randolph 
Franklin White is known as the Pharmacist. 

He has won this distinction from his remarkable 
success in business, which is universally recog¬ 
nized, but not from this alone, his valued services 
to the Government during his travels abroad make 
their contribution to the enviable reputation he 
enjoys. 

His thorough knowledge of his business is evi¬ 
denced in the great success he has achieved in it 
and this with his courteous manner and elevated 
bearing commands the respect of all who deal with 
him. 










WILLIAM HILLIARD WRIGHT. 



HERE was a time when the Negro 
lawyer was the jest of his own 
and of the white race. He was 
not allowed to practice in the 
courts; or if accorded the techni¬ 
cal privilege, he was denied the 
genuine right. He was a lawyer in name and often 
well prepared for his work, but prejudice stepped 
between him and the practice of his profession and 
embarrassed him in his efforts to win recognition. 
His earnings were therefore next to nothing. 
His clothes were thread-bare; his home depleted; 
he and his family, were he so rash as to marry, 
went hungry. 

Yet with the true spirit of the pioneer, the black 
lawyer has endured the whips and scorns of the 
courts and of the public until he is no longer the 
mark of open rebuke. Patiently winning his way 
he has faced and overcome opposition, met ridi¬ 
cule with intellectual force, and dignity, and with 
a kind though determined spirit, has finally won 
recognition from both the Court and the Bar. 

He now even boasts a home of his own; good 
clothes, and a happy family. He enters the courts, 
especially in the West and handles his cases on his 
merit. 


Slowly the men of his profession have devel¬ 
oped sufficient esprit d’corps to accord him at 
least common courtesy. To win this recognition 
he has had to study hard, endure and persevere. 
All the time, he like all men of professional careers 
among black folk, has had to serve as missionary 
to his people on the one hand and batter down by 
every sort of means their prejudices on the other. 
Surely no men deserve more gratitude from their 
people, for whatever has been their endeavor, the 
first impulse of the public was that the lawyer 
was really “something out for a suit” and not real¬ 
ly seeking the public good. 

While Mr. Wright’s large and ever-growing law 
practice requires most of his time, and attention, 
he is not unmindful of civic matters and the devel¬ 
opment of his people. He is always on the alert 
to seize upon every suggestion that will conduce 
to their uplift and is foremost in all plans looking 
to that end. 

In Louisville, for example, the white citizens have 
what is known as the “Million Dollar Foundation 
Fund. Mr. Wright was much impressed with the 
idea resulting in the organization and reasoned 
that a like organization would be helpful to the 
colored race. Co-operating with the colored bus¬ 
iness and professional men of the city, a club sim¬ 
ilar in purpose is in process of forming. The Negro 
Club is to be a $100,000 Mercantle Foundation 
Fund. 

The prime mover in this endeavor among the col¬ 
ored people is William H. Wright of Louisville. Mr. 
Wright has been before the public of his state for 
many years, both as a professional man and as a 
man of business. As a student, a professional and 
business man, Mr. Wright is amply equipped for 
the great undertaking. Born in Livingston, Ala¬ 
bama, he was educated in Selma University, Selma, 
Alabama, in the State University, Louisville, Ken¬ 
tucky, and in the department of law, Howard Uni¬ 
versity, Washington, D G For the most part he 
worked his way through all these schools. He be¬ 
gan the practice of law in Louisville, in 1904. He 
organized the first Negro Insurance Company of 
Kentucky and thus educated many colored people 
up to the idea of insurance and to entrusting their 
money to Negro enterprises. Since 1904 he has 
been able to amass considerable property holdings, 
as he owns his office building on Sixth Street in 
Louisville, and several rent houses. 

Mr. Wright is a Baptist in religious affiliation, 
and is a member of the Fifth Street Baptist Church, 
a Mason, Odd Fellow, K. of P. and Mosaic Templar. 

He has traveled extensively both in the United 
States and Canada, his travels giving him an en¬ 
larged view of life. He has not yet traveled upon 
the sea of matrimony, and so the pleasure of that 
voyage still awaits him. 


178 












HOMER MILTON CHARLES. 

HIS successful business man, of 
Chalmette, Louisiana St. Bernard 
Parish, has one of the most pros¬ 
perous businesses in Louisiana. 
His reputation is not only state¬ 
wide, but generally national. He 
is a life member of the National Negro Business 
Men’s League, is an attendant at all meetings of 
this bod}^, and an enthusiastic supporter of the Ne¬ 
gro Business ideas. Mr. Charles has not always 
moved with men of larger finance among Negroes. 
He has know the pinch of need and has vivid recol¬ 
lections of hard struggles to gain a footing. 

Mr. Charles was born in St. Martin Parish, La., 
July 4, 1861. Two years later his parents moved 
to St. Bernard Parish. His schooling consisted of 
what he gained in the public school of said Parish 
and of a private tutor, at home. However, he 
was one of the family of thirteen children, which 
usually means that as soon as the boys are able to 
earn a penny they must be up and away to their 
post. Being very industrious, he was employed 
on a sugar farm, where he filled many positions. 
Later on he began truck farming with his father. 

In 1887, feeling that he must still make the de¬ 

179 


termined start, he launched forth in business. His 
undertaking was modest enough; consisting of a 
fiuit stand on the river bank in a store nine by nine 
feet. There were three conspicious features to the 
whole setting; first, that he was determined to sell 
as cheap as his competitors; second, that with the 
assistance of his wife, he was satisfied to be as ec¬ 
onomical as any one else; third, that as he had that 
ambition to push forward, was determined to be 
as polite to his customers as his competitors. This 
spot was near Chalmette National Cemetary, on the 
historic spot where the “Battle of New Orleans” 
was fought. It was one of the rather few instances 
in which a Negro dared to become a fruit dealer. 
Inch by inch, as the song goes, he developed his 
business. Taking his basket on his shoulder, he 
peddled his fruits from house to house, until he 
had built up confidence, .gained patronage and the 
respect of the entire community. Then he purchas¬ 
ed a one-horse wagon ; then followed two horses 
and wagon to meet the demand for deliveries. 

He was already married to Miss Hester Anderson 
of St. Bernard in the year 1885. She was the si¬ 
lent but effective partner during these stages of 
uncertainty. She did work in private families, 
helping to provide food for the family and some¬ 
times capital for the business. Four daughters 
sprang from this union, three of whom are living. 
Miss Sadie died while preparing for graduation at 
New Orleans University. The others are: Misses 
Augusta, Mary and Clara. Miss Clara, the young¬ 
est, is still in school. 

Today Mr. and Mrs. Charles are among the lead¬ 
ing property owners of Louisiana. Besides own¬ 
ing their home, they have stock in the Friscoville 
Realty Company, of St. Bernard and have several 
houses for rent. 

Mr. Charles is what is often called an organiza¬ 
tion man, believing as he does in organization of 
men into bodies as means of promoting race wel¬ 
fare. He is Catholic in his religion ; a member of 
Felicity Lodge K. P. No. 199, Daughters of Cres¬ 
cent Tab. No. 27, Progressive Aid Mutual Benefit 
Association. In the business and educational 
world, he is a life member of the National Negro 
Business Men’s League, an honorary member of 
the Bergemont Educational Association, a member 
of the Fazendville Educational Association, a stock 
holder in the Bank of St. Bernard, a stock holder 
in the World Bottling Company, New Orleans. He 
has traveled over the United States on business, and 
for pleasure and relaxation. 

During his residence m St. Bernard Parish, Mr. 
Charles has built up such a reputation of integrity 
and honesty as to be considered the most respon¬ 
sible Negro Citizen in his community by both his 
people and the White authorities. 













Walter L. Cohen 


N New Orleans, Louisiana, Jan¬ 
uary 22, 1860, was born Walter 
L. Cohen; and the place of his 
birth has been the scene of most 
of his active life. Here he has 
lived and made a place for himself 
world, in the fraternal world, and 
in the political world, as well as one of prominence 
in the social world. As a young lad, he attended 
the public schools of New Orleans, and then spent 
two years in Straight University, of New Orleans, 
and one year in the St. Louis Catholic School. 
While his opportunity for attending school lasted 
we find the young man applying himself diligently 
to the work in hand. Indeed this has been the key¬ 
note of his whole life—applying himself to the 
work then in hand. 

While still a boy he started out to learn to be a 
cigar maker, but because he was not a smoker, he 
was made ill by this work and had to give it up. 
His next work was in a saloon. Here he remained 
for about four years. In 1889 he gave up his work 
in the saloon to take up the work of United States 
Inspector. Later he was promoted to the position 
of Lieutenant of the United States Inspectors. In 
this capacity he served until the democrats took 
charge, when he resigned the position. In 1899 he 
was appointed Register of the United States Land 
Office at New Orleans. This appointment came 
from President McKinley and he was re-appointed 
by President Roosevelt. He served in this office 
until 1911. We find that Mr. Cohen has been very 
active in politics for a great number of years. He 
was a delegate to the National Republican Con¬ 
vention, in 1892, 1898, 1900, 1904, 1908, 1912 and in 
1916. He is the recognized leader of the fight 
against the “Lily White Republicans of Louisiana.” 
So active has Mr. Cohen been in the interest of his 
people in his native city that the Mayor of the city 
appointed him as a chairman of the colored citi¬ 
zens committee. This committee has charge of all 
matters concerning the education and general wel¬ 
fare of the colored people of New Orleans. In this 
capacity Mr. Cohen has had a great opportunity 
to help his race, an opportunity which he was quick 
to seize and which he used to their best advantage. 

In another line of work, he has done equally as 
much for the betterment of his people. He is 
President of the People’s Industrial Life Insurance 
Company.. Mr. Cohen owns three-fifths of the 
stock of this company. To do the work of the 
company there are employed nearly one hundred 
colored agents. In all they collect over $100,000.00 
in premiums yearly. The organization of this com¬ 


pany furnishes work—work where our young peo¬ 
ple can earn a livelihood and still keep their self 
respect. Mr. Cohen has also one third interest in 
two drug stores. In addition to the money inves¬ 
ted in these concerns he owns his beautiful resi¬ 
dence in the city and a summer home in Bay St. 
Louis, Mississippi. 

Mr. Cohen leads a full, active life and it would 
seem that his private interests would command his 
entire time, nevertheless, he is found upon the mem¬ 
bership roll of a number of organizations. 

He is a member of Mt. Olive Lodge, No 21, Ma¬ 
sons ; Zenith Lodge No. 175, Knights of Pythias; 
Pride of Louisiana, No. 1324, Grand United Order 
of Odd Fellows. He has been president of the Ec¬ 
onomy Benefit Association for twenty-four years. 
This last named organization is composed of the 
old creole citizens in New Orleans, they first or¬ 
ganized themselves in 1836.Mr. Cohen is also Pres¬ 
ident of the Iroquois Social Club, and Vice-Presi¬ 
dent of Providence Hospital Board of Administra¬ 
tors. 

In these times of war our country has not fail¬ 
ed to recognize the need of strong men to help back 
her in all her efforts to conquer Germany. It is 
not surprising that Mr. Cohen was early called upon 
to take a part and he did his share of the work 
well. He was a member of the Speakers Bureau, 
whose duty was to speak in the interest of Liberty 
Bonds, Red Cross and other war measures. He was 
also the representative of the colored people on the 
Executive Committee for War Saving Stamps for 
New Orleans. 

In religious belief, Mr. Cohen is a Catholic. He 
is active in the affairs of his church. He serves 
as a member of the board of Directors of the St. 
Louis Catholic School. In the St Joseph Catholic 
Church, New Orleans, Louisiana, Mr. Cohen was 
married, to Miss Wilhelmina M. Seldon, March 19, 
1882. There is a family of four children, two boys 
and two girls. Walter L. Cohen, Jr., and Benjamin 
B. Cohen, work with their father in the Insurance 
Company and are following in his footsteps, and 
are being trained to carry on this business, when 
their father retires. Miss Margret R. Cohen is a 
school teacher and Miss Camille is now Mrs. Bell 
and is a cashier in one of her father’s drug stores. 
As is seen from this, Mr. Cohen has provided pay¬ 
ing positions for his own children in developing his 
business ability, as well as providing places for 
the children of others. What he is doing for his 
children in a material way will not compare with 
what he has done to fit them for life. 



in the business 


180 









PAUL H. V. DEJOIE, M. D. 


city, New Orleans. Here he remained for the past 
twenty-three years. During this time he has been 
successful as a practitioner, having built up quite 
a practice. Seeing the need of the colored people 
for a Drug Store, he busied himself in opening one. 
In this drug store he owns half interest. It was 
from the first a very successful undertaking. The 
store bears his name—Dejoie Cut Rate Pharmacy, 
being the name of the Drug Store. 

In the work as a physician, he had an abundant 
chance to see the needs of the colored people when 
they were sick, and the needs of the bereaved fam¬ 
ilies. To in a measure alleviate the suffering from 
these two sources, he has interested himself in the 
Unity Industrial Life Insurance and Sick Benefit 
Association. For two years he served the organi¬ 
zation in the capacity of Secretary, and since that 
time he has been president of the organization. 
Under his management he has seen the association 
grow rapidly. It has gone to the front and now 
is ahead of all companies doing similar insurance 
in the State. This company is conducted on broad 
and liberal principles by conservative and well- 
qualified persons. The company paid over $350,- 
000.00 to members in Louisiana for sickness, ac¬ 
cident and death. It gives profitable employment 
to over two hundred colored people. In this wav, 
Dr. Dejoie has been able to serve his race from 
two entirely different points. He has made work 
for a number, and he has made it possible for many 
sick to have some of the comforts of life. 



mk 


ORN and educated in New Orleans, 
La., Dr. Paul H. V- Dejoie enter¬ 
ed upon and successfully pursued 
his practice in his native city. 
Born July 2nd, 1872, he was the 
first child of Artistide Dejoie and 
Ellen Chambers. Because of the fact that his 
father held many responsible positions during his 
life time, the young lad did not have all the strug¬ 
gle for an education that some of our prominent 
men have had. So we find that Mr. Dejoie as 
a boy was a constant pupil in the New Orleans 
Public Schools. Having gotten from the public 
course of instruction all that they h d to offer. Dr. 
Dejoie entered Southern University. Here he was 
one of the best known and most popular students 
of his day. He won the Peabody Scholarship Me¬ 
dal. After graduation from Southern he decided 
to take up the study of medicine. 1 o this end he 
matriculated at the New Orleans University, and 
completed the course in 1895. He went before 
the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners 
and passed. This fact is striking because he was 
the first colored man to pass that board. 

Having secured his privilege to practice medicine 
he settled down to that work in his own native 


Dr. Dejoie has made it a point to come in contact 
with the better men of the race. In order to do 
this he had connected himself with several frater¬ 
nal orders. He is a thirty-second degree Mason, 
an Odd Fellow, and a Knight of Pythias. To these 
organizations he has brought his good business 
judgment, his strong sense of right and wrong and 
his pleasing personality. 

During the twenty-three years, Dr. Dejoie has 
been out in the world for himself, he has formed 
the habit of saving. So among his worldly poss¬ 
essions we might note his beautiful home, a dou¬ 
ble cottage and his stock in various banks, oil wells 
and gold mines. 

Although born, partly educated and established in 
business in the same city, Dr. Dejoie has, never-the 
less taken time to travel about a great deal in his 
own country. He has traveled extensively in the 
East, and through most of the Southern States. 
He also spent some time in Jaures, Mexico. Dr. 
Dejoie has served his Alma Mater as president of 
the Alumni Association. 

On June 16th, 1900, he was married to Miss El¬ 
la Brown, of New Orleans. There are two sons in 
the Dejoie family, P. H. V. Jr., and Pradhomme, 
who are now attending school in New Orleans. 


181 













SMITH WENDELL GREEN. 


W. GREEN became a member of 
the order of K. of P. on July 17, 
1883 when the Order was in its 
infancy, being a charter member 
of Pride of Tensas Lodge No. 21, 
St. Joseph, La. Pie was elected to 
the station of V. C. of the lodge, but served as C. C. 
from the time of the organization of the lodge until 
June 30, 1886. He was the Grand Representative 
from this lodge, and immediately upon entering the 
Grand Lodge, his ability to handle finances com¬ 
menced to show itself, and in May, 1884, he was 
elected to the position of G. M. of F., and served 
for one year; the office has since been abolished. 

In April, 1886, he was elected to the position of 
G. K. of R. and S. and served in that station until 
1891. He was elected to the position of G. C. in 
May, 1892, served until 1897, and declined re-elec¬ 
tion. In April, 1899, he was again elected to the 
position of G. C. Upon assuming that station he 
found the finances of the Grand Lodge in an insol¬ 
vent condition. The general fund had no assets, 
while its liabilities amounted to $105.62. The En¬ 
dowment Fund showed the small amount of assets 
as $196.40, while its liabilities showed death claims 


due and unpaid, aggregating $3,424.25. The mem¬ 
bership at that time was only 897. 

He found that it was necessary to increase the 
endowment dues if the Grand Lodge of the State 
of Louisiana was to be resurrected. 4 he recom¬ 
mendation he made was adopted and became a part 
of the laws of tffe Grand Lodge with the result 
that a sufficient sum was soon accumulated to pay 
off all outstanding claims for endowment. \\ hen 
the Grand Lodge met in April, 1902, they found 
themselves entirely out of debt, with a small sur¬ 
plus on hand to the credit of the endowment de¬ 
partment. The Grand Lodge was then paying an 
endowment of $300.00, ninety days after filing the 
claim. 

In April, 1905, he recommended that the endow¬ 
ment policies be raised to $500, and the claims be 
paid within thirty days after they were filed. In 
the year of 1906, the surplus in the Endowment 
Fund had reached such a large sum, and was grow¬ 
ing all the time, that the question arose, “What 
shall we do with this money?” It was then nec¬ 
essary for S. W. Green to study out a way of in¬ 
vesting it. Accordingly, in 1906, at the Grand 
Lodge Session in Alexandria, La., he recommended 
that the Grand Lodge State of Louisiana erect a 
Pythian Temple, and accordingly an appropriation 
of $12,000 was made by the Grand Lodge for the 
purchase of a site. 

This appropriation was found to be insufficient 
to purchase a site in the desired locality, and an ad¬ 
ditional $3,000 was therefore appropriated to pay 
for same. This appropriation resulted in the pur¬ 
chase of a desirable site in the city of New Drleans, 
La., to be used at later date for a Pythian Temple. 
The original appropriation for the temple was only 
$60,000 but realizing that a $60,000 building in a city 
like New Orleans would not serve the purpose for 
which it was intended, he allied his forces, and car¬ 
ried them to the Grand Lodge, which convened in 
the city of New Orleans in 1908. Here the Grand 
Lodge approved his action in reference to building 
a magnificent structure, which is now completed 
and cost in the neighborhood of $200,000. Today we 
see that from the crippled conditions of affairs 
when Mr. Green assumed control of the office, the 
Grand Lodge of the State of Louisiana has 180 
lodges in the state, with a membership of 9,000 and 
with the total resources of $123,354.07, endowment 
claims being paid within thirty days after filing. 

Mr. Green attended the first Supreme Lodge ses¬ 
sion in August, 1893 as Supreme Representative 
for the State of Louisiana, in August, 1895, at St. 
Louis, Mo., and has attended every Supreme Lodge 
session as a representative since that date. 

At the Supreme Lodge session at Pittsburg, Pa., 
in 1905, he was elected to the position of Supreme 
Vice Chancellor and ex-officio, Supreme Worthy 
Counsellor. At the Supreme Lodge session in 
Louisville, Ky., in 1907, he was re-elected to the 
position and held that position until April 3, 1908, 
when he assumed the duties of Supreme Chancellor 
the place made vacant by the death of the late S. 
W. Starks. 



182 







HENRY CLAUDE HUDSON, D. D. S. 

LL those doubting the efficacy of 
a young man’s acquiring a trade 
in his early years should know 
the story of Dr. Henry Claude 
Hudson, D. D. S. of Shreveport, 
Louisiana. A trade not only pro¬ 
vided him his daily bread, even when he was very 
young, but it was the agency whereby he gained 
funds to pursue his education and whereby he was 
able on at least one occasion to render almost price¬ 
less service to himself and to his people. 

Born in Marksville, Avoyles Parish, Louisiana, 
April 19th, 1886, his parents moved to Alexandria, 
La., when he was a five-year-old where he passed 
his early school days. Having aspiration for higher 
education he entered the eighth District Academy 
at Alexandria, where he prepared to enter college. 

However there was no means in sight to defray 
his expenses through school and so dropping out of 
school he went forth and became apprentice at 
brickmasonry. Having mastered this trade he le- 
entered school and once more pursued his studies. 
From the academy in Alexandria, he went to Wile} 
University in Marshall, Texas. It was here that his 
trade served him in such good stead and did such 
excellent service for his people. When Dr. Hudson 
entered Wiley, in 1910, that institution was about 
to erect a Carnegie Library. All was ready except 
the labor. This was under the control of the 

183 



unions. A dead lock insued. In this situation the 
young man came forward, stated that he was a 
brickmason and that he would take charge of the 
work and complete it, if the University would pro¬ 
vide students to help. This was agreed to, and the 
library was built, much to the satisfaction of the 
university and the glory and profit of the young 
man. 

Finding him a thoroughly reliable builder and 
that it saved money by his taking the contract, Wi¬ 
ley University soon had him on other buildings. 
Several dormitories for boys were to be erected. It 
engaged his services as superintendent, and thus 
erected its buildings with a considerable saving to 
itself and with no further trouble from the labor 
unions. 

Having now decided to become a dentist, and 
having solved pretty well the difficulty of financing 
himself, Dr. Hudson entered Howard University 
in Washington, D. C. Several times, however, he 
found during his course in dentistry that he could 
not turn his trade to immediate account. Compe¬ 
tition was a good deal sharper in the North, he 
found, than it was in the South. Thus in his short 
vacations when time was exceedingly precious he 
turned his energies to whatever task his hands 
could find. He found the Pennsylvania Dining Car 
service the most immediate employment and the 
largest remuneration for a short space of time. 
Engaging in this service he was able to continue 
his education. Incidently he traveled all over the 
eastern states while he was in this work. 

Graduating from the Howard University Dental 
course in June, 1913, he immediately returned to 
his home land and prepared for the state examin¬ 
ations. To make assurance doubly sure he took 
the examinations in two states, Louisiana and Ark- 
kansas. In both states he passed. Louisiana was 
his home, and in his home he preferred to try first. 
Hanging out his sign in Shreveport, he began his 
career as a dentist. His success has far exceeded 
even his ambition. In a short time he found that 
one chair was not sufficient to accommodate his 
patrons. He found also that he could not meet all 
the demands made upon him. He therefore set up 
a second chair and employed an assistant, a young- 
lady who is giving most efficient service. 

That he has been unusually successful as a pro¬ 
fessional man is shown from the amount he has 
been able to accumulate during the few years of 
his practice. Dr. Hudson owns his home, a very at¬ 
tractive residence on Jordan Street in Alexandria. 
He has equipped his office with the most up-to-date 
dental appliances available. All these he owns, 
having paid for them $3000. 

Though genuinely interested in the life of 
Shreveport, Dr. Hudson has but little time to give 
to lodge or social engagements. Only his Sabbaths 
are free, and frequently only a part of these. He 
is a member of the St. Janies Methodist Episcopal 
Church of Shreveport, where he attends services, 
and takes such active part in church work as his 
time will allow. He was elected a member of the 
Board of trustees of Wiley University in May, 1918. 

Dr. Hudson was married to Miss Thomey B. 
Thomas of Shreveport, September 14, 1914. Dr. 
and Mrs. Hudson have two children, Henry Claude, 
Jr.; who was born January 5th, 1916; and Gloria T., 
who was born April 11, 1917. 











MASON ALBERT HAWKINS, A. B., A. M. 


ASON Albert Hawkins, of Balti¬ 
more, Maryland, is a Virginian by 
birth. On October 21, 1874, he 
was born in Charlottsville, Al- 
bermarle County. At an early 
age lie went from Virginia to 
Maryland where he attended the Elementary 
schools, of Baltimore. Completing the work of 
the graded schools he prepared for college at 
Morgan College, also in Baltimore. From Mor¬ 
gan College Mr. Hawkins went to Harvard Univer¬ 
sity. Here he spent four years in the classical 
course of this great institution, graduating in 1901, 
with the degree A. B. He received the degree of 
A. M., from Columbia University in 1910. 

Upon finishing the course at Harvard, Mr. Haw¬ 
kins became a teacher of Latin, German, and Ec¬ 
onomics, in the Colored High School, of Baltimore. 
In this position he worked for five years, when he 
became head of Department of Foreign Languag¬ 
es in 1906. In 1909 he was made Vice-Principal of 
this school and Principal the latter part of the same 
year. Here Mr. Hawkins still labors. Most of 
his life has been spent in the school rooms of Bal¬ 
timore. 


Since Mr. Hawkins took charge of the Colored 
High School it has had a great growth. He has 
modified the course of study to meet in a large de 
gree the needs of the community which it serves. 
He emphasizes the obligations of the teacher to the 
parents. He also lays great stress upon the need 
of broad vision and sympathy and the requirement 
of high professional skill. With these views it is 
but natural that Mr. Hawkins himself should go 
out of the school room to touch the lives of all in 
the community. So we find him an active member 
of the Union Baptist Church, a member of the 
American Academy of Political and Social Sciences, 
and a Fellow of American Geographical Society. 
But his interests in the people of his immediate 
community is shown more in the fact that he 
serves as a member of the Board of Provident 
Hospital; President of the Maryland Colored Pub¬ 
lic Health Association; Treasurer of the Maryland 
Colored Blind Association ; Member of the Com¬ 
mission on Preparedness and Defense for the Col¬ 
ored People of Maryland. 

He was appointed to the Commission on Pre- 
pardness by Governor Harrington. This alone goes 
to show that his efforts in the behalf of the Race 
has attracted the attention of the whole State. So 
numerous and so varied are these bodies which he 
serves, that it is readily seen that it is no one 
phase of the development of the Race which Mr. 
Hawkins has at heart, but the advancement of the 
entire people. 

Along with all the interests which are ever be¬ 
fore Principal Hawkins, he has an interest in cer¬ 
tain inventions. On this he spends considerable 
time. It to him is a recreation from the other kind 
of work which is ever with him. He has been 
awarded patents on a cabinet for player music rolls 
and he has patents pending on a number of various 
devices. 

On October 14, 1905, Mr. Hawkins was married 
to Miss Margaret B. Gregory. Mrs. Hawkins is 
the daughter of the late Professor James M. Gre¬ 
gory, of Bordentown Industrial School, Borden- 
town, New Jersey. Mr. Hawkins has two sons, 
Gregory Hawkins, and Mason A. Hawkins. These 
two lads are in the schools of Baltimore and give 
promise ( of great intellectual development. Mr. 
Hawkins ambition is to prepare them for an hon¬ 
orable and useful life. 

Mr. Hawkins has set the example of thrift for 
those who take him as a pattern. He pays taxes 
on both real-estate and personal property. In this 
man we see one well rounded. He is a sound 
scholar, a progressive educator, and an excellent 
administrator. At the same time he touches the 
lives of all the people about him, even the most 
lowly in a helpful manner. 



184 











WILLIAM PICKENS, A. B.. A. M., LIT. D„ LL. D. 


S a very young man in school, 
William Pickens won for himself 
honors and the name of a close 
student and a good speaker. What 
the young man gave promise of 
being William Pickens, the man, 
is. He was born in South Carolina, 
Jan. 15, 1881. His public school 
training was received in Arkansas. In 1899 he 
graduated from the High School in Little Rock, as 
Valedictorian of the class. Not only had young 
Pickens led his particular class, but he had higher 
marks than any student had ever made in the 
school. After leaving High School, Mr. Pickens 
entered Talledega College, Talledega, Alabama, and 
graduated with the degree of A .B., again valedic¬ 
torian of his class. Not yet satisfied with his train¬ 
ing the subject of this sketch next entered h ale bn 
iversity. After two years stay he graduated in the 
highest grade, “Philosophical Oration Grade” in 
class of over three hundred. One of the lewaids 
of his high scholarship was receiving Phi Beta 
Kappa. During his first year at Yale Mr. Pickens 
won the highest of ten different prizes for Oratory 
in the James Teneyck Oratorical Contest, thous¬ 
ands of people complimented him on this achieve¬ 
ment among them being ex-President Cleveland, 
President Roosevelt’s family. 

Having completed the work at Yale, Professor 
Pickens first worked in his old school. Talladega 

185 


College. Here for ten years he was Professor of 
Language. While in Talladega, he took a very 
special interest in the students. At all times he 
was willing and ready to see their side of any ques¬ 
tion and to see that they were given their rights. 
While teaching in Talladega, Fisk University, Nash¬ 
ville, Tennessee gave him the degree of Master of 
Arts, for a Latin thesis. After ten years of work 
at Talladega, Professor Pickens gave up the work 
there and accepted the position as Professor of 
Greek and Sociology in Wiley University, Mar¬ 
shall, Texas, 1914-15, and then the post of Dean of 
Morgan College, Baltimore, Md. This position he 
held till 1917, when the Trustees of Morgan made 
him Vice-President. Selma University honored him 
with the degree Lit. D., in 1915, and Wiley with 
L. L. D., in 1918. 

Mr.. Pickens did not leap suddenly into fame as 
a speaker." From his earliest young manhood he 
led his mates in this particular line. While in the 
Sophomore year at Talladega, he began lecturing 
in the North. At this time he was only nineteen 
years of age. And so well were his hearers pleased 
with the words of wisdom uttered by one so young, 
that they requested the publication of these address¬ 
es. 

Since this beginning as a public speaker, Mr. 
Pickens has made for himself a great name in this 
particular line. He appeared on the American 
Missionary Association program at Springfield, 
Massachusetts, in 1900, in the Court Square Thea¬ 
tre. At the same time Booker T. Washington, the 
great race leader, and Newell Dwight Hillis, fa¬ 
mous New York preacher, were speakers. Many 
times since that day Mr. Pickens has appeared in 
similar meetings. He is in constant demand in 
both the North and the South for the lecture plat¬ 
form. 

At the same time that he was making a name for 
himself in this line of speaking, he was making 
known his powers as a writer. He has written 
many articles for magizines and many phamplets. 
He has out now a book, “The New Negro.” It is 
a book of merit and one that has met with ready 
appreciation. 

That Mr. Pickens is no dreamer but can handle 
practical problems very well is evidenced by the 
manner in which he is serving his country during 
this war. He, with Mr. Spingarn are reputed to be 
the first to make a move for an officers’ Training- 
Camp for Negroes. At the time many were hostile 
to the idea, especially is this true of the attitude of 
the Negro press. But today we are proud of that 
camp and its results. Mr. Pickens has taken his 
time to busy himself with the different canton¬ 
ments, visiting and speaking to the men. As a 
member of the Maryland Council of Defense, he 
is doing many sorts of war work. 

Mr. Pickens was married in 1905, to Miss Min¬ 
nie McAlpine of Meridian Mississippi. To them 
have been born three children, William, Jr., Har¬ 
riet Ida, Ruby Annie. They are all pupils in school 
and are showing that they have inherited from 
their father some of his ability. 

Mr. Pickens has traveled extensively. He has 
covered the greater part of this country and has 
traveled in Europe. He is a fine example of “The 
New Negro” himself. 






WILLIAM STANLEY BRAITHWAITE. 


N Boston, Massachusetts, in the 
year 1868, there was born a child 
who was destined to take a lead¬ 
ing place as an authority on 
American Verse. This child was 
William Stanley Braithwaite. At 
the age of twelve years he had to leave school in 
order that he might help provide for his mother. 
This was due to the fact that he had lost his father. 
Up to the time he left school the lad had been a 
close student and had mastered all the tasks that 
were set for him. And even though he was out 
of school, young Braithwaite did not cease to study 
but continued to be thoughtful and to absorb all 
the culture that surrounded him. 

Mr. Braithwaite says of himself: “At the age 
of fifteen like a revealation, there broke out in me 
a great passion for poetry, an intense love for lit¬ 
erature, and a yearning for the ideal life which fos¬ 
ters the creation of things that come out of dreams 
and visions and symbols. I dedicated my future to 
literature, though the altar upon which I was to 
lay my sacrificial life seemed beyond all likelihood 
of opportunity and strength and equipment to 
reach. I set about it, however, with fortitude, 
hope and patience.” 

What the exercise of these three virtues brought 
about in the life of this young man may be readily 


seen from the results that he has been able to 
achieve. In America and abroad as well he is re¬ 
cognized as the leading authority on American 
Poetry. This high place did not come to him be¬ 
cause of his love for this work, but because of the 
time and effort he put into the study of the sub¬ 
ject. For the past twelve years he has devoted 
most of his time to the study of American poetry. 
Each year he has published in the Boston Tran¬ 
script a review of poetry for the year and each 
year he has published an Anthology of American 
Poems. In this work Mr. Braithwaite includes all 
of the poems written during the year that are, in 
his opinion worth while. In such high regard is 
the opinion of this man held that not to be in his 
book for the year, is not to be known as a poet. 
In fact in the opinion of literary folk in England 
Mr. Braithwaite is not only an authority on Amer¬ 
ican Poetry, hut The Authority on the subject. 

Mr. Braithwaite stands to the colored boy and 
the colored girl as an example of the man who has 
gone to the top in spite of his color. So many hold 
that the best place is never given to a person of 
color. Mr. Braithwaite is a positive denial of this 
saying. In fact with him, and with a few others 
who have dared to go ahead, starts the saying— 
a man can he just what he wants to be in spite 
of his color. 

The works of Braithwaite include “Lyrics of 
Life and Love,” “The Book of Elizabethian 
Verse,” “The House of Falling Leaves,” “The 
Book of Georgian Verse,” “The Book of Restora¬ 
tion Verse,” and “The Book of Victorian Verse.” 
The publishers for the works of Braithwaite say 
of his Poetic Year for 1916: “Here is a book that 
is actually ‘Something new under the sun,’ and 
furthermore, ‘fills a long felt want.’ ” Any lover 
of poetry, any student of contemporary literature, 
who desires to form an intelligent estimate of 
recent poetry, or to make an acquaintance with any 
individual poet of our time sufficiently definite to 
give him the requisite knowledge for an intelligent 
discussion, will find the book indispensable. 

“The method of the book is not the least of its 
virtues. A friendly discussion takes place among a 
group of four friends, including Mr. Braithwaite 
himself, who provides the guiding hand.” 

“By this lively treatment, so surprisingly differ¬ 
ent from the usual method of critical writing, the 
reader forms a personal impression, as human as 
it is well founded of the poetry” of all contempo¬ 
rary poets who are really deserving of that title. 

William Stanley Braithwaite has made a place 
for himself at the top in his chosen work. He is 
held up here as an ideal along his line to all young- 
persons of color. He is an example of what con¬ 
centrated endeavor will do for a person of deter¬ 
mination. 



186 











WILLIAM NELSON DeBERRY, D. D. 



HEN Fisk University wishes to 
point to her useful and scholarly 
graduates, she usually conies very 
soon to the name of William N 
DeBerry. As it is with Fisk, so 

_ it is with the whole of Nashville. 

He is especially a source of pride to Nashville, not 
because she is lacking in conspicious men among 
her colored citizens, but because of the theoiy that 
the men living nearest institutions of learning fre¬ 
quently make the least use of them. This saying is 
far from true in the case of the subject of this 
sketch. 

Mr. DeBerry was born in Nashville, Tennessee, 
August 29, 1870. He was fortunate enough to be 
able to attend school from early childhood. So we 
find him as a lad attending the public schools of his 
native city. Here he applied himself very diligent 
ly to the work in hand. Always he had before 
him the chance of attending the University which 
was open for him at his very dooi. So we find 
him while still a young' man entering Fisk. Here 
he remained to complete the course of study and 
graduate. He finished with the class of 1896. While 
in Fisk University young DeBerry was always 


ready to receive with an open mind the instruc¬ 
tion of his teachers. Hence we have him as a shin¬ 
ing example of the good scholars that are turned 
out by Fisk University. 

Leaving Fisk, Mr. DeBerry matriculated at Ober- 
lin College in Ohio. Here he was a student in the 
theological Department. From the full course of 
that department he was graduated in 1899. Mr. 
DeBerry is a Congregationalist in church affilia¬ 
tion. Leaving Oberlin he went to Springfield, 
Massachusetts to pastor the St. John’s Congrega¬ 
tional Church there. Here he has remained since 
that time, having had but the one charge in all 
these years. This is remarkable for a pastor of 
any denomination. 

Working hard and steadily at his post, studying 
to keep abreast of the times, Dr. DeBerry is much 
in demand- as a public speaker and lecturer and 
freely welcomed into many organizations for his 
usefulness. His has been a life spent in develop¬ 
ing the younger people with whom he came in 
contact. He has endeavored to make them better 
men and women—better mentally, morally and 
spiritually. 

The St. John’s Congregational Church has what 
is perhaps the most modern and best equipped 
plant of all the colored churches in New England. 

1 he present edifice which was erected in 1911 is 
valued, together with its equipment, at $30,000. It 
is free from debt. 

The Church is unique in its plan of organization 
and in the method of its varied activities. It seeks 
to adapt its work in all its phases to the religious 
and social needs of the people whom it serves. It 
is known throughout the country for the well or¬ 
ganized and very efficient institutional work which 
it carries on. The institutional activities include 
a parish home for working girls, a night school of 
Domestic Science, a social center for women and 
girls, a club house for young men and boys, a free 
employment bureau and a department of family 
housing. The institutional staff includes six paid 
workers in addition to the pastor. The real estate 
and equipment of the institutional department are 
valued conservatively at $50,000 making the total 
valuation of the property owned by the church at 
about $80,000. 

Among the many organizations which are proud 
to claim Dr. DeBerry a member are the American 
Missionary Association, and the American Board 
of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Of both 
these organizations he is a life member. 

In 1914 Fisk University elected him a member 
of her board of trustees. In this capacity he still 
serves the school that gave him his inspiration for 
his life of usefulness. 

Recognizing the excellent work of this man, 
Lincoln University conferred upon him the degree 
of Doctor of Divinity, in 1915. In 1917 he was el¬ 
ected to honorary membership in the fraternity of 
Alpha Phi Alpha. In this way some of the honor 
due Dr. DeBerry is being received by him now. 

Dr. DeBerry was married in 1899 to Miss Aman¬ 
da McKissack, of Pulaski, Tennessee. Mrs. De¬ 
Berry is a graduate of Fisk University. Two 
children have been born to brighten and gladen the 
home of the DeBerry’s— Charlotte Pearl and Anna 
Mae. They are both young misses in school. 


187 


















DAVID EUGENE CRAWFORD. 


ROM a date somewhere near the 
days of Plymouth Rock and the 
first Pilgrims, Boston, Massachu¬ 
setts, has had its famous Negroes. 
Phillis Wheatley was the first fa¬ 
mous Negro of Massachusetts, as 
she was the first woman poet of the state and the 
first, and perhaps the only Negro woman poet 
of the ages. Crispus Attucks and Peter Salem were 
the famous black men of the Revolutionary times, 
then came the Ruffins, the Trotters, but history 
becomes confused. She cannot distinguish between 
the real Bostonian and the man and woman who 
went to Boston to become famous, or who be¬ 
came famous because they went to Boston. 

However, from Phillis Wheatley to this day Bos¬ 
ton has never lacked for genuinely strong and use¬ 
ful colored people. Among the modern leaders of 
the practical, modest yet very powerful and useful 
type is numbered David Eugene Crawford. 

Mr. Crawford was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, 
December 26th, 1869. He attended the public 
schools of Lynchburg, and then attended Hampton 
Institute. Getting the Hampton stamp upon him 
he went to Boston and began work. All along he 


has linked work and education; because he could 
not pursue his studies without working and he 
would not work without studying. When he was 
sixteen he began dealing in produce in the Virginia 
markets. In Boston, at the age of twenty, he be¬ 
came a caterer, pursuing his studies in the mean¬ 
time in the Boston Y. M| C. A.. This business of 
caterer and student he followed until 1907 when 
he was admitted to the Bar to practice law. Thus 
he became after a struggle of a quarter of a century 
to realize his dream of a professional life. 

But Mr. Crawford found entrance into the pro¬ 
fession of law by no means marked his entrance in¬ 
to public life. It rather marked a public recogni¬ 
tion of what he had done and been in Massachu¬ 
setts for more than a score of years. He has been 
closely allied with the New England Suffrage 
League, with civic movements, with meetings and 
petitions for justice to the black man throughout 
the country. Indeed there has scarcely been a step 
taken among the colored people of Boston during 
these years but Mr. Crawford has been a conspic¬ 
uous figure. 

What the leading citizens of Massachusetts think 
of him is shown by the many prominent offices he 
holds and by the cooperation he has been able to 
gain in his undertakings. He is treasurer of the 
Ebenezer Baptist Church, of which he has for years 
been a member. He has been a Mason for twenty- 
five years. He is a thirty-third degree Mason and 
Past Master of the Eureka Lodge, a member of all 
masonic branches and Deputy of the Valley of 
Massachusetts. In 1915 the Governor of Massachu¬ 
setts appointed him master in Chancery, and in 1916 
the citizens of Boston elected him as a delegate to 
the National Republican Convention, which met at 
Chicago. The crowning mark of public confidence, 
however, came to Mr. Crawford, in 1910, when he 
opened the Eureka Co-Operative Bank, the only 
Negro Bank in the Bay State. That it has run 
successfully ever since in a city and in a state 
where banks are common and competition for 
money very sharp, is highly expressive of the pub¬ 
lic in Mr. Crawford. 

Through studying and serving Mr. Crawford 
managed all along to accumulate property and to 
educate a growing family. He has traveled in the 
North, Middle West, and in some parts of the 
South and in Canada. His property holdings of 
apartments, stores and commercial properties are 
valued in all at $150,000. 

Mr. Crawford was married to Miss Almira G. 
Lewis of Boston in 1894. Their four children are 
all making careers worthy of their father, who has 
set such a high standard of attainment. J. William 
Crawford,- who is twenty-two years of age is a 
senior in the Boston University Law School; Miss 
Mildred L., age twenty-one, is a bookkeeper and 
stenographer, Miss Helen F is a sophomore in Rad- 
cliff College, and Miss M. Virginia is a senior in the 
Girl’s High School of Boston. 



188 















ROLAND WILTSE HAYES. 


OLAND W. Hayes, easily the 
leading tenor of the Colored Race 
was born June 5, 1887, at jSurry- 
ville, Georgia. Here m Georgia 
he lived on the farm, working, at¬ 
tending school when it was in 
session, till he was fourteen years 
of age. His father died, leaving 
seven children, and Roland was among the older 
ones On him therefore fell some of the responsi¬ 
bility. His mother moved, when he was fourteen, 
to Chattanooga, Tennessee. The problem of edu¬ 
cating the children was a serious one. Mrs. Hayes 
finally hit upon the plan of letting the two older 
boys.' Robert and Roland, take turns at attending 
school. One went to school one year while the 
other worked to help in the support of the family 
and the next year this turned it about. n ns 
manner Roland W. Hayes had a chance to attend 
school. He made the most of lus opportunity dur¬ 
ing the four years they were thus taking then 



turns at school. , ,« 

Arthur W. Calhoun, (Colored), a graduate of the 
Oberlin Conservatory of Music, heard young Hay¬ 
es sing one day and persuaded him to ta e essons 
and urged him to adopt singing as a pro ession. 
His first public appearance aroused enthusiastic 
comment and a sum of money was raise o p el 
mit the boy to continue his studies at the musica 
college. With this help and by his own labors he 


spent four years in Fisk University. Here his voice 
was under the care of the Vocal teacher, Miss 
Jennie A. Robinson, head of the music department. 

In the summer of 1910 Mr. Hayes went to Louis¬ 
ville, Kentucky, where he worked for eight 
months. His object in working in Louisville was 
to save money enough to go North for further 
training. Combining work and education, Mr. 
Hayes took a job as a waiter in Pendennis club. 
Some of the members learned that he could sing, 
through the head waiter, Mr. Henry T. Bain. 
Through them he had many opportunities to fill 
engagements as a singer. It was through this 
club that he met a theatrical manager, who hired 
him at five dollars a day for a month. At the con¬ 
clusion of this engagement, through one of the 
members of the Pendennis club, in which he was 
a waiter, made arrangements for him to sing in 
Louisville -at the National Fire Insurance Agent’s 
Banquet. A few weeks after this engagement he 
was asked to sing in the missionary meeting “The 
World in Boston.” Here he appeared with the 
Fisk Jubilee Singers, where the engagement lasted 
for six weeks. 

In the Fall of 1911, Mr. Henry H. Putman, of 
Boston, arranged for Mr. Hayes to begin his mus¬ 
ical training in Boston, under Maestro Arthur J. 
Hubbard, where he has continued his studies until 
the present. Under the teaching of the great 
Maestro Hubbard, for the last seven years, the na¬ 
turally sweet voice of Mr. Hayes has been devel¬ 
oped and strenghtened until now, he as an artist, 
ranks among the best artists of the land. In No¬ 
vember of 1917, he made his first appearance in 
the great Symphony Hall, of Boston. 

He is the first Colored Artist to have a recital in 
this Hall. To quote from the Guardian we can see 
how Mr. Hayes was received. 

“Doff the hat to Roland W. Hayes, the singer! 
He essayed the difficult and succeeded. He made 
the fight and won. In size of audience, in finan¬ 
cial profit, in auditorium and in his own musical 
performance Hayes scored a triumph. 

“The great Symphony Hall was packed, even the 
platform was filled with seats and persons stood 
thick along both hall aisles. It was a mixed aud¬ 
ience with no segregation and thoroughly repres¬ 
entative of both rates, as big an audience as world- 
famous white artists have there. No Colored Ar 
tist ever had a recital in Symphony Hall. 

“In this respect and in the talent displayed by 
Mr. Hayes, as well as in the size and character of 
the audience the recital made musical history for 
Colored Bostonians. Mr. Hayes rendered a wide 
variety of songs. After Mr. Hayes’ singing Thurs¬ 
day night, Colored Boston can claim to have the 
leading tenor of the day. His voice was full and 
robust with a long range- It was resonant and 
flexible. 

Mr. Hayes has traveled over the United States 
as a Concept Artist. His time has been given 
wholly to the development of his voice and in ear¬ 
ning means for that purpose. He is a member of 
the Baptist Church, of Boston, but has connected 
himself with no other organizations. His is the life 
of the true artist, one of continual application of 
self for continued artistic development, for the 
sake of art and for the inspiration of the members 
(musical), of his race. 


189 













ALEXANDER HUGHES. 


r< 
o 

P|i 

m 



ORN a slave in Richmond, Virginia 
January 17, 1857, growing to 

manhood without even the rudi¬ 
ments of an education, Alexander 
Hughes of Springfield, Massachu¬ 
setts, has won his way into the 
hearts of his fellow townsmen, until he is one of 
the most respected and best loved men of his sec¬ 
tion of Massachusetts. The respect of his fellow 
citizens he gained through careful attention to his 
work and to his business relation, paying his debts 
and meeting obligations promptly, a thing that 
pleases a New Englander. Their affections he won 
through flowers; through growing flowers and 
giving away flowers. For three successive years 
he has won a prize offered by the Springfield Re¬ 
publican for the prettiest flowers in back and front 
yards. He even went further. He rented, or bor¬ 
rowed, vacant lots and planted flowers in these. 
Then, when the flowers grew, he would give them 
in handsome bouqets to the sick, to invalids, to the 
members of old people’s homes. 


Mr. Hughes was nine years old when his master 
returned from the war. The master gave Mr. 
Hughes’ father five days to leave the plantation. 


The father departed, but left Mr. Hughes with one 
brother arid two sisters to aid the master. From 
nine to twelve Mr. Hughes tended cows and did 
chores about the plantation. From twelve to eight¬ 
een he worked in a tobacco factory of Richmond; 
from eighteen to twenty he drove a grocery wagon 
from twenty to twenty-four he carried brick and 
mortar. From twenty-four to twenty-seven, he 
drove a wholesale grocery wagon in Spring- 
field. Then he cared for furnaces for two 
years, and was a janitor for two years. In Oct¬ 
ober, 1888. he became shipping clerk for the Massa¬ 
chusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company. 

Here he has remained, winning distinction in 
many directions. In 1889 he added night catering 
to his list, his patrons being of social exclusiveness; 
and won distinction and made money. He became 
a member of the Springfield Chamber of Com¬ 
merce; of the St.- John’s Congregational Church, 
also deacon, church treasurer, Sunday School teach¬ 
er and member of the Standing Committee, mem¬ 
ber of the Y. M. C. A., member of the Golden Chain 
Lodge of Odd Fellows; treasurer of the Household 
of Ruth ; member of the Negro Civic League of the 
Springfield Improvement Association; of the L T n- 
ion Relief Association; of the Home Guards, a war 
defense organization. He is treasurer and trustee 
of the Mutual Housing Company, a company which 
keeps homes for colored people. 

All these posts he fills with honor. Yet Mr. 
Hughes began life a slave and rose to maturity il¬ 
literate. Indeed his education in books is very lim¬ 
ited. Back in 1881, when he was twenty-four years 
old, he attended for a while the Springfield Night 
Schools, where he learned some reading, writing 
and arithmetic. 

Mr. Hughes has been twice married. In 1882 he 
was married to Miss Bettie A. White ; she died in 
1892. The second Mrs. Hughes was Miss Pauline 
Simms. Both came from Virginia, his native home. 

Mr. Hughes’ story has been a source of much in¬ 
spiration even in Massachusetts. The following 
from New England Character, edited by Thomas 
Dreier, will show how highly Mr. Hughes is es¬ 
teemed and how widely he is written of in the Old 
Bay State. 

“Recently I wrote for a magazine a little squib, 
about Alexander Hughes of Springfield, Massachu¬ 
setts. I told how this negro, born in slavery, has 
for two years won the prize ofifered by this city 
for the best-kept lawn and garden, how it 
is his habit to appropriate the vacant ground be¬ 
longing to his neighbors and plant flowers on it, 
how he carries flowers to the hospitals to make 
brighter the days of those forced to lie in their 
beds—taking especial care to provide flowers for 
strangers and those who have no friends at hand, 
how he works all day in the shipping de¬ 
partment of the Massachusetts Mutual, and at 
nights serves as a caterer where rich folks want 
service plus, how he stands as a leader in re¬ 
ligious work among his people, and how each year 
he sends part of his salary to southern educational 
institutions. All these things and more I told, and 
what I wrote was reprinted with editorial backing- 
in the Springfield “Republican.” 


190 











WILLIAM H. LEWIS, A. B., LL. B., LL. D. 

N November 28, in Berkley, Vir¬ 
ginia, William H. Lewis was 
born. Berkley is now a part 
of Norfolk. At an early age he 
went to Portsmouth, Virginia, 
where he was a student in the 
public schools of that city. Leaving the schools 
of Portsmouth he next entered the State Normal 
School at Petersburg. He next matriculated at 
Amherst, from whence he was graduated in 1892. 
Having decided upon the practice of law as a pro¬ 
fession he then entered the Harvard Law School 
and was graduated in 1895. In 1918 Hon. Lewis 
once more received a degree. This time is was the 
degree of Doctor of Law and it came from Wil- 
berforce University. 

During his school days Mr. Lewis was noted for 
his foot ball. He was one of the best centers that 
they have ever had in Harvard. He was Captain 
of the foot ball team of Amherst and was also the 
Class Orator of his class. When he entered Har¬ 
vard he once more had a place with the foot ball 
team. For two years he played on the team and 
then for ten years he served as the coach for the 
foot ball eleven. Llis knowledge of college men 
and his interest in them has extended over a 
greater period of years than is given most men 
in his profession. 

Having finished law at the Harvard School of 

191 



Law in 1895, Mr. Lewis was promptly admitted 
to the practice of law in Boston. Since that time 
many positions of honor have been filled by him. 
He was member of the City Council, Cambridge. 
Massachusetts, in 1899, 1900, 1901. He was mem¬ 
ber of Massachusetts Legislature, 1902. President 
Roosevelt appointed him Assistant United States 
District Attorney in 1903. He was made a member 
of the Public Library Trustees of the City of Cam¬ 
bridge. From 1908 to 1909 lie was the Attorney in 
charge of Naturalization for the New England 
States. President Taft appointed him Assistant 
Attorney General of the United States in 1911. 

Mr. Lewis h as been fearless in standing for the 
rights of the colored people of the United States. 
He was invited to join the American Bar Associa¬ 
tion. Later he had an invitation to resign, but in 
his characteristic manner he refused to comply 
with the invitation. Mr. Lewis has had many hon¬ 
ors from the government. He has done good for 
the entire race by the manner in which he has filled 
the various posts that have been given him. 

In religious belief Mr. Lewis is a Congregation- 
alist. He has traveled extensively through the 
United States and in 1912 he visited England and 
France. September 26, 1896, Mr. Lewis was mar¬ 
ried to Miss Elizabeth Baker of Cambridge, Mas¬ 
sachusetts. Three children have been born to 
brighten this home. Miss Dorothy Lewis is a stu¬ 
dent of Wellesley. Here Miss Lewis gives a good 
account of herself among her fellows. Miss Eliza¬ 
beth Lewis is a student at High School, Cambridge, 
Massachusetts, and Mr. William H. Lewis, Jr., is 
also a High School student. In the point of edu¬ 
cation the young people of this family bid fair to 
follow in the footsteps of their father. 

Mr. Lewis has made a success of his life. In 
school besides being a good student he was a good 
orator and a first class athlete. Out in life he has 
carried the same idea of success in everything un¬ 
dertaken. The many duties that have been show¬ 
ered upon him have been filled to his credit. In 
his profession he is a good lawyer. If the case 
involves some things in the medical world, Mr. 
Lewis is not satisfied till he has mastered all the 
knowledge on the subject. If it is a matter of 
boundaries he studies equally as hard. To him the 
thing desired is a complete knowledge of all the 
things that touch the case even remotely. Pie has 
been quoted on some of his famous cases through¬ 
out the United States. Of course the fact that he 
was colored was not known. But the color of his 
skin could not change the facts that were gathered 
in his brain. Nothing short of perfect understand 
ing of the matter in hand satisfied Mr. Lewis. Be¬ 
cause of this he is one of our most prominent men. 






HORACE G. McKERROW, M. D„ C. M. 

R. Horace G. Mackerrow, of 
Worcester, Massachusetts, in¬ 
vested many years in education, 
in attending various institutions 
of learning. He appears to have 
set over against each year and 
each institution, all itemized, 
some definite service to men and 
to the state. He was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, 
October thirteenth, 1879. As a lad he attended the 
public schools of Halifax. From 1893 to 1897 he 
was a student in Halifax Academy. The next year 
1898, he spent in the Teachers’ Training Class of 
Dollwise College. From this institution he enrolled 
in the Montreal Business College. Still forging to 
the front he taught school in Halifax for two years. 
Finding this none too much to his liking he came to 
the “states.” For a while he oscilated between the 
Montreal postal service and hotel work at Atlantic 
City. He spent some time also in Pullman service. 
Running on the Grand Trunk Rail Road in dining- 
car service. 

By this time he had fully made up his mind as 
to the career he wished to follow. In October 1900 
he enrolled in the Leonard Medical College at Shaw 
University, Raleigh, North Carolina. Completing 
his medical course in 1904, he entered Bishop’s Uni¬ 
versity. Here he was graduated with the degree of 
M. D. C. M. in 1905. Returing to Canada, he was 
for six months resident house surgeon for the Wo¬ 


man’s Hospital. In September, 1905, he took the 
medical examination in Massachusetts. Passing, 
he opened office in Worcester of the same year. 

It is in Worcester that he has translated all his 
former experiences, all his years of study into use¬ 
ful action. Here he is a member of the John Street 
Baptist Church, and superintendent of the Sunday 
School. He is Past Master of Masonic Lodge of 
King David. He is a member of the St. John Chap¬ 
ter of R. A. M. and Zion Comtnandery, K. T. C. P., 
of the Holy Shepherds Consistory, Lizra Temple 
A. E. O. N. M. S., and Past Examiner of this body; 
he is Grand Commander of the Knight Templars 
of Rhode Island and Massachusetts; he is Past 
Grand Master of the Council of the Odd Fellows, 
North Star Lodge, G. U. O. O. and P. N. F. To 
his activities in the various lodges, Dr. Mackerrow 
add many activities in civil and social life. He is 
a member of the Executive Board of the Citizens 
League of Worcester, of the Massachusetts State 
Guards, 19th regiment of Worcester, of the Wor¬ 
cester Military Training School, of the Pistol and 
Rife Club, of Worcester, of the Anglo-Saxon Club, 
of Worcester, of the Gun and Rod Club of Cam¬ 
bridge and Boston. Not forgetting his profession 
Dr. Mackerrow has allied himself to all medical 
associations of his section of the country. He is a 
member of the Worcester District Medical Associ¬ 
ation, of the Massachusetts Medical Association, of 
the American Medical Association and of the Na¬ 
tional Association of Physicians, Doctors and Phar¬ 
macists. He has traveled extensively in the United 
States and Canada. 

Dr. Mackerrow comes from a substantial line of 
Europeans. His father was a Canadian fur dealer, 
having dealt in furs for forty three years. The pa¬ 
ternal grandfather was a Scotchman, coming from 
Aberdeen, Scotland. The maternal grandfather 
was of Welch origin. Both ancestors had landed 
in Canada and had made themselves substantial and 
loyal subjects of their Government. Their ofif- 
spring was true to their example ; for Dr. Mack¬ 
errow not only set forth to make for himself 
a most enviable career, but even in his early years 
in Canada, he joined the battalion of the Halifax 
Academy and became before he left that institution 
a major in his company. In his early years as well 
as later Dr. Mackerrow has also shown himself a 
substantial citizen, by owning and paying taxes on 
property, both in his native country and in his 
adopted land. He is a property owner in his na¬ 
tive city, Halifax, in the state of New York, and 
in Worcester. More than this, by his conversation 
with his patients as he goes about, he has encour¬ 
aged many to buy property, to pay taxes, to clean up 
to join with all the forces of civic improvment in 
making Worcester one of the best cities in the land 
for colored people. To him, and this is often his 
text, thorough participation with all the myrid ac¬ 
tivities of the city and of the state is the very bone 
and fibre of citizenship. This explains his almost 
countless membership in lodges, in civic clubs, in 
recreation clubs and in various military organiza¬ 
tions. 

Dr. Mackerrow was married in 1916, to Miss Ef- 
fie S. Wolf of Allston, Massachusetts. Mrs. Mack¬ 
errow is the daughter of the famous James H. Wolf 
G. A. R. Commander. Mr. and Mrs. Mackerrow are 
parents of one child, a son, Horace Gilford Mack¬ 
errow, Jr., who is now two years old. 



192 






GEORGE BUNDY, M. D. 


R. George Bundy, M. D. was born 
May 4th, 1868, at Mt. Pleasant, 
Jefferson County, Ohio. Like so 
many people, born in Ohio , he 
made his way to Michigan to 
work, but this was not done until 
after he had spent a number of years in the schools 
and colleges of his native State. He spent the usual 
years in the common schools and then went to 
Wilberforce University, to Wittenberg College, 
Springfield, Ohio and to Payne Divinity .School, 
Petersburg, Virginia, and later to Detroit College 
of Medicine and Surgery. 

When but fifteen years of age, Dr. Bundy had 
his first lesson in the Medical science under a no¬ 
ted, wealthy, white physician in Ohio. Under this 
kind of physician, Dr. J. E. Finley, he got a taste of 
the healing art that he could never cpiite get out of 
his system. So we find Dr. Bundy at the age of 
forty-four, graduating from the full medical course 
in the Detroit College of Medicine and Surgery. 
He graduated with honors in a class of fifty and he 
had the distinction of being the only colored man 
in his class. Since graduating from the medical 
college, he has enjoyed a very lucrative practice in 
the city of Detroit. 


During the years, between college days and 
the taking up of medicine, Dr. Bundy spent 
in church work. He was first ordained for 
the ministry in the A. M. E. Church. He after¬ 
wards studied for the Priesthood of the Protes¬ 
tant Episcopal Church. He was made priest in St. 
Paul’s Cathedral, Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1900. He was 
recommended by the Episcopal Church for chap¬ 
laincy in the United States Army, and was receiv¬ 
ed by President Roosevelt at Washington concern¬ 
ing the appointment. He was offered the Arch dea- 
conry of Colored Work in Diocease of Lexington, 
Kentucky, but the study of medicine that he had 
done when a lad could never be really forgotten, 
and so although rather late for one to change pro¬ 
fessions, Dr. Bundy entered the medical college, 
and gave up the ministry. 

In the residence district of Detroit, Dr. Bundy 
has a home worth $5,500.00 this as a showing for 
the savings during the years of his practice of med¬ 
icine. Presiding over this beautiful home is Mrs. 
Bundy, who was Miss Evelyn Tardif, of Columbia, 
South Carolina. They were married April 26th, 
1905, in Springfield, Ohio. Mrs. Bundy has been 
to Dr. Bundy a great help in carrying out his am¬ 
bition to become a physician. In it all and through 
it all, she has been an inspiration. Now she helps 
make life pleasant for their many friends at their 
home. 

It is difficult to estimate the value of a good 
wife who enters sympathetically and actively into 
the plans of her husband and helps him bear the 
burdens when heavy and rejoice with him when 
success crowns his efforts. 

Dr. Bundy has, along with all other whole heart¬ 
ed Americans, done his part in helping win this 
world war. Besides contributing freely of his 
means in the cause of the various charities, the 
Red Cross, Y. M. C. A., and other relief funds, he 
served for six months on the Draft Board for the 
United States Army. 

Dr. Bundy has become a part of the community 
life there in Detroit. He is still active in the church 
of his profession and through the church he is able 
to reach many. He is a member of the Paul Law¬ 
rence Dunbar Memorial and Scholarship Fund, as 
he was a personal friend of Mr. Dunbar. Through 
this organization he has helped not only in honor¬ 
ing the most noted of our Negro poets, but in aiding 
many students. 

Dr. Bundy should be a source of inspiration to 
the many men who are now engaged in work that 
is not altogether to their liking. Reading of his 
success when he had the courage to give up a work 
in which he had made good, but which could never 
have his whole heart, one should take courage and 
try, even if late in life, for the one thing that is his 
heart’s ambition. 



193 










<' y] : : 


L,F?,OiOOS, 6 \ Atrv. 


J. L V. WA3HIN6T0H, THSV.S 




3. H. 6ARVJN, U Rif 


H. F JONES, PWtS. 




VV. W.WHJSOM 


gg.youn6,r«*c 


J. M. MUNpy 


T. T WSNPEU. S.R. 


DttROSiWSON 

Cs. K, «. €v,S. 


' 

■' -■■• 


8. E SMITH, 


numm.mm.i- 


E.. e.UNOEffwOOt?, 

S< K, R & -S. 


mmm w» 




Mtawfita 


DTD WU.UAMS, 


f. C.piU.C>N 


agiW i 


0«-VAM J.OAVJS. 
. e>.o»c 


W« W. WRIGHT 


v>. 8.&OULD6R 6.A. g A. l.ftAftVUI, G, Cj FRENCH THOMPSWiy 6M^AWTTfWORE 


KENTUCKY PYTHIAN TEMPLE BUILDING—LOUIS¬ 
VILLE, KENTUCKY—AND THE MEN LARGELY 
RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS ERECTION. 

































































Kentucky Pythian Temple 



HE Kentucky Pythian Temple is 
the outgrowth and an outward 
expression of a deep seated idea 
which had taken a strong hold of 
the Pythians of Kentucky and 
which was born of the conviction 
that fraternal organizations could and should make 
wider use of their strength and authority. Once 
the idea had been presented to the Pythian Grand 
lodge, jurisdiction of Kentucky, it would not down 
but session after session it was kept to the front 
until the idea took concrete form. A number of 
prominent knights championed it and fought for 
it until the temple was built. Sir Knight, J. L. V. 
Washington raised his voice in its behalf and Sir 
Knight, J. H. Garvin, at Mt. Sterling, fanned the 
coals into a blazing fire by a beautiful, eloquent 
and practical speech which he delivered. The 
movement took form in the appointment of a 
commission whose duty was to formulate and sub¬ 
mit a plan for securing the building. It was sty¬ 
led the “Kentucky Pythian Temple Commission. 
Sir Knight, H. Francis Jones, was made President 
of the commission. He was a man of fine parts, 
of propelling energy and unselfishly devoted to the 
task assigned him. Under the leadership of Sir 
Knight Jones, the commission set to work and 
after a season of patient toil they worked out a 
plan which made their dream of a temple a living 
led the “Kentucky Pythian Temple Commission.” 
was presented to the Grand Lodge at its meeting 
at Winchester. It so happened that the Supreme 
Chancellor, Sir Knight S. W. Starks, visited the 
Kentucky jurisdiction at this session of the Grand 
Lodge and was present when the plan was sub¬ 
mitted. He was first impressed with the enthu¬ 
siasm with which the plan was received, but after 
a careful consideration of it he caught the fever 
himself, and returned to his home in Charleston, 
West Virginia, a strong convert to the plan and 
fired by the Kentucky spirit. He procured a copy 
of the plans and immediately started a similar 
movement in his home jurisdiction and within a 
year had organized his forces and erected the first 
Pythian Temple of the colored race. The temple 
idea carried with it not accommodations for the 
lodge alone, but suitable quarters for the colored 
men to carry on their business enterprises. Fra¬ 
ternity is the spirit of the order and its policy is 
to encourage the negro to make the best of his ta¬ 
lents and opportunities and in the erection of their 
temple this idea was kept in mind. So much for 
the spirit which gave vision to the enterprise and 

195 


inspired the erection of the temple. Now for a 
description of it: 

It is a beautiful seven-story structure, built of 
reinforced concrete and brick crowned with a roof 
garden. It is situated in the heart of a Negro set¬ 
tlement—the gateway of the Metropolis of the 
South. The building contains five business rooms; 
a theatre, operated by a colored man; twelve offi¬ 
ces ; fifty-two sleeping apartments, and a commo¬ 
dious amusement hall, 40x97 feet—which cares for 
the needs of a pleasure-seeking public. Besides 
these it has a kitchen, dining room, pool room, 
barber shop, buffet and cabaret. It is lighted with 
electricity and is steam heated, has elevator ser¬ 
vice, and has bath arrangements for the use of ten¬ 
ants. The building cost approximately $150,000.00. 
This sketch could not be properly closed without 
mentioning a few of the men who have brought 
the enterprise to a successful issue. 

Sir Knight Jones and Grand Chancellor Garvin 
and their assistants have been the moving spirits 
but they have been ably assisted by the following 
Knights: J. H. Garvin, J. L. V. Washington, W. 
W. Wilson, Rev. J. M. Mundy, B. E. Smith, S. H. 
George, M D., F. C. Dillon, W. H. Wright, Attor¬ 
ney, J. A. C. Lattimore, M. D. French Thompson. 
Directors and Van J. Davis, M. D., G. G. Young, 
T. T. Wendell, M. D., Owen Robinson, Dr. E. E. 
Underwood, M. D., William and John B. Caulder, 
Grand Lodge Officers. 

The vision inspired these men and held them 
to their task was not, as has been stated, simply 
a Pythian Temple, although that in itself was a 
strong incentive, but a wider outlook which took 
in the interests of their race in all departments of 
their life. In addition to the accommodations pro¬ 
vided for the business enterprises of their people 
and for their social pleasures, they kept in mind 
possibilities not yet developed. Among the things 
they hope for at an early date is a Negro bank, to 
stimulate their people to lives of thrift and to en¬ 
courage them to buy their homes. Another, being 
the establishment of a Negro newspaper, whose 
aim and purpose will be to influence their people 
to higher ideals of living and to inform the world 
of the progress being made by the Negro race. 
When this portion of their dream is realized the 
mission of the Pythian Temple will very nearly 
have filled its place. 

Thus a building has been erected in which the 
Colored Pythians take a commendable pride, and 
which forms a center of influence for the colored 
race which will work for their good for many years 
to come. 












ALBERT H. JOHNSON, M. D. 


EBERT H. Johnson, is a Can¬ 
adian by birth. He was born 
in Windsor, Ontario, June 23, 
1870. His early schooling was 
had in the public school system of 
Canada. After leaving Canada, 
attended school in Detroit, Miclii- 
Detroit High School he was grad- 
From the Detroit High School he 
entered the Detroit College of medicine and sur¬ 
gery, and was graduated with the degree of M. D. 
in 1893. 

This recital of the school training gotten by Dr. 
Johnson seems simple enough, and so it is for the 
young man with ample means for support. But 
this was not the fact in the case of Dr. Johnson. In 
order to get his education he had to work his way. 
He started his career as a newsboy. In this he 
had the usual life of the newsboy. He learned to 
give and take, he learned human nature as only a 
newsboy or one in a similar line can learn it. From 
newsboy he next became a news agent. In this oc¬ 
cupation he continued throughout his High School 
career. Dr. Johnson made the sale of news items 
purchase for him, in a large measure his life work. 


After receiving his M. D. from the Detroit Col¬ 
lege of Medicine and Surgery Dr. Johnson hung 
out his shingle in the City of Detroit. At first he 
took up the general practice of medicine; but in 
1909 he was appointed Medical Inspector for 
schools. This caused the interest of Dr. Johnson 
to center on children and their ailments. For the 
past ten years he has given most of his time to the 
study and practice of this branch of his work. This 
is a field that is wide and is not as yet overcrowd¬ 
ed. In this line Dr. Johnson has made a marked 
success. 

The subject of this sketch is also a member of 
the firm of W. E. & A. H. Johnson, Pharmacists. 
This firm is doing a very good retail drug business. 
They own the building in which the business is 
housed and get a good trade. To this business ven¬ 
ture as to his practice, Dr. Johnson has applied 
himself and made good. The wealth of experience 
that falls to the lot of the physician doing a good 
practice is enjoyed by the subject of this sketch. 

Dr. Johnson has taken a part in the life of the 
city of his choice. He is a member of the St. Mat¬ 
thews Protestant Episcopal Church. Of this Church 
he is vestryman and Senior Warden. He is a mem¬ 
ber of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows and 
of the Masonic Order. Dr. Johnson also serves as 
trustee and physician to the Phillis Wheatley 
Home for Aged Women of Detroit, Michigan. The 
positions held by him show the breadth of the in¬ 
terest of Dr. Johnson. He is very active in the 
National Association for the Advancement of Col¬ 
ored People. Of this organization he is the treas¬ 
urer of the Detroit Branch. He is a member of the 
Executive Committee of the Detroit Eeague on 
Urban Conditions among Negroes. Dr. Johnson 
also has the honor of having served as the first 
president of the Allied Medical Association, an or¬ 
ganization consisting of doctors, dentists, pharma¬ 
cists of the city of Detroit. 

During the years he has been out of school, Dr. 
Johnson has saved his money and invested it wis¬ 
ely. He owns besides half interest in the!' 'drug 
business and its business block mentioned earlier 
in this sketch, a six family apartment house and a 
two family apartment house. The home in which 
his own family lives is also his property. 

For business and for pleasure Dr. Johnson has 
traveled extensively in the United States and in 
Canada. He was married to Miss Fucile Russell, 
of Oberlin, Ohio, September 26th, 1900. Dr. and 
Mrs. Johnson are the proud parents of one beauti¬ 
ful young daughter, Phyllis Mary Johnson. Fittle 
Miss Johnson is ten years of age and is devoting 
her time time to the duties and pleasures of child¬ 
hood. 



196 







EDWARD WATSON 


DWARD Watson, was born July 
31, 1890, in Detroit, Michigan. He 
was educated in the public schools 
of his native city. Mr. Watson’s 
father died before he h a d 
an opportunity for college work 
and he had to leave school in order to help his mo¬ 
ther with the business. At the time of his death 
his step-father was engaged in the undertaking 
business, which his mother decided to continue 
and undertook its management. This she found 
difficult to do without the aid of her son, but with 
his assistance the business was continued with 
great success. He managed the business jointly 
with his mother until he reached the age of twenty- 
four, when he took sole charge of it and ran it suc¬ 
cessfully for one year. At the end of that period, 
Mr. Watson joined Mr. Gabriel Davis, as a partner 
in the undertaking business;. The firm is known as 
Davis and Watson. Together they have done a 
prosperous business and have very good prospects 
for the future. 

Mr. Watson is an active member of the St. 
Matthews Episcopal Church. For seven years he 
served as Altar and Cross Bearer. He is a mem¬ 
ber of the Masonic Hiram, Lodge No. 1. He has 
been a member of the lodge for eight years. 

Mr. Watson is not married and has only twenty- 
eight years behind him. For one so young he is 
doing an enviable business. 



GABRIEL DAVIS 


Gabriel Davis was born in Uniontown, Kentucky, 
May 22, 1872. He lived on a farm till thirteen 
years of age when his parents moved to Detroit, 
Michigan. He worked for his father till 1887, and 
then he entered the employ of the Detroit Street 
Railway. He worked with this company till 1897, 
and then took up the duties of motorman, till 1912. 

It was in the year 1912, that Mr. Davis decided 
to start in business for himself. He chose for this 
the Undertaking Business and has remained true 
to the business of his choice. From the time he 
established his business he has made it earn for 
him a good living. By combining with the Under¬ 
taking business of Edward Watson a joint interest 
of decided proportions and lucrative nature was es¬ 
tablished. He owns his place of business and three 
other pieces of property. 

In religious belief, Mr. Davis is a Baptist. He 
is liberal when it comes to the support of his de¬ 
nomination and he also gives freely of his time in 
the interest of the work of the church. He is a 
member of the Masonic Lodge, and the Elks. Mr. 
Davis has lived in Kentucky, the State of his birth, 
in Ontario, the State in which he got his education, 
and in Michigan, the State in which he has become 
a successful business man. 

It is his success in business that earns for Mr. 
Davis mention in these pages. In education he 
was able to go only through the Grammar school. 
But he is one of the many who demonstrate the fact 
that business ability is not dependant wholly on 
education, in the regular school courses. 



197 










WILLIAM PAUL KEMP 

ATE in life some men find their 
talent, some in middle age, and a 
few glide into their life work, 
almost unconsciously, in their 
youth. Thus its was with Will¬ 
iam Paul Kemp. He was a born 
editor, and he commenced his career as a writer at 
the early age of seventeen years. 

Mr. Kemp was born in Plattsmouth, Nebraska, 
March 13th., 1881, but moved to Lincoln, Nebraska 
when a child and there received his early educa¬ 
tional training. He attended the Public schools of 
Lincoln, and for two years studied in the High 
school. He also attended the University of Neb- 
braska School of Music, and the night school of 
the Young Men’s Christian Association. 

At the age of seventeen, he left school to take a 
position on Omaha Bee (White) as assistant 
Capital correspondent. This was in 1898. From 
the money saved during his connection with this 
paper he purchased and established, April 29th, 
1899, The Lincoln Leader. He gave up this enter¬ 
prise for a time to become assistant correspondent 
for the Nebraska State Journal (White), at Wash¬ 
ington, D. C., but returned to Lincoln the latter 


part of 1900, where he resumed the publication of 
the Lincoln Leader. While engaged in this work 
he became active in politics, affiliating with the Re¬ 
publican party. For six campaigns he was connec¬ 
ted with the Nebraska Republican State Central 
Committee, rising from messenger to manager of 
the Literature Department. 

October 8th., 1907, he moved to Detroit, Michi¬ 
gan, and December 7th, of the same year, he start¬ 
ed the Detroit Leader. It had a short life and 
passed out February 13th., 1908. He entered the 
Mayor’s office as clerk after the failure of his pa¬ 
per, and while still holding his position as clerk, he 
started in January, 1909, the present Detroit Lead¬ 
er. November 1st., 1909, he resigned his position 
in the Mayor’s office and devoted his entire time 
to his business venture. 

He purchased the Owl Printing Co. plant 
August 13th., 1912, which he consolidated with the 
Howitt Printing Co., September 26th, 1913, con¬ 
ducting all under the name of The Detroit Leader, 
of which he is the sole owner. 

In addition to his literary attainments Mr. Kemp 
is an accomplished musician and vocalist, he is also 
an athlete. For the season of 1902 he coached the 
Lincoln Business College Football team. He is a 
member of St. Mathew’s Episcopal church, De¬ 
troit, and five times has been a delegate to the Dio¬ 
cesan Convention. He is Past Master in Masonic 
Lodge and Ex-Officer of Masonic Grand Lodge, 
which position he held from 1905 to 1907; Past 
Grand Master Council of G. U. O. O. F., Grand Di¬ 
rector of Michigan D. G. L., Delegate to 1918 B. 
M. C; Elk; Deputy Supreme Chancellor of Knights 
of Pythias of Michigan and Western Canada 1917- 
1918; Major in Uniform Rank Knights of Pythias 
At the age of nineteen years he was President of 
Abraham Lincoln Political Club. He was First 
Vice-President of the Republican League Clubs 
(White) of Nebraska; only Colored member of 
Delegation from Michigan to First Good Road 
Convention of United States. He was a Director 
of Kemp Military Band of Lincoln Nebraska, and 
Palestine Commandry Band, of Windsor, Ontario. 
He polled the largest vote of any colored man ever 
received in Detroit, when a candidate for Board of 
Estimators. He was President of the District 
Business League; President Soldier’s Welfare Lea¬ 
gue of Detroit; Chairman of Publicity, N. A. A. C. 
P., of Detroit; First Chairman of Detroit Urban 
League; Chairman of Negro Committee to coope¬ 
rate with National League of Women’s service. 
These are but a few of the honors conferred upon 
him. To mention all would make this sketch too 
lengthy for the space alloted to it. 

Mr. Kemp was married December 24th, 1900, to 
Miss Mary Della Elder. They have no children. 



198 














REVEREND AUGER AUGUSTUS COSEY 


EV. A. A. Cosey, born in Newellton 
County, Louisiana, July 2nd, 187^ 
has spent a long and useful ca¬ 
reer as pastor on the one hand 
and as builder and promoter on 
the other. His early days were 
spent on the farm engaged in performing such 
tasks as one of his age was capable of performing 
and attending school, when such was possible. 

When he was sixteen years of age, Rev. Cosey 
leaving both the farm and his native state, en¬ 
rolled in Natchez College, Natchez, Mississippi. 
Following the example of the vast majority who 
sought education in the nineties Rev. Cosey, as the 
phrase goes, had to work his way. Happily he had 
so well mastered his subjects that he could teach. 
Thus he spent his summer vacations in the school 
room earning money to return to his college. Fin¬ 
ishing the Natchez College Academic course in 1896 
he again went out to teach, teaching for six years 
in the State of Mssissippi before engaging exclus¬ 
ively in his chosen profession. While attending 
Natchez College, Rev. Cosey devoted much time to 
the study of Theology, having decided long before 
to enter the Baptist ministry. In 1896, the year of 
his graduation, he was ordained and united his 

199 



work as school teacher and minister. One year af¬ 
ter ordination, he was chosen pastor of the Metro¬ 
politan Baptist Church, Clarksdale, Mississippi, a 
post he filled until 1905. He held pastorates also at 
Greenville and at Shelby. For the last ten years, 
Rev. Cosey has been pastor of the Green Grove 
Baptist Church, at Mound Bayou, the famous Ne¬ 
gro town, where he has not only been perfoming 
duties as pastor, but has been lending a hand in 
many ways to the growth and development of the 
town. 

From the beginnig of his career Rev. Cosey 
proved to be an organizer and a builder as well as a 
pastor. He was really the organizer of the Metro¬ 
politan Church at Clarksdale, the Church in which 
he first preached as pastor. His pastorate of the 
First Baptist Church of Mound Bayou over which 
he still presides took on again the form of builder. 
This church he also started, giving it all the mod¬ 
ern equipment, for Sunday School, social uplift and 
communty work. Twelve thousand dollars have 
already been put into this building, having four 
thousand more to be raised. 

As a church man and as a man of afifairs, Rev. 
Cosey has been a leader not only in Mound Bayou 
but in Mississippi for many years. He has been 
Corresponding Secretary of the General Misionary 
Baptist Convention of the state, has been for many 
years one of the leaders of the National Baptist 
Convention and served for a number of years as 
the Corresponding Secretary of the National Bap¬ 
tist Association. 

Powerful as well as useful in the church, Rev. 
Cosey is also a conspicuous leader in fraterfial or¬ 
ders. He is a Mason, a Knight of Pythias and a 
Knight of Tabor. He is International Chief Grand,. 
Orator of the Knights of Tabor and special enlist¬ 
ment Master for Mississippi. 

When the people of Mound Bayou organized a 
bank, he became vice-president and stock holder. 
He took an active part in organizing and promot¬ 
ing the Mound Bayou Oil Mill Enterprise and lent 
his influence to the establishment of schools and 
small businesses throughout the town. 

He owns a splendid two-story residence in 
Mound Bayou and seven rent houses, six lots and 
forty acres of delta farm land. 

Rev. Cosey was married in 1901 to Miss Ida Hope 
Carter, of Helena, Arkansas. Mrs. Cosey is a grad¬ 
uate of A. & M. College, Normal, Ala. She was 
for years a teacher both in Alabama and in Arkan¬ 
sas. Throughout Rev. Cosey’s work, she has been 
the power behind the throne. Both in company 
with Mrs. Cosey and on behalf of his church and 
fraternities, Rev. Cosey has traveled over the 
whole of the United States. 








CHARLES PRICE JONES, D. D. 



ORN in Rome, Georgia, educated 
in the public schools of his na¬ 
tive state and in Arkansas Baptist 
College, Dr. Charles Price Jones 
is celebrated as a writer of hymns 
and as a. founder of a religion 


But he disclaims the latter title. He claims only to 
give emphasis to an old neglected doctrine. He 
was converted in 1884, and baptized in 1885 by Rev. 
J. D. Petty. Two years later he was licensed to 
preach, and in 1888 was ordained by Rev. Chas. L. 
Fisher However, he felt that a higher literary 
training was essential to one who has visions of a 
useful career in the church. It was with this in 
view that he entered Arkansas Baptist College, and 
was graduated from the academic Department in 


1891. 


Dr. Jones began to ponder more deeply the words 
of the scripture. To him all things seemed possible 
in Christ. He began to take the Bible literally. 
Hence arose his belief in holiness. He says, “I pas- 
tored in Arkansas until 1892. During this time I 
was corresponding secretary of the convention, a 
trustee of the Arkansas Baptist College and editor 
of the Baptist Vangard. 

In 1892 I accepted a call fro mBethlehem Church, 


Searcy, Arkansas, where I had pastored 18 months, 
to the Tabernacle Baptist Church, Selma, Alabama. 
Here I was called after a time, to the life and 
ministry of holiness, but had no idea that it would 
result in a disruption with the Baptists ; for I be¬ 
lieved that the more faithful a man was to Christ 
in his daily living the more he would and ought to 
be prized by the people of God. But I was mistak¬ 
en. Yet I, myself was partly to blame. Like all 
who get an important vision, I was extreme in my 
views and endeavors. I understood it to mean, 
the standing of every believer in Christ in the pres¬ 
ence of God. 2nd, the condition of heart that the 
Holy Ghost imparts to make us delight in God’s 
will, the daily effort of the believer’s faith to con¬ 
form to that will; the inevitable result of living in 
Christ by faith. Indeed, 1 merely conceived it to be 
a trust in God that obtained grace to walk before 
Him in all pleasing, trusting the blood of Christ 
to deal with the sin of our nature. I do not teach the 
impossibility of our sinning, but the necessity of 
having grace to live Godly, that “the wages of sin 
is death,”—(Romans). 

“In Feberuary, 1895, I accepted a call to Mount 
Helm Baptist Church, Jackson, Miss. In 1897 I 
called the first Holiness Convention to meet at 
Jackson, June 6th and study the Bible two weeks. 
There were present at this convention such men 
as Dr. J. A. Jeter of Little Rock, Arkansas, Pastor 
W. S. Pleasant, of Hazelhurst, Miss., and many 
others. 

“In 1898 the convention was more largely at¬ 
tended and the opposition had gathered power; and 
in 1898 at the convention at Winona steps were tak¬ 
en to fight our extreme attitude, then we built the 
present commodious building. We have a school at 
Jackson incorporated as Christ’s Missionary and 
Industrial College. Through the efforts of Elders 
W. S. Pleasant, J. A. Jeter, L. W. Lee, Thomas 
Sanders, F. S. Sheriff, G. H. Funches, Deacon Hen¬ 
ry Moore, Clarke Kendricks and others, this work 
was established. It has carried in prosperous years 
200 students and 12 instructors. It has turned a 
number of graduates from the 12th grade who are 
making good. The value of the property (encum¬ 
bered) is $15,000.” 

. He was for twenty-one years editor of the 
“Truth.” He is author of several hymn books, 
which are used widely by ministers and members 
of both races. In 1915 Arkansas Baptist College 
conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Divin¬ 
ity. However, in his own words, “I attended strict¬ 
ly to my own business, no time for worldly honors.” 

He was married in 1892 to Miss Fannie A. Brown 
of Little Rock, Arkansas. Mrs. Jones died in 1916. 
Their one child is also deceased. 

He is now pastor of Christ Tabernacle, a new 
church at Los Angeles, Calif., and is General Over¬ 
seer of the Holiness work. Jan. 4, 1918, he was 
married to Miss Pearl Reed of that city. 

The school at Jackson is now under the Presi¬ 
dency of Dr. J. L. Conic. 


2C0 










EPHRIAM H. McKISSACK, A. B., A. M. 


OR many years Ephriam H. Mc- 
Kissack has been a leader in the 
state of Mississippi. This lead¬ 
ership has radiated in many direc¬ 
tions. It first asserted itself in his 
work as a school man. Well edu¬ 
cated and possessing an easy adaptation he soon 
became a leader in business, in politics, in chm ch 
and secret orders. 

Professor McKissack was born in Memphis, Ten¬ 
nessee, November 22, 1860. His parents were 

William and Katie Mitchell, both of whom died 
when he was four years old. 1 he young lad was 
adopted and reared by his aunt, Fannie McKissack, 
from whom he took his name. 

As an adopted son he fared well in the home of 
his aunt. He had ample care, was provided gen¬ 
erously with clothing, books, indeed everything to 
encourage him to achieve, 4 o all this he readily 
responded.. After attending the public schools he 
entered Rust University. From this institution he 
gained the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Mastei 
of Arts ; the former in 1895, the latter in 1898. 

Long before he completed his course Professor 
McKissack had become active in the affairs of his 


state. He had joined the Methodist Church and 
had become one of its leading directors and work¬ 
ers. He was a trustee, a steward and a Sunday 
School teacher in Asbury Church; was a member 
of the upper Mississippi Conference and president 
of the Conference Board of Church Extensions. In 
1896 he was a member of the Church General Con¬ 
ference, then again in 1900-1904, 1908-1912-1916. 
He served one year, the year following his at¬ 
tainment of Master of Arts, as principal of the 
Holly Springs City Schools. Then his alma mater 
called him to a chair within her walls. From 1890 
to 1911 he was a member of the Rust University 
faculty. In 1911 he resigned his post in Rust and 
became manager of the Union Guaranty and In¬ 
surance Company of Holly Springs. 

His depa-rtnre from the schoolroom did not sever 
his connections with the school, it did signal how¬ 
ever, a wider activity in his business and in other 
practical matters. He entered politics and became 
an active and aggressive Republican; so effective 
was his work that he was made chairman of the 
seventh Congressional District of his State, and in 
1908-1912, he was made delegate to the Republican 
National Convention. For twenty years Professor 
McKissack has been secretary and treasurer of the 
Odd Fellows Benefit Association. He has so care¬ 
fully handled his accounts and adjusted claims, that 
little friction has ever arisen, a thing rare indeed 
in any sort of benefit or insurance organization. 

Prominent in the Odd Fellows Association he is a 
conspicuous worker in practically all Negro lodges, 
in the state of Mississippi, a state thoroughly in¬ 
fested with secret orders. He is a Mason, a Knight 
of Pythias, a member of the United Sons and 
Daughters of Jacob, of the Eastern Star, of the Im- 
maculates, of the Reformers. He is still, as in form¬ 
er days, a pillar in the church and in the school. He 
keeps up his connection with conferences and with 
the Sunday School and has added to those his mem¬ 
bership in the Federated Commission of Colored 
Churches. Although he has long since left the 
school room he still keeps in close touch with the 
schools of the State, with the schools in the city, 
and of course with every twist and turn of the af- 
Rust University. In Rust he has reached a most 
honored post, he has not only been elected a mem- 
be of the Board of Trustees, he is vice-president of 
the Board of Trustees. Professor McKissack has 
done what to some seems the incredible thing. He 
has the refusal of the presidency of the institution, 
He had served Rust as head of the Commercial de¬ 
partment, as professor of mathematics, professor 
of natural science and as secretary of the faculty, 
when, therefore, Rust needed a president in 1909, 
the office was tendered Professor McKissack but 
he declined, preferring business and a more general 
public career. 

Professor McKissack was married to Miss Mary 
A. Exum of Yazoo City. Mr. and Mrs. McKissack 
have one son, Dr. Autrey C. McKissack, M. D. who 
is a successful physician of Memphis, Tennessee. 
Professor and Mrs. McKissack live in their own 
home in Holly Springs, a residence second to but 
few in the town. 



201 













WILLIAM CLAUD GORDON 


OMETIME ago, a business census 
of St. Louis, Missiouri, revealed 
the fact that Mr. W. C. Gordon, a 
colored undertaker of that city, 
had handled the largest number 
of bodies of any undertaker, re¬ 
gardless of color, in the city of St. Louis. For this 
remarkable fact, those who knew him well account¬ 
ed in several ways; first, they say that he is a good 
man, and they give great stress to this first point; 
then they say he is fair in his business dealings, 
especially in his dealings with the widows and or¬ 
phans; and the third point on which they lay stress 
in that his equipment and his headquarters are such 
as to make any customer proud to employ his ser¬ 
vices. 

Risen from poverty to that envious stage of com¬ 
petence, if not wealth, Mr. Gordon has kept an op¬ 
en hand for aspiring young men and women, and 
has maintained a ready sheckle for church, orphan¬ 
age, school—indeed he has been ready and willing 
to help all worthy undertakings ‘ for the advance¬ 
ment of the colored people. 

Unlike many who have climbed successfully, he 
did not kick the ladder down, once he gained the 
ascent but remembering his own early struggles he 


has been always ready to help another over the 
first rough stretch. Mr. Gordon was born in Colum¬ 
bia, Tennessee, March 15, 1862. From this date, 
we can gather that Mr. Gordon as a very small 
lad saw a little of the last bitter days of slavery 
and all of the struggles for freedom and readjust¬ 
ment. There is therefore nothing surprising in the 
fact that the young man had no opportunity to de¬ 
velop his mind in the school room. While still a 
young man, Mr. Gordon went to St. Louis. Here 
he found himself in a very unfortunate position— 
he was without means, without education and with¬ 
out friends. To earn a living for himself he first 
entered the employ of the Pullman service, where 
for several years he served as a porter. But Mr. 
Gordon was an ambitious man, and so was not sat¬ 
isfied with being a porter for life. When he had 
saved a small sum of money, he quit the service and 
went into the undertaking business for himself. 
His first business was on a very small scale, and as 
a venture it was feeble, very feeble. But putting 
all his mind and thought on his work, it began to 
develop and Mr. Gordon himself, was among those 
who was surprised at the very great rapidity of the 
growth of the venture. From his very feeble be¬ 
ginning his business has developed until today his 
is among the best equipped and largest firms of 
Negro undertakers. Indeed west of the Mississippi, 
he is one of the leading men in the undertaking 
business, regardless of race. He gives regular em¬ 
ployment to eight persons. 

His natural habit of saving did not leave him, 
when he began to make money in larger sums, and 
so after a time, Mr. Gordon had enough money 
saved to invest in some other line of work. Cast¬ 
ing about for a profitable investment for this sur¬ 
plus, and investment which would be yielded fair 
interest and at the same time give employment to 
a large number of colored people Mr. Gordon open¬ 
ed a steam laundry. This he has been running for 
the last seven years. The laundry is equipped with 
all modern appliances, washers, mangles, driers, 
and the like. In St. Louis it is well known and 
is liberally patronized for its prompt and efficient 
work. In the operation of this laundry with its 
great number of patrons, Mr. Gordon employs 
thirty-five persons. This entails \a payroll of 
$335.00 per week. 

A conservative valuation of the two businesses 
is placed at $30,000.00. Besides this, Mr. Gordon 
owns his home, much real estate and has interest 
in motor hacks and vehicles. In all Mr. Gordon is 
worth about $70,000.00 Mr. Gordon is a member 
of the National Negro Business Men’s League, an 
organization in which he has taken a great deal of 
interest. In his religious belief he is African Me¬ 
thodist Episcopal. He is an active member of the 
St. Paul Church, of St. Louis. 

In 1908, Mr. Gordon was married to Miss Mary 
Hunton, of Detroit, Michigan. Two little children 
have come to help make the home of the Gordon’s 
a happy one. They are Charity, age six years, and 
Claud, age eight. The two little pupils are in the 
public school of St. Louis. 



202 









JOHN EDWARD PERRY, M. D. 


R. J. Edward Perry, of Kansas 
City, Missiouri, born in Clarks¬ 
ville, Texas, Red River- County, 
April 2nd, 1870. His parents were 
ex-slaves and refugeed from Mis¬ 
souri and Arkansas. I hey were 
remarkable characters, noted for their integrity, 
industry, courtesy, generosity and honesty. Their 
ambition was to provide a home for their children 
and educate them. Johnny had no opportunity to 
go to school until he was nine years of age. He 
was then sent to a log cabin, which was on a small 
plot of ground given by his father. 

His early days were spent in the cotton fields of 
Texas, going to school about three months in a 
year until he was over thirteen years of age. When 
he entered Bishop College he earned a greatei por¬ 
tion of his expenses by doing daily services for the 
teachers of the schools. T his service consisted of 
duties such as—milking the cows, scrubbing floors, 
cutting wood, and building fires. He then taught a 
country school from 1891 until 1894, making and 
saving sufificient funds to graduate from Meharry 
Medical College, in 1895, and began his practice 
February 15, 1895, and made a competency from 
the first week of his practice. This was begun in 

203 


Mexico, Missouri, where he remained six months, 
then moved to Columbia, Missouri where the great 
University of the State of Missouri is located. Giv¬ 
ing up practice in 1898, he served his Country as 
1st Lieutenant in 7th U. S. Vol. Infantry. After 
the close of the war he returned to Columbia, re¬ 
suming his practice. 

By his suave nature, genial disposition and effec¬ 
tive work, he pushed his way into the State Hos¬ 
pital at Columbia, Missouri, where he enjoyed the 
professional association of the best talent that 
money of this State would employ. There is as 
much prejudice in Missouri, as in any other South¬ 
ern State, and when those in authority were brought 
to task about the consideration given Dr. Perry 
they denied‘the fact that he was a Negro- though 
he is extremely dark and no one would ever think 
of calling him even a mulatto. 

He has spent considerable time working for pro¬ 
fessional uplift, built a private Hospital in 1910, 
loaned the hospital to the community three years 
later, and through that medium created sentiment 
sufficient to raise quite an ample sum for the erec¬ 
tion of an Institution for the people. He has work¬ 
ed in the Y. M. C. A., was its first president of this 
city and he works in every avenue for racial uplift. 
He has been interested in a number of business 
enterprises, always trying to provide a place for 
young men and women. He is Secretary and 
Treasurer of the S. P. L. Mercantile and Invest¬ 
ment Company, a firm growing out of the People’s 
Drug Store, a very successful enterprise. 

He married Miss Fredericka D. Sprague, July 3, 
1912. Mrs. Perry is the granddaughter of Frede¬ 
rick Douglass. 

Dr. Perry is considered the leading colored phy¬ 
sician in Kansas City, both as a practititioneer and 
as a surgeon. In these later years he has given 
most of his time to surgery, both in connection 
with the General Hospital and his private Sanita¬ 
rium. As evidence of his skill in surgery, he is 
frequently called to operate, as far south as Texas 
and to various points in Missouri, including St. 
Louis. He is regarded the leading Negro surgeon 
west of Chicago. After Dr. Perry had practiced a 
few years, he sought further preparation speciali¬ 
zing in surgery by attending the Post Graduate 
Hospital of Chicago, Illinois. 

As a physician, Dr. Perry is progressive. In all 
matters he is conservative and especially frank. Lie 
can be depended upon at all times to be fair in deal¬ 
ings with his patients, both in information arid 
treatment and in his business dealings with them. 
The new hospital which has just been acquired by 
the colored people of Kansas City is largely the 
result of Dr. Perry’s untiring labors and is indeed 
a fitting reward for his unselfish devotion to the 
people of Kansas City. 











ANDERSON RUSSELL 

R. Anderson Russell was born in 
Smith County, Mississippi, April 
1st., 1864, and died in St. Louis 
Missouri, September 2nd., 1917, 
after spending a useful and suc¬ 
cessful life. His education was 
confined to the Rural Schools of 
his neighborhood, which were 
greatly inferior to such schools of ihe present day, 
which even now are far from being what they 
should be. 

If the schools failed to give him a high standard 
of learning they still served him a good turn for 
his contact with books set his active mind to work 
and caused him to form the habit of thinking clear- 
ly. 

When he was twenty years of age his parents 
left Mississippi, and moved to Alton, Illinois. 

In his new home he entered the service of a num¬ 
ber of private families. Here he labored until 1890, 
when he left Alton, and went to St. Louis, to enter 
the service of the Pullman Palace Car Co. His con¬ 
nection with this company continued for four years 
At the end of this term he had saved sufficient 
funds from his wages to enter a business of his 
own. 

He formed a co-partnership under the firm name 
of Russell and Gordon, and conducted an undertak¬ 
ing business. They remained together and did 
business under the original firm name until in 
1902, when they separated and each opened a busi¬ 
ness of his own. 

Mr. Russell’s business continued to prosper and 
he soon was enabled to take from the business 
funds to purchase real estate. His investments 
were wisely chosen and became a source of reve¬ 



nue to him- He purchased the building in which 
his business was located and adjusted it to meet 
his wants. He also purchased a double flat and 
four rent houses. 

Mr. Russell was a religious man, and took an 
active part in the work of the church. He was a 
member of the Union Memorial Church, which he 
joined in 1908. 

At the time of his death he was serving as a 
member of the Board of Trustees of the church. 

Mr. Russell’s business brought him into inti¬ 
mate contact with the home life of many families 
and he soon formed the habit of thinking and plan¬ 
ning for their betterment. He saw the value of 
many of the societies organized for their benefit 
and became actively identified with them. He 
might be termed a Society man for his name was 
on the roster of most of them. 

He was a member of the Masons, Knights of 
Pythias, Odd Fellows, and United Brothers of 
Friendship- 

His service in the Pullman Palace Car Company 
gave him the opportunity for travel and enabled 
him to visit all parts of the United States and parts 
of Mexico. 

He met his life companion, Miss Priscilla Prim- 
gle, in St. Louis, where he was married to her June 
28, 1906. Although their married life was without 
issue it waS thoroughly congenial and happy. 

Mr. Russell’s health began to fail him in 1916, 
and he soon got too ill to give attention to his busi¬ 
ness. He grew weaker continuously and was 
never again able to look after his affairs. He lin¬ 
gered until September 2nd, 1917, when he passed 
into the other State. 

The business which he had so carefully built up 
and to which he had given so much of his time and 
thought did not die with him. It was incorporated 
into a company, known as the “A- Russell Under¬ 
taking Company, Incorporated.” His sister, An¬ 
nie K. Russell, was elected President of the Com¬ 
pany, and carries on the business along the same 
business principles employed by her brother, work¬ 
ing out the plans outlined by him. 

Under the new management the business still 
continues to prosper. 



HOME OF A. RUSSELL UNDERTAKING CO. 
















CHARLES HYMEN TURPIN 


HARLES Hymen Turpin, is a suc¬ 
cessful business man of St. Louis, 
Missouri. Mr. Turpin belongs to 
the class of men who do things. 
He is a man who will meet an op¬ 
portunity squarely and use it ad- 
He has a natural ability, is indus¬ 
trious and persistent. He is practical and never en¬ 
ters a project without first weighing that keen 
competition which always besets every venture 
worth while. He is not the type of man who will 
shrink from the arrows of opposition, but is spur¬ 
red on by them to the accomplishment of his aims. 
Once started, his resolute determination and in¬ 
domitable courage, backed by explicit confidence 
in himself, usually carries him through all difficul¬ 
ties to the goal of his ambitions. 

That these qualities are natural, is best illustrat¬ 
ed by a few incidents in his boyhood life. At the 
age of ten, when he was a boot-black, he attempt¬ 
ed to organize a union, in order to raise the pi ice 
of “shines”. Failing to interest the other boys, he 
aggressively declared the “Union” in effect with 
himself as the only member, and elected him 
self president, secretary and treasurer, raised t ie 
price of “shines” and proceeded to monopolize the 

205 


industry to the detriment of his faint-hearted com¬ 
petitors. One day at the old St. Louis Fairgrounds, 
he noticed that the paddock was not being used. 
Fie immediately appointed himself, “Paddock 
manager”, hired a few boys and earned $18.00 f 
himself that day. His first real salary was $1.00 
per week as a house servant and since drawing his 
first week’s pay he declares he has never been 
“broke.” 

Mr. Turpin was born in Columbus, Georgia and 
came to St. Louis, with his parents, when a small 
boy. He was educated in the public schools and 
holds two diplomas from business colleges. At 
the age of 21 he was appointed to a position in the 
Assessor’s office and later in the office of Record¬ 
er of Deeds. At one time he accepted an appoint¬ 
ment as clerk in the St. Louis Post Office, having 
been second on a list of 89 eligibles. His progres¬ 
sive ambition, however, would not permit him to 
remain long, being always haunted with the feeling 
the service meant, “Abandon hope all ye who en¬ 
ter here.” 

In the year 1910 Mr. Turpin was elected Con¬ 
stable of the Fourth District, by the Republican 
Party, St. Louis. His election was an agreeable 
surprise to even his dearest friends and when he 
took the office he had the distinction of being the 
only Negro ever elected to a State office in Mis¬ 
souri. He served a four year term with efficiency 
and credit; raised the dignity of the office, increas¬ 
ed the revenue and was instrumental in establish¬ 
ing new rules more favorable to the poorer classes. 
Mixed juries, of white and colored, were also es¬ 
tablished during this time. 

He was again re-nominated and re-elected in 
1914, was counted out, and although, after a con¬ 
test in which the ballot boxes were opened, the Su¬ 
preme Court sustained the decision of the Circuit 
Court, that he was duly elected and was entitled 
to the office, that tribunal, failed to hand down the 
final mandamus that would permit him to take his 
seat. He has announced that he will be a candidate 
again in 1918. 

Mr. Turpin is owner and manager of the Book¬ 
er Washington Theatre, in St. Louis. This modern 
fire-proof vaudevlle and picture house, with a seat¬ 
ing capacity of a thousand, is the first in the coun¬ 
try, to be built by a Negro and operated by and for 
Negroes. Mr. Turpin is also interested in the mo¬ 
tion picture business. His “Salambo,” now show¬ 
ing throughout the country, is one of the most 
magnificent spectacles ever filmed. He has also 
personally supervised the filming of many notable 
events of the race, the latest being complete re¬ 
production of the Pythian Parade and Encampment 
in St. Louis, in Aug., 1917. Also he shows the color¬ 
ed drafted men at Camp Funston, Kan., part of the 
92nd Division. This is the only moving picture of 
.colored troops made up to this time since war has 
been declared between the U. S. and Germany. 1 his 
industrious business man also finds time and is en 
tergetic in helping to stimulate and develop interest 
in race pride, co-operation and loyalty, and is al 
ways conspicuously identified with every move¬ 
ment for the advancement of colored people. 
















FORTUNE J. WEAVER 




HE business instinct seems born in 
some men and it only needs a 
favorable opportunity to bring it 
into the light. The fire may burn 
low for a while, but the instinct 
will show itself when only a very 
small breeze of prosperity fans the embers into a 
flame. It was so with Fortune J. Weaver, the 
subject of this sketch. He was the son of Fortune 
and Millie Weaver, and was born in Council Grove, 
Morris County, Kansas, May the e ighth, 1874. 
When a child only eight years of age his father 
died and left a widow and eight children. The bur¬ 
den of their support made it necessary to send For¬ 
tune to a neighboring farm to live. He found a 
home with Alfred and Emma Smith, who owned a 
small farm near Council Grove. This proved a 
great blessing to Fortune, for his foster parents 
treated him with every consideration and gave him 
every advantage of educaion that their means 
would admit. Speaking of his foster parents, he 
gives them the credit for his life inspiration and 
success in attaining his goal. He lived with his fos¬ 
ter parents on the farm until he was seventeen 
years of age, when he went out in the world to hus¬ 
tle for himself. The common school education he 


had received while working on the farm and a de¬ 
termined spirit was his full equipment. This may 
appear to many a small asset with which to begin 
life but in the case of Mr. Weaver it proved an 
ample start. With it he went forth to work out 
his destiny, and with it he carved his way to sue. 
cess. 

Kansas City, Missouri was the city of his choice, 
and to reach it he had to ride on a freight train. 
When he arrived in Kansas City it was with an 
empty pocket book, but nothing daunted he sought 
employment which partially supplied his needs. 
For two weeks he worked without a daily square 
meals, frequently feeling the pangs of hunger and 
consequently the lowering of his vitality for lack 
of sufficient and nourishing food. While it was 
hard at the time he now regards the experience as 
a blissing for it taught him the value of a dollar 
and inculcated the principle of economy, a principle 
which has stood him well throughout his business 
career. While it was hard at the time he now re- 
througout his business career, causing him to save 
the dimes and accumulate a nice fortune. 

Passing over the period of his development as a 
business man and the steps by which he has reach¬ 
ed his present high position, it is only necessary to 
point out the value of his possessions, which 
amount to $50,000.00, and which consist of residen¬ 
ces and apartment buildings in Kansas City, and 
turn to the institutions which he heads and to 
which he has given his best thought and business 
talents. He is the President and founder of the 
Afro-American Investment and Employment Com¬ 
pany, Inc. Through this Company, he has made a 
connecting link between the White property own¬ 
ers and business firms, and the Negro citizens of 
greater Kansas City. He has made it possible for 
them to buy modern homes, in desirable sections of 
the city, on the easy payment plan, and employ¬ 
ment furnished them while they were paying their 
installments. 

He is the President and Founder of the Kansas 
City branch of the National Negro Business Lea¬ 
gue, which position he has held for nine years. This 
institution has encouraged hundreds of Negro men 
and women to embark in business enterprises of 
various kinds. 

Seeking the co-operation of the late Booker T. 
Washington, he succeeded in having the National 
Negro Business League hold its annual session in 
Kansas City in 1916. At this meeting he was el¬ 
ected as a member of the Executive Committee. 

Mr. Weaver has been married three times—first 
to Miss Lizzie Stewart in 1890, then to Miss Stran- 
ella Hoyl, in 1895, and to Miss Bessie Henderson, 
in 1901. He has but two children, a boy and a girl, 
Fortune Weaver, Jr., and Cornaleta Odessa Weav¬ 
er. 


206 












LEE S. WILLIAMS 


HEN asked to write of his life so 
that the facts of his rise to a place 
of importance in the world of Ne¬ 
gro business in St. Louis might be 
an inspiration to Negro youth ev¬ 
erywhere. Mr. Williams, after 
some hesitation, sent this report of his life work. 

In this report he goes into detail about the steps 
that marked his steady growth. Even the very 
young lad who reads this will be led to aspire to 
a place in the business world. 

“I was born at Jonesburg, Montgomery Co., 
Missouri, on May 11, 1868. My mother brought 
me to St. Louis, Mo., in December, 1873, and I en¬ 
tered the public school in 1875; at the age of eight 
years I was errand boy for the neighborhood, and 
did chores for the neighbors such as cutting kind¬ 
ling and carrying coal before and after school. Dur¬ 
ing vacation I helped my mother do laundr y wot k 
and continued doing chores for the neighbors. 

At the age of ten years, during my vacation, I 
secured a job at a brick-yard brushing brick at a 
salary of forty cents per day; worked at that one 
month and then was promoted to driving a cart 
at a salary of fifty cents per day, and worked at 
that until school opened again. I again started at 

207 


my old job of doing chores for the neighbors be¬ 
fore and after school hours. 

The next vacation, I secured a position in a rope- 
walk and made rope at a salary of two dollars and 
fifty cents per week, but being the only Negro boy 
there, and not getting the same salary for the same 
work as done by the white boys, I left there and 
secured a position in a Nursery at a salary of three 
dollars per week, and held this position until the 
fall term of school, when I again started doing 
chores as before. 

The following summer I began driving a one- 
horse coal wagon at a salary of three dollars and 
fifty cents per week, and stayed at that work un¬ 
til school opened again when I secured a position 
in a repair shop and learned to repair shoes and 
cane chairs by working before and after school 
hours, and I sold papers on Sunday mornings. I 
stayed at this place about eighteen months, then 
secured a place in a tobacco factory, at a salary of 
four dollars per week and after being there six 
months was promoted to foreman over eight boys, 
who had been there about two or three years. 

On account of a strike the factory closed and I 
was forced to find other employment so I started 
as a delivery boy in a butcher-shop, and continued 
at this work for two years, attending school at 
night. I then started working as a Pullman por¬ 
ter, and worked at that for three years, then start¬ 
ed teaming for myself; business became dull, so I 
returned to the Pullman service and stayed there 
another year. I then started as a huckster in bus¬ 
iness for myself and controlled the first huckster 
business owned by a Negro in St. Louis. I con¬ 
tinued working for the Pullman Company during 
the winter season, and followed my huckster busi¬ 
ness during the summer months. I leased twenty- 
one acres of land and worked it for three years, 
to keep up the huckster business, and still worked 
for the R. R. Company. Prom that I went to work 
at the undertaking establishment of A. Russel, and 
stayed at this position four years, and then start¬ 
ed the undertaking business for myself, at 2317 
Market Street. I stayed at that location about 
six years and then bought the property and built 
the establishment that is my present location 3232- 
34, Pine Street. The first to peddle coal in St. 
Louis; the first Negro Huckster in St. Louis; the 
first Negro to own and operate the Monument 
business in St. Louis ; The first Negro to hold the 
position of City Undertaker ; the first Negro to 
run an automobile funeral in St Louis; ,‘Lirst in 
Everything.” 

In this story of his life, showing its ups and 
downs, Mr. Williams reveals a wonderful wealth 
of energy, patience and perseverance, traits which 
almost invariably lead to success and prosperity, 
and accounts for his being listed as a successful 
man. 









CLEMENT RICHARDSON 


HE Editor of this Volume, Clem¬ 
ent Richardson, is a Virginian by 
birth. He was born in Halifax 
County, in 1878, where for a num¬ 
ber of years he tilled tobacco and 

attended the White Oak Grove 
country school. While still a lad he went to Mass¬ 
achusetts to seek work, and to further his educa¬ 
tion. After spending some years in Winchester, 
Mass., where he worked as a tanner and a farmer, 
Mr. Richardson entered Mt. Hermon, the Boy’s 
school of Dwight L. Moody. “I was prep of Preps” 
says Professor Richardson, “for what little book 
knowledge I had picked up back there in Virginia 
had been lost or supplanted by the rapid change of 
surroundings.” 

From Mt. Hermon Mr. Richardson entered 
Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, but 
changed to Harvard after three years. He was 
graduated from Harvard in 1907. 

Throughout his career Professor Richardson 
leaned toward English studies. He recalls for you 
with a genial smile, one or two thrilling debates he 
took part in back there in the boyhood days in 
Halifax, where he argued that women should not 
vote and that the wheelbarrow was more essential 
to the farmer than the ox. He was one of the ed¬ 

208 


itors of his preparatory school paper, the reader 
for the Mt. Hermon Glee Club, president of the 
Pierien Literary Society of that institution and 
Lequent winner of prizes in both oratory and dec¬ 
lamation througout his school course. The same 
kind of work was kept up at college, where he pre¬ 
ferred to pursue extra courses in literature to tak¬ 
ing extensive part in college activities. 

On finishing college Mr. Richardson did some 
work for the Boston Daily Globe and corresponded 
for several colored papers. In the fall of 1907 he 
filled the temporary vacancy made in Morehouse 
college, Atlanta, Ga., by the absence of Prof. Braw- 
ley. In 1908 Professor Richardson accepted work 
as teacher of English in Tuskegee Institute, where 
for the last nine years he has been head of the En¬ 
glish Department. 

At Tuskegee Institute, Professor Richardson 
was kept in close touch with all the students and 
teachers. He is a man of action, as well as one 
who likes to dally with his pen. He was respon¬ 
sible for all the public speaking at the famous 
Booker T. Washington school. During the year he 
staged in dramatic form a Halloween exercise and 
a Thanksgiving exercise for the senior class, a 
drama for the teachers and one for the senior class. 
One year he put on the Merchant of Venice for 
the teachers as actors and Mid-Summer Night 
Dream for the students. He staged once a year an 
exercise by the African students to raise funds to 
support a Tuskegee chapel in Liberia. Christmas 
1916, Mr. Richardson established at Tuskegee the 
Community Christmas tree, bringing joy to some 
three or four hundred students who otherwise 
would have had no pleasant reminder of the season. 

For the last few years Mr. Richardson has taken 
enthusiastic interest in rural education. He makes 
many trips into the country with the agent of the 
Tuskegee Entension Department, making addresses 
to the people and writing about them for the pa¬ 
pers and magazines on his return. 

During all these years, Mr. Richardson has been 
a frequent contributor to magazines and daily pa¬ 
pers, having written the Country Gentleman, Amer¬ 
ican magazine, Independant, Survey, Southern 
Workman and in daily and weekly papers. He was 
often with Dr. Booker T. Washington on the lat¬ 
ter’s tours, as a writer for papers and magazines. 
He is the author of several booklets and phamplets. 

In June, 1918, Mr. Richardson was chosen by the 
Board of Regents of Missouri as President of 
Lincoln Institute, and he assumed office at once. 
If there is anything in the expression “First im- 
presson the lasting one,” Mr. Richardson will hold 
the good will of his new teachers and the citizens 
of the town, for they have given him a hearty wel¬ 
come during his few months of Presidency. 

Prof. Richardson was married Sept. 1st, 1908, to 
Miss Ida J. Rivers of Meridian, Mississippi. There 
are four daughters in the Richardson home: Louise 
Elizabeth, Ida Mae, Clementine and Evelyn Adele. 
All except the last named are in school. 













WALTER G. ALEXANDER, A. B. M. D. 


ALTER G. Alexander, M. D., of 
Orange, New Jersey, prominent 
in civil and business progress of 
Orange and a conspicuous leader 
in politics and in his profession, 
was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, 
December 3, 1880. His father, Royal Alexander, 
had seven children and a regular income of $15 
a month, and so could do little to help his son 
through school. Young Alexander attended the 
public schools of Lynchburg until he was 14 years 
of age. 

From the public schools he entered Lincoln Un¬ 
iversity, Pennsylvania, at the rare age of fourteen. 
At Lincoln he became distinguished for excellence 
in scholarhsip from the outset, and remained so 
throughout his four years stay there. From Lin¬ 
coln where he gained the degree of Bachelor of 
Arts he enrolled in the Boston College of Physi¬ 
cians and Surgeons. Against even a keener compe¬ 
tition than he had met at Lincoln, he once more 
carried away honors in scholarship. He had been 
first honor man throughout his course at Lincoln ; 
had won the Bradley Medal in Natural Science and 
had been made Latin Salutatorian. At the Boston 


College of Physicians and Surgeons, he carried ofif 
first prize for his thesis on “Cerebral Localization” 
and second prize on an essay entitled, “The Social 
Aspects of Tuberculosis.” 

Obtaining his doctor’s degree in 1903, he served 
time as an interne in the Boston North End Hos¬ 
pital and Dispensary. Completing his work here 
he began his career in West Virginia. After spend¬ 
ing a year in West Virginia, he located in Orange. 

However, the doctor has by no means ceased to 
win honors. Almost from the day he began, he 
took the leading part as a citizen as well as a phy¬ 
sician in this New Jersey City. He joined the Elks, 
'the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, the Sam¬ 
aritans and Court of Calanthe. He allied himself 
as an active member of the Essex County, fersey 
State and American Medical Associations; with 
the William Pierson Medical Library Association, 
of Orange; with the North Jersey Medical Society; 
with the National Medical Association ; for 6 years 
Secretary of National Medical Association; with 
the Orange Civic Society; with the Orange 
Board of Trade; with the Orange Colored 
Citizens Union; with the Federation of Colo¬ 
red Organizations of New Jersey. He soon be¬ 
came director of the Progressive Building and 
Loan Association, director of the Douglass Film 
Company, President of the Home Benefit Associa- 
tionfi and a member of the Essex County Repub¬ 
lican Committee. 

In all these organizations, marvelous to relate, 
he became the dominating factor, an unquestioned 
leader. He became Past Noble Father of the Inde¬ 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, past chancellor of 
the Knights of Pythias, past exalted ruler of the 
Elks. In the afifairs of State he has been just as 
conspicuous, just as formidable. In 1912 he ran for 
the state legislature on the Progressive Ticket, re¬ 
ceiving more than 22,000 votes, running fourth in a 
group of twelve. In 1913, he was “high man” in 
the Progressive Primary for the state Legislature, 
receiving three hundred more votes than the can¬ 
didate for governor. 

He is the Alumni member of the Lincoln Univer¬ 
sity Athlete Association and spends and gives much 
enthusiasm to Lincoln sports. 

He was married in 1914, to Miss Elizabeth Hem- 
mings of Boston. Dr. and Mrs. Alexander live in 
their own residence in Webster Place, a residence 
which is among the best in the city and from which 
pulsates much of the social and civic life of Orange. 

In a word, Dr. Alexander’s marvelous mind, 
which he has continuously developed, his social dis¬ 
position which has enabled him to influence men 
for their good, and a noble ambition for his race, 
causing him to persistently seek their uplift, has 
made him a great and useful man. 



209 













GEORGE E. GANNON. M. D.. LL. D. 



ULY 7, 1869 Dr. George E. Cannon 
son of Barnett G. and Mary Can¬ 
non, was born in Carlisle, South 
Carolina. He received his early 
education in the public schools of 
Carlisle and in the Brainard In¬ 
stitute at Chester, South Carolina. On completing 
his work in the Brainard Institute, he returned to 
his native town and taught schools for two years. 

The revenue derived from this source enabled 
him to take up his studies again, which he did in 
Lincoln University, in Pennsylvania Here he ap¬ 
plied himself with great diligence and graduated 
with honors in 1893. Again he was forced to give 
up his studies because the care of his family called 
for his aid and support, but it was only for a time. 
The fires of ambition having once been kindled 
would not go out and the thirst for knowledge in¬ 
tensified rather than diminished by his forced ab¬ 
sence from school. In 1896 the way opened again 
for him to continue his studies and as he had de¬ 
termined upon the profession he would adopt he 
entered a college which would prepare him for his 
work. He enrolled in the New York Homeopathic 
College, from which Institution he graduated in 
1900, with the degree of M. D. 


After graduating from the New York Homeopa¬ 
thic College he moved to Jersey City, New Jersey 
where he immediately took up the practice of med¬ 
icine. Here he has since remained and pursued his 
practice and has built up a large and lucrative busi¬ 
ness. His reputation as a physician is not confin¬ 
ed to the community in which he lives, but he also 
stands high in the professional circles of the State. 
He has achieved much distinction as a physician, 
and is widely known throughout the country. He 
is ex-President of the North Jersey Medical Asso¬ 
ciation; a member of the Academy of Medicine of 
Northern New Jersey; President of the North¬ 
eastern Medical Association; and for eight years, 
chairman of the Executive Board of the National 
Medical Association. 

During the past five years, he has been president 
of the Lincoln University Alumni Association. Un¬ 
der his administrator a handsome bronze tablet 
has been erected to the memory of the beloved 
President, Isaac N. Randall; a scholarship has been 
endowed ($2500) the first to be endowed by colored 
men; and funds have been raised to erect a magni¬ 
ficent archway over the main entrance to the Uni- 
versity. 

He is an extensive writer on medical and civic 
subjects; and is much in demand as a public speak¬ 
er. His best known medical article, is the “Health 
Problems of the New Jersey Negro.” 

He takes a strong and controlling part in public 
affairs as well as in medical matters. He stands 
for the highest type of leadership in all that per¬ 
tains to a good citizen. As president of the fa¬ 
mous Committee of One Hundred of Houston 
County, he has been successful in advancing the 
civic interest of his race throughout the state of 
New Jersey. He is recognized as one of the fore¬ 
most, if not the foremost, man of his race in the 
State of New Jersey. 

He is president of the John Brown Building and 
Loan Association; treasurer of the Lredrick Dou¬ 
glass Lilm Company (which produces high class 
Negro motion pictures) ; treasurer of the Home 
Benefit Asociation; and of the Negro Welfare 
League of New Jersey. He is a devout church 
member and elder in the Lafayette Presbyterian 
Church. In 1914, Lincoln University, his alma ma¬ 
ter, conferred on him the honorary degree of LL. D. 
On October 2, 1917, Governor Walter E. Edge 
commissioned him a captain in the New Jersey 
State Militia- 

In 1901, Dr. Cannon was married to Miss Gene- 
vive Wilkinson, of Washington, D. C. Unto them 
two children have been born, George and Gladys. 

Dr. Cannon is one of the few men of the race to 
enjoy a wide patronage from both races. His in¬ 
come from his practice is far above the average. 
His investments are large and varied. 


210 







Norman Therkield Cotton, A. B., M. D. 


HERE are those who hold that the 
Negro should be educated in his 
own schools located in the. South, 
and there only. They further con¬ 
tend that having received his ed¬ 
ucation in the South that he 
should give the benefit of his training to his peo¬ 
ple located In that section. If such people would 
read the story of Dr. Norman Therkield Cotton, of 
Patterson, New Jersey, they would no doubt 
change their minds upon this subject. 

His is an instance of what hundreds of colored 
men have done all over the country, and what they 
can do by finishing their training in the Northern 
schools. These Northern schools are well equip¬ 
ped and give facilities for education along certain 
lines not possessed by those located in the South 
though many of the Southern schools deservedly 
stand high. 

Dr. Cotton won his degrees of Bachelor of Arts 
and Doctor of Medicine. 

He was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, 
August 25th, 1885. His first schooling was in the 
public schools of his native city. After passing- 
through the different grades and completing his 
course in the public schools he next became a stu¬ 
dent in the A. and M. College, which is also located 
at Greensboro. Completing his work in the A. and 
M. College, he decided to finish his education in the 
North and accordingly began his pilgrimage to the 
Northern clime. He first went to the Lincoln Uni¬ 
versity, in Pennsylvania, completing his course and 
received his degree of Bachelor of Arts. Up to 
this time he had not definitely decided upon his 
life work, but his mind was now made up and he 
chose medicine and surgery. After giving the mat¬ 
ter due thought, he was convinced that Boston of¬ 
fered the best schools and environment for the 
training he desired, so he enrolled at the Boston 
College of Physicians and Surgeons. Here he ap¬ 
plied himself with diligence and completed his 
course. After the completion of his comse he 
served an internship and extended training in the 
City Hospital of Boston, and the North End Dis¬ 
pensary and Hospital, Boston, Mass. It was while 
he was attending the medical school in Boston that 
his ambition was fired and be began to taste the 


fruits of place and honor. Because of his excel¬ 
lent and enviable record in scholarship and good 
standing with his fellows he was chosen orator of 
his class. He acquitted himself well and the well 
deserved praise showered upon him gave him a 
keen relish for such distinctions and since then he 
has captured one post of honor after another. 
While sojourning in the Hub he was chosen a 
member of the Boston Gamma Psi Zeta Society of 
Boston. 

Beginning his work in Patterson, he soon estab¬ 
lished himself as a physician and surgeon, and 
started immediately to add many other honors to 
his list. He is President of the North Jersey Med¬ 
ical Society, of New Jersey; member of the Society 
of the State; of the Passaic County Medical So¬ 
ciety ; of the National Association, and of the 
American Medical Association. Dr. Cotton’s unu¬ 
sual skill as a physician and surgeon soon put him 
in the front ranks along with the leading physi¬ 
cians of New Jersey. Though still a very young 
man, he has built up a splendid practice, and a re¬ 
putation to be envied. Dr. Cotton enjoys as large, 
if not the largest practice of any physician in 
North fersey. White patients constitute the bulk 
of his practice.. 

Along with his professional work, he has joined 
hands with the church and with secret orders. He 
is a member of the Saint Augustine Presbyterian 
Church of Patterson; he is Past Master of the En- 
tegrity No. 51, F. A. M. of Patterson ; of Oceanic 
4559 G. U. O. O. F. of Atlantic City, and of the 
Good Samaritans. 

Though intensely engaged in social and profes¬ 
sional life, and having traveled very extensively, 
Dr. Cotton has nevertheless accumulated property 
and made himself comfortable surroundings. He 
owns two houses on Graham Avenue in Patterson, 
the one his own home; the other, a rent house. His 
home is valued at $9,000; his rent house at $2,900. 
He has much other property both in Patterson and 
in Greensboro, North Carolina, his native home. 

Dr. Cotton was married to Miss Bertha May 
Doyle Lee of Boston in 1911. Their home is a sort 
of proud citadel among the colored people of Pat¬ 
terson, being the spot from which radiates good 
service, genial fellowship and prosperity. 



211 










Dr. J. WILLIAM FORD 

EXT to the Negro doctor, or rath¬ 
er along with the Negro physi¬ 
cian, the dentist is doing some of 
the most helpful service to the 
Negro race. He himself and his 
office with its equipment are 
sources of courage, ease and freedom; for here one 
enters without misgiving, without fear of slight 
or discrimination; realizing that all the equipment, 
the dentist’s best skill and courtesy are all his. To 
this very valuable service the dentist adds that of 
a teacher. He gives lessons to the patient sitting 
in the chair; lessons on the care of the teeth, on 
when to fill instead of pulling, on the use of the 
teeth ; all of which are most essential and none, or 
very few, of which the average Negro patient 
would get under other circumstances. 

Perhaps this cold business method of handling 
the patient is no where more common than in the 
North, where competition is sharp, sympathy none 
too common. Happily our dentists are taking their 
places here and are rendering the Negro people 
good service. 

Dr. J. William Ford, of Newark, New Jersey, is 
one of the dentists of the North to fill just such a 
post as has been outlined. His high grade prompt 

212 


service, his office equipment, whch after a time the 
public described as “ideal,” soon drew to him an 
exceedingly large practice. So much so that though 
he left college in 1907 in debt to the instructors and 
to his friends, he was able to invest $500 in the 
First Liberty Loan and $500 in the Second Liberty 
Loan, also $2,000 in the Third Liberty Loan in ad¬ 
dition to having accumulated valuable property 
holdings. 

Dr. Ford was born in Williamsport, Pennsyl¬ 
vania, September, 1877. On finishing the public 
schools of Williamsport, he entered Howard Uni¬ 
versity, and was graduated from the preparatory 
department. He spent two years in the College 
Department of Howard and then made dentistry a 
specialty. He completed his course in Dentistry in 
1907. His life through college, however had 
been one of struggle and of want and hard work. 
He left the University in debt, for which his diplo¬ 
ma was withheld- He owed his friends, he had a 
mother to support. There was therefore no money 
to buy this “ideal” equipment and furnish this ideal 
office, of which his patrons now boast. The pro¬ 
verbial starvation period of the professional man 
was not to be gone through, it was already upon 
him. And so for six years he worked on the rail¬ 
roads to pay off his debts and work had its happy 
side. Working on the railroads both in the East 
and in California, gave him entensive travel, and 
contact, two invaluable assets for a professional 
man; for often his success hangs as much on his 
good conversation as it does on his excellent work. 

It was only in 1913 that Dr. Ford was able to 
leave the railroads and begin to try his fortune at 
his profession. In spite of the fact he had been out 
of school six years, he succeeded in passing the 
State examinations, and at one trial, something un¬ 
usual for New Jersey, and was able to enter on his 
professional career. 

Two years after beginning his practice Dr. Ford 
was married to Miss Edith Anna Braxton, of New 
York City. They were married in their own 
church, St. Phillips Episcopal Church, of New 
York. Mrs- Ford was formerly a public school 
teacher of New York. Dr. and Mrs. Ford live in 
Newark, but they own a very handsome Brown 
stone front residence in Brooklyn. 


DR. FORD’S OPERATING ROOM. 




















George A. Kyle, D. D. S. 



EORGE A. Kyle, D. D. S., of Pat¬ 
terson, New Jersey, was a born 
athlete and early began to devel¬ 
op his powers as such. His career 
as a college athlete brought him 
into prominent notice and gave 
him a wonderful influence with the students. His 
reputation was not confined to his college but 
went beyond the bounds of the campus and made 
him known throughout the country. He became 
very popular, especially in the athletic world. He 
was both popular for his personal excellence and 
for the variety of athletics in which he excelled. 
He was a track man and through unquestioned 
merit rose to be captain of the track team. He 
brought his team up to a state of marked excel¬ 
lence. Football and basket ball were games in 
which he also excelled and in which he took an ac¬ 
tive interest. He was elected manager of the foot¬ 
ball squad. 

In Howard University, where he was educated, 
there were few activities in which he did not play 
a conspicious part. 

But his prowess was not limited to the gridiron, 
to the track and to the gymnasium, it was recog¬ 
nized in other fields of endeavor. As a rule ath¬ 
letes are not given to literature and the cultivation 
of the mind, for in the development of the physical 
the mind is neglected and it is hard for them to 
concentrate the mind upon literary matters. Dr. 
Kyle is a notable exception to the rule and was re¬ 
garded at college as much for his literary attain¬ 
ments as for his athletic renown. His counsel and 
aid was sought in staging college plays and exer¬ 
cises of that character, and his interest in them 
was active and not of a passive nature. In a num¬ 
ber of the college plays he took leading parts 
throughout his career at Howard. 

Dr. Kyle .was born and lived and worked wholly 
above the Mason and Dixon Line. None of his suc¬ 
cess can he check up to the hardships of oppression 
which sometimes rush in to claim the glory of 


achievement of those southern Negroes who have 
conquered in spite of oppression. He was born in 
Mainesville, Ohio, July 20, 1881. Much of his early 
education was gained in the public schools of Cin¬ 
cinnati, Ohio, which is not a southern city, geo¬ 
graphically speaking at any rate. However, Dr. 


Kyle may be very truly set down as educated at 
Howard University. Leaving the public schools of 
Cincinnati, he entered the Howard College Prepar¬ 
atory Department. Being graduated from this De¬ 
partment he entered the college. Completing the 
college course, he enrolled in the Dental School. 
Thus completing his years in school and in school 
activities, Dr. Kyle will go down in a literal sense 
as being educated at Howard. 

On graduating from the Howard Dental School, 
Dr. Kyle gave himself to serious thought as to 
where he would locate. It was not an easy ques¬ 
tion to settle, and not wishing to make a mistake 
he did not act in the matter hastily. Not wishing 
to remain idle while determining a question of so 
great importance to him he entered the service of a 
dental firm in Buffalo, New York. He remained 
with this firm several years, but the time was not 
lost for he gained from them a practical experience, 
confidence in his own ability and money to open 
an office when he ventured for himself. 

He had selected Patterson, New Jersey, as a de¬ 
sirable post, and here he began. He had already 
many friends in various parts of the country, many 
of them Howard graduates, many friends whom 
he gained in his travels as an athlete. His activities 
at Howard had made him so popular that he be¬ 
came a welcome member of Patterson circles, and 
the circles round about Patterson, reaching New 
York. 

He is a member of many medical organizations 
and of those bodies which keep alive the fraternal 
spirit and connection which meant so much in his 
college days. He is a member of the Alpha Phi 
Alpha Fraternity and of the College Men’s Round 
Table of New York City. He belongs to the North 
Jersey Medical Association, and to the National 
Medical Association. He is secretary of the North 
Jersey Medical Association. 

Dr. Kyle was married July 16, 1916, to Miss 

Charlotte McCracken of New York City. Between 
his profession on the one hand and his many social 
and fraternal connections on the other, Dr. Kyle, 
with Mrs. Kyle leads an exceedingly busy life. 


213 










PETER F. GHEE, M. D. 

R. Ghee belongs to the younger 
generation of Negro physicians, 
or rather to the physicians of the 
transition period. In the olden 
days the idea was to get to prac¬ 
tice and gain a competence. The 
modern school, with its glaring 
exceptions, says rather, “Get Ed¬ 
ucation.” This takes time and patience. It goes 
to one school for one kind of training and to an¬ 
other for another, so that when the medical stu¬ 
dent comes forth with his diploma, he comes not 
only a technically educated doctor, but as an edu¬ 
cated and cultivated man, fit to practice medicine, 
to teach his patience, to write readable articles on 
various topics of his profession, to take his place 
as a citizen as well as a physician. 

Dr. Ghee was born in Luxenburg County, Vir¬ 
ginia, May 5, 1871, and is the son of Peter Ghee, a 
farmer. He had as a lad the training on the farm 
that makes in so many instances for strong man¬ 
hood. He knew the use of the axe, the hoe and 
the plow. He also learned to appreciate the great 
out-of-doors—the trees, birds, flowers and above 
all the great distances in the wide open country. 
His preliminary education was obtained in the pub¬ 
lic schools of his native country, where he laid the 
foundation for his later success in the literary line. 
He was a graduate from Boyaton Institute in the 
class of 1891. He thence matriculated at Shaw Un¬ 
iversity, from which having taken an elective 



course instead of the regular one, he could not ob¬ 
tain his Bachelor of Arts Degree when he graduat¬ 
ed in 1894. Dr. Ghee next entered Leonard Medical 
College, from which he was graduated in 1898 with 
the degree of Doctor of Medicine. During his sen¬ 
ior year at this institution he was engaged in prac¬ 
tical work in the hospital, and after graduation 
he served an internship. Upon the conclusion of this 
period he established himself in active practice in 
Jersey City, New Jersey, which has since that time 
been the seat of his professional activity. His prac¬ 
tice is a large and widely extended one, and he has 
the affection as well as the confidence of his pa¬ 
tients. This is true because of the warm hearted 
sympathy always apparent in his ministrations, and 
his unselfish manner of serving. 

Although Dr. Ghee has a very wide practice he 
has still taken time to associate with and work for 
various organizations in Jersey City and the state. 
He is a member of the North New Jersey Medical 
Association; the National Medical Association; 
Hudson Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, 
Progressive Lodge, Benevolent and Protective Or¬ 
der of Elks of Jersey City. In all of these he is 
held in high esteem for his wise counsel. 

Dr. Ghee was married to Miss Lucy Boyd of 
Washington, D. C. Two children have come to 
bless their home; Euclid and Irven Ghee. The 
father is fond of all out-door sports and finds his 
chief recreation in automobiling. He is a member 
of the New Jersey Automobile and Motor Club. 

In political matters he is affiliated with the Pro¬ 
gressive Party of Hudson County and keeps well 
in touch with the trend of public events. 

The greater part of his spare time is devoted to 
study and research work along the lines of his pro¬ 
fession, which appears to be of ever increasing in¬ 
terest to him as the years advance. 

Dr. Ghee is a tireless worker. His office hours 
seem to know no limit. Although Dr. Ghee is a 
very busy man, he is extremely modest and it 
was only with the greatest persuasion he could be 
prevailed upon to give even a meagre account of 
his life and career. 



RESIDENCE OF DR. PETER F. GHEE 


214 






















REVEREND FLORENCE RANDOLPH 

O full of experience, service, and 
promotion has been the life of 
Rev. Florence Randolph that 
nothing more than a catalogue of 
her career can be offered here. 
She was born in Charleston, 
South Carolina, and was educated 
at Avery Normal Institute, after 
completing the course in the public schools of 
Charleston. Rev. Randolph was converted when 
she was about thirteen years of age. She joined 
the Methodist Episcopal church, and engaged im¬ 
mediately in active service. 

On finishing her studies in the South she went to 
Jersey City, where she allied herself with the A- 
M. E. Zion Church of that city. Though she was 
following dress making as an occupation, she early 
began to exhort and do very active church work. 

In 1897 she was granted license to preach. She 
began immediately to preach, addressing crowded 
houses, supplying pulpits, and doing evangelistical 
work wherever she received a call. For fourteen 
years she served Jersey City as a voluntary and 
un-salaried missionary, and for two years was the 
superintendent of the Negro work toi the bln is 
tian Endeavor Society of the State. 

On the recommendation of the late Bishop Alex ¬ 
ander Walters, she was admitted to the Conference 
and became Conference Evangelist. In the mean¬ 
time she was chosen pastor of seveial churches 
the A. M. E. Zion Church, of Newark, N- J.. Little 

215 


Zion A. M. E. Church, of New York City, and the 
A. M. E. Zion Church, of Poughkeepsie, N. Y. Bish¬ 
op Walters ordained her a Deacon in 1901, and an 
Elder in 1903- In 1901 Rev. Randolph was chosen 
to attend the Ecumenical Conference, which met in 
London. 

While in London, Rev. Randolph preached in the 
Primitive Methodist Church, of Mattison ,Road, 
where she won the highest praise from the congre¬ 
gation and from the public press. Completing her 
Conference duties in London, R^v. Randolph made 
several visits on the continent. She traveled 
through the remainder of England, through Scot¬ 
land, Belgium and France. 

In America Rev. Randolph’s work falls into sev¬ 
eral groups. She is a well known social and club 
worker, a Christian Endeavor Worker, a Temper¬ 
ance Lecturer. She is president of the New Jersey 
State Federation of Women’s Clubs, and is a mem¬ 
ber of the Executive Board of the New Jersey State 
Suffrage Association. She is chaplain of the North 
Eastern Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs, and 
is head of the Religious Department of the National 
Association of Colored Women’s Clubs. She works 
almost constantly in the prisons of her city, as 
well as in the prisons of New York and in other 
cities and towns where she chances to have a mo¬ 
ment to spare. Rev. Randolph is one of the offi¬ 
cial lecturers of the Women’s Christian Temper¬ 
ance Union of New Jersey. In this capacity she 
has won great distinction for herself and for the 
cause of Temperance. Indeed the papers in and 
around New Jersey, where she is best known vie 
with one another in singing her praise both as a 
worker and a speaker. 

Of equal weight with Rev. Randolph in the cause 
of foreign missions. All through her course as a 
church and social worker she has kept the cause of 
Africa steadily before herself and before the pub¬ 
lic. Her church and the Conference were not slow 
in recognizing her as a most valuable asset in this 
branch of service. Seventeen years the Women’s 
Foreign Society of the state of New Jersey has 
kept her as its president, and in 1916 the general 
Conference, which asembled at Louisville, Ky., 
made her president of the Woman’s Home and 
Foreign Missionary Society of the A. M. E. Zion 
Connection. 

Rev. Randolph conies from an old Charleston 
family, her father being John Spearing of that city. 
She was married to Hugh Randolph, of Richmond, 
Va., May 5, 1886. Mr. and Mrs. Randolph had one 
daughter, Miss Leah Viola. She is now Mrs. J. 
Francis Johnson, wife of Dr. J. F. Johnson of Jer¬ 
sey City. Mr. Randolph died February 13, 1913. 

In Jersey City Rev. Randolph still makes her 
home. She is one of the few prophets to reap honor 
in her own country. White and black alike seek 
her presence whenever she is in the city. A wel¬ 
come speaker and advisor, she is nevertheless 
sought for her conversation, experience and her 
personal charm. On many occasions she has been 
feasted, tendered gifts and testimonials by her 
fellow citizens of both races. 

To quote the Zion Star, “Truly Rev. Randolph 
by her life, character and work gives substantial 
proof against the pessimistic views of those who 
hold the Negro race incapable of higher develop¬ 
ment. 









Isaac Henry Nutter, LL. B., LL. D. 


NE of Atlantic City’s busiest and 
most successful lawyers is Isaac 
Henry Nutter. Although New 
Jersey proudly proclaims him her 
own, he was born August 20, 1878, 
at Princess Anne, Maryland. 

His parents were William and Emma Nutter, ex¬ 
slaves, who were highly respected for their 
strength of character and industry. While unedu¬ 
cated themselves, they were great lovers of educa¬ 
tion and made many sacrifices in order to give their 
children an education. 

Their sacrifices in behalf of their children have 
been amply rewarded. Two of their boys, the 
subject of this sketch, and his brother, T. Gillis 
Nutter, have risen to high places at the bar and are 
occupying honored positions in other spheres of 
life. Other children have also reached places of 
honor and trust. 

While his father was a great believer in educa¬ 
tion he did not believe in bringing up his children 
in idleness. le had a monopoly of the saw wood 
business of his community and the boys were re¬ 
quired to help him in his work. 

As a youth Isaac H. Nutter made remarkable 
progress in both his Preparatory and College 
Courses. While he was attending the Law De¬ 
partment of Howard University, he convinced all 
who had dealings with him of the fact that he had 
chosen the right profession. 

He was even at this early age both a 
student and a scholar, showing a remarkable 
knowledge and appreciation of History, Civil Gov¬ 
ernment and Economics. He was naturally en¬ 
dowed with a most powerful faculty of logical 
reasoning and he used every opportunity to devel¬ 
op this power. Since then many a legal battle has 
been won by his exercising this power. June, 1901 
he was graduated with the degree of LL. B., later 
in the year, 1913, Wilberforce University conferred 
upon him the honorary degree of LL. D. 

Three years after his graduation, that is in 
1905, Mr. Nutter went before the Board of Exam¬ 
iners of New Jersey, and passed a very successful 
examination. Since that time he has practiced in 
Atlantic City. For some time he was associated 
in his practice with ex-Judge John J. Crandall. 
This helped to establish his place in the legal cir¬ 
cle but his own power has held him there. 

His court practice averages about twenty civil 
and criminal cases a month. Thus far Lawyer 
Nutter has defended in all thirty murder cases, 
one of which was convicted in the second degree, 
four sentenced for manslaughter, and twenty-five 


acquitted. In the County Court of Mays Landing, 
New Jersey, in less than four days he secured ac¬ 
quittal in two cases and in the middle of the trial 
of a third client, had a “Not Guilty” of murder plea 
changed to “guilty” of manslaughter with impris¬ 
onment for one year. 

Mr. Nutter handles all cases with a great deal of 
earnest enthusiasm. His is not a play on words 
nor perplexing ambiguity, but it is the ultimate 
truth, clean cut justice and overwhelming logic 
clothed in a most fascinating and attractive rhetr 
orical eloquence. 

Aside from his legal business, Mr. Nutter finds 
time to devote himself to other worthy causes. He 
is solicitor and General Advisor of the New Jersey 
State Republican League; Solicitor of Atlantic 
County Republican League, and President of Nut¬ 
ter’s Real Estate Company, which is one of the 
most active companies of the State. 

His fraternal spirit is also felt in the State of 
New Jersey. He is a member of the Masons, the 
Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, and of the 
Elks. Then Mr. Nutter was one of the first to 
catch the real spirit of the migration of the Negro 
to the North, and with a keen understanding of the 
situation he became Director of the Bureau for 
Welfare and Employment of Negroes migrating 
from the South. This Bureau was organized in 
1917, and has done a most commendable work. 

Lawyer Nutter is a member of the Governor’s 
Cabinet, which is a most worthy post. Through 
his influence he has secured the following ap¬ 
pointments for Negroes; one assistant Supreme 
Court Clerk, one Medical examiner, six Inspectors 
in Labor Department, one Secretary of Bureau, 
and one chief clerk and stenographer. 

One year before beginning his legal practice, 
April 26, 1904, Isaac Henry Nutter was married 
to Miss Mary Alice E. Reed, of Coatville, Pa., who 
died June 18th., 1915. In a most beautiful home 
on Washington Avenue, Douglass Park, Ple&sant- 
ville, New Jersey, he lives free from many of the 
petty cares of this world, secure in the respect and 
esteem of his neighbors and friends. Mr. Nutter 
attends the Methodist church and takes an active 
part in its activities. 

Lawyer Nutter’s office is 200-209, Sheen Build¬ 
ing, Atlantic City, New Jersey. Here he works 
late and early, thinking, pondering, weighing his 
words. On these thoughts often the life of a man 
hangs. He is cool, deliberate and when a client 
enters his office, he is made to feel that on the 
walls of Lawyer Nutter’s office is written in big 
letters one word—justice. 



216 




WILLIAM H. SUTHERLAND, D. D. S. 


R. William H. Sutherland, one of 
the leading and most prominent 
dentists in the State of New Jer¬ 
sey, was born August 9th, 1880, 
in Camden, South Carolina. As 
a lad he attended the Public 
School of Camden and later the 
Presbyterian Parochial School. 
He had small means to pay for an education, but 
a great ambition to learn. So he learned the bar¬ 
ber’s trade while still in his native town. In this 
new field of work he earned only twenty-five 
cents per week at first. But nothing daunted, he 
kept at this trade till he was able to do better 
work and therefore earn more money. With 
his trade for his bank account, he entered the Av¬ 
ery Normal Institute in Charleston, South Carolina 
and worked at off hours at his trade. In this way 
he earned enough money to complete the com se 
there. With the same trade as his banker he en¬ 
tered Howard University, Washington, D. C., and 
earned his way there. Dr. Sutherland had by that 
time fully made up his mind what he wished to do 
in life and so he entered the Dental Department. 
From Howard he was graduated with the degree 
of Doctor of Dental Surgery, in 1905. 

Since that time Dr. Sutherland has piacticed his 
profession in Providence, R. I., Newark, and Or¬ 
ange, New Jersey. He makes his home in Orange, 
where he owns his home at 75 Oak wood Avenue. 

217 


In his home he has offices with operating room 
equipped with the largest modern electrical Den¬ 
tal appliances. Dr. Sutherland also maintains an 
office at 301, Glenwood Avenue, Bloomfield, New 
Jersey. He enjoys a lucrative practice which is 
not confined wholly to his own people, but he 
numbers among his patrons many prominent busi¬ 
ness people of the white race in the Oranges and 
adjoining towns. To keep both his offices open 
and to fill all his engagements with his patrons 
causes Dr. Sutherland to lead a very busy life. 

But in spite of the very stenuous life which he 
leads during office hours, Dr. Sutherland still has 
time to devote to the social and religious life of the 
community. He is a member of the 13th. Avenue 
Presbyterian Church, of Newark. In this church 
he is Elder and also President of the Brotherhood. 
He is chairman of the board of management of the 
Orange ■ Branch of the Y. M. C. A., a member of 
the National Medical Association and of the North 
Jersey Medical Association. Of the last named 
he is a chairman of the Dental Section. 

And still Dr. Sutherland finds time to really en¬ 
joy his home. Pie was married to Miss Reiter L. 
Thomas, of Washington, D. C., December 27, 1906. 
Their home life is most ideal. Mrs. Sutherland 
presides over the home in a truly charming manner. 
She is a graduate of the Armstrong Manual Train¬ 
ing School of Washington and is a lady of an op¬ 
timistic and amiable character. To her Dr. Suth¬ 
erland attributes much of his success. The family 
is blessed with two beautiful children. Reiter L. 
Sutherland is ten years old and is in the public 
school. Muriel S. Sutherland is still a baby only 
twenty-two months old. The two little ones add 
grace and charm to the wedded life of Dr. and 
Mrs. Sulherland. 

Every summer for about four weeks this ideal 
family leaves home for their vacation. With his 
own car, Dr. Sutherland can go where he wills and 
when he pleases. Indeed this is one of the chief 
delights in the life of this very busy servant of the 
people. On one of these trips he took his family 
to Atlantic City, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Wash¬ 
ington, D. C, and parts of Virginia. 

To quote Dr. Sutherland’s own words—“My 
pleasure is touring with my car, accompanied with 
my family. In this way we get much needed rest.” 

In no profession can a thoroughly consecrated 
man better his people than in denistry. Many of 
the ills of the body come from the lack of proper 
care of the teeth. Of course only one thing lies 
at the root of this lack of care; and that one thing 
is ignorance. The Negro dentist has a wide field 
before him. He not only has to correct the faults 
already caused through this lack of knowledge, 
but he has the still greater field, teaching the pro¬ 
per care of the mouth and in this way doing pre¬ 
ventive dentistry. This Dr. Sutherland does. As 
chairman of the Dental Section of the Medical As¬ 
sociation of New Jersey, he has an opportunity to 
reach, indirectly, a great number of people. Add 
his work as a dentist to the great number of things 
done for the public in the capacity of Elder and 
President of the Brotherhood in his church and 
chairman of Y. M. C. A., we are compelled to num¬ 
ber Dr. Sutherland among those who are shining 
examples of the best type of public men. 
















WILLIAM ROBERT VALENTINE, A. B., 

PRESIDENT OF THE MANUAL TRAINING INDUS¬ 
TRIAL SCHOOL FOR COLORED YOUTHS— 
BORDENTOWN, N. J. 

ORTUNATE indeed was the sub¬ 
ject of this sketch in the state of 
his birth and his station as well. 
Mr. Valentine was born in New 
Jersey, where the colored youth 
are given equal advantages with 
the youth of any race. This, however, was not the 
sole reason for his acquiring his thorough training. 
Indeed many young people who have every advan¬ 
tage take no thought of them. But Mr. Valentine 
came of stock that saw clearly just what standing 
a good classical education would give to him. His 
later record in the educational world has fully 
shown that they were not wrong in their estima¬ 
tion. When the State of New Jersey wanted a 
head for the school at Bordentown, it was decided 
that they would like to use a native of the State if 
possible. Immediately Mr. W. R. Valentine was 
mentioned for the place. “In Valentine, who is 


working in Indianapolis we have just the man we 
want.” 

Mr. Valentine finished the High School of Mont¬ 
clair, New Jersey, in June, 1900, and entered Har¬ 
vard University the following September, graduat¬ 
ing with A. B. degree in 1904. The following Sep¬ 
tember he went to Indianapolis, where he was 
made principal of a three-room Public school build¬ 
ing; two years later of a five-room building, and 
the following year appointed Supervising Princi¬ 
pal of a group of buildings ^having about fifty 
teachers under his supervision. His office building 
or main building was Public School No. 26. It was 
there that the experiment was tried of making the 
school the educational, social, and economic cen¬ 
ter of all the people in the community. The exten¬ 
sive community work was made possible by reason 
of the fact that the School Board upon the advice 
of Superintendent C. N. Kendall, bought the frame 
tenement buildings surrounding the main brick 
structure, which were remodelled by the students 
as a part of their industrial training, the money 
furnished largely by the community itself. The 
men of the community also donated labor. It was, 
therefore the flexibility of the plant which gave 
the school its opportunity and advantage over the 
usual stereotype elaborate brick city Public School 
building. One tenement building on the grounds 
was converted into a boys’ club house, which was 
remodeled and equipped by the contributions of 
money and labor by the people of the community 
itself. The club house was directed and supervised 
by teachers after school hours. Another large ten¬ 
ement was converted into an industrial building, 
and included all of the industries such as wood 
work, sewing, tailoring, printing, and shoe-mak¬ 
ing. Another building was used wholly for Do¬ 
mestic Science and included dining room, sitting 
room and bed rooms for demonstration purposes 
and use. This house was helpful in carrying on 
the social activities of the school. The play ground, 
covering about one-half acre of land, was part of 
the equipment of this school. About three-fourths 
of an acre of land, consisting of vacant lots within 
easy reach of the buildings, were available for gar- 



218 










den purposes. The school was as active at night 
as it was in the day time, for the teaching of the 
adults in the community, of all the branches of in¬ 
dustry taught in the day. The school aimed to 
reach out into all phases of the life of the commun¬ 
ity as an intensive dynamic force for its uplift, and 
improvement. Dr. John Dewey, of Columbia, has 
devoted a whole chapter to the work of this school, 
No. 26, in his “Schools of Tomorrow.” 

He came to the Manual Training and Industrial 
School in the summer of 1915. This school was 
started as a private school by its founder, the Rev. 
W. A. Rice, in the town of Bordentowm, New Jer¬ 
sey, in the year 1886. It was supported entirely 
by such voluntary subscriptions as he could collect. 
But in 1894 the school passed under the control of 
the State and later in 1900 was placed under the 
supervision of the Sate Board of Education, form¬ 
ing a part of the State educational system. This 
was the year that Professor James M. Gregory, of 
Washington, D. C., took charge of the school and 
gave it its first impetus forward after its founding. 
This was the year also that the State purchased 
the Old Parnell estate which constitutes its pres¬ 
ent site. It is one of the most beautiful sites in 
the country; on a high bluff overlooking the bend 
of the Delaware River, consisting of about 250 ac¬ 
res of land. Professor Gregory resigned in May, 
1915, the date on which Mr. Valentine took charge. 

The property at Bordentown is valued at about 
$250,000.00. The main buildings are of brick, with 
hot and cold water, gas and electric lights. One 
hundred fifteen (115) acres of land are now in a 
high state of actual cultivation. The gross re¬ 
ceipts from the farm for the year 1917-1918 were 
$14,000.00. We are able to produce sufficient sta¬ 
ble products to sell to other State institutions. 
These cash sales amounted during this same year 
to about $1200.00. There is a herd of about twen¬ 
ty-five (25) Holstein cows, nine (9) horses, one 
hundred (100) head of hogs and seven hundred 
(700) chickens. Much labor has been placed on 
the grounds and buildings by way of permanent 
improvements within the last four years, kor ex¬ 


ample, the fertility of the soil has been greatly in¬ 
creased, land has been cleared and fenced off, roads 
repaired, and hedges removed in order that the 
plant may present a well kept appearance. New 
buildings have been constructed, including four 
teachers’ residences, costing altogether about 
$25,000.00. The new trade building was added last 
year, costing $28,000.00, including equipment. The 
addition to the girls’ dormitory costing $39,000.00, 
is about completed. A new sewage disposal sys¬ 
tem has been installed, a domestic water supply 
system is under way. The Legislature has appro¬ 
priated for permanent improvements alone within 
the last three years $110,000.00. Whereas four 
\eais ago theie were about 100 students in attend¬ 
ance; there are now about 170. The demand is for 
twice that number if the housing facilities were 
adequate. Whereas the State appropriated four 
years ago only $28,000.00 for maintenance; it now 
appropriates $60,000.00. 

I he industrial work has been able to meet the re¬ 
quirements of the Fedaral Board of Vocational 
Hade and as a result benefits from the Smith- 
Hughes bill. It is hoped to enlarge the extension 
work of the school as fast as possible that it may 
reach out into the State. Farmer’s conferences 
aie now held in certain communities of the State 
monthly. Teachers in the public schools in the 
neighboring cities and towns hold a Study Center 
meeting at the school once a month and the State 
organization meets once a year. It is hoped finally 
to make the Bordentown School do for the people 
of the North what Hampton and Tuskegee have 
done for the people of the South. Hand in hand 
with the improvement and extension of the indus¬ 
trial work will also follow the improvements and 
extension of the academic work. Such colleges as 
Radcliff, Columbia, Harvard and Oberlin are re¬ 
presented on the faculty. 

The encouraging feature of the work is the 
growing interest which the State officials are man¬ 
ifesting towards the school, and the confidence in 
the future of the school as shown by the colored 
people themselves. 


219 


William Henry Washington, A. B., M. D. 



HE Negro race, in its march up¬ 
ward, has developed, as has the 
other races, different types of 
men. That race has even de¬ 
veloped that rare type of men, 
known throughout the world as 


“college men.” 

Dr. William Henry Washington, of Newark New 
Jersey, is one of the finest of the type of the young 
colored college man, out in life’s busy world that 
one can meet. He has the bearing, the attitude, 
the appearance, the culture, the stature of a mod¬ 
ern college man. And what is more, Dr. Washing¬ 
ton is, in the truest sense of the word, a college 
man, and just such a college man as to reflect cre¬ 
dit on any college from which he might have grad¬ 
uated. 

Dr. Washington was born in Portsmouth, Vir¬ 
ginia, August 23, 1878. He began his education in 
the County School, Virginia, and attended two 
years the Normal and Collegiate Institute, at Pet¬ 
ersburg, Virginia. From there he went to Wash¬ 
ington, and entered the preparatory school of 
Howard University, from which he graduated in 
1900. He next took a four year Collegiate Course 
in Howard University, and followed that with a 
four year Medical course in the same institution. 
There he received his degree of Bachelor of Arts 
and his M. D. degree. 

He has the same interest in Howard University, 
his Alma Mater, that he had while attending 
that famous institution. Ten years after his grad¬ 
uation from the Medical School of Howard Uni¬ 
versity, in 1908, he is found President of the Al¬ 
umni of that school, for the State of New Jersey. 
He keeps as closely in touch with the interests 
and activities of that school today as he did in 
those days when, as captain of the Howard foot¬ 
ball eleven, he led the team to victory after vic¬ 
tory and became the most popular foot-ball cap¬ 
tain that Howard has ever had. 

A leader in school life, he has, without appar¬ 
ent effort, gained a fine place of vantage in the 
Medical world. This young man who was for 
three years captain of Howard’s foot-ball team, 
(the most highly conveted athletic honor in a 
college,) who was manager of the varsity base¬ 
ball nine, who was business manager of the college 
newspaper, and president of the exclusive organi¬ 
zation known as the Council of Upper Classmen, 
is, as if those college activities prepared him for 
larger activities, now actively identified with pro¬ 
fessional and civic organizations, of city, state and 
nation. The New Jersey State Medical Society 


—the Essex County Medical Association, the Am¬ 
erican Medical Association, the North Jersey Med¬ 
ical Society, the last of which organizations he 
served as secretary and treasurer for several 
years, are among the many professional organiza¬ 
tions in which he holds membership. 

Coming to Newark, New Jersey nine years ago, 
Dr. Washington, who is a native of Virginia, has 
built up a splendid practice. His medical ability 
is recognized and appreciated not only by his many 
patients, but also is conceded by his professional 
brethren. 

While Dr. Washington is now well advanced 
on the road of prosperity, yet it has not al¬ 
ways been thus with him. He, like most men who 
have amounted to anything, has also encountered 
the vicissitudes of life. He worked his way through 
college, through the medical school, and, at the 
same time, and even yet, gave financial assistance 
to dependent relatives who aided him when aid 
was most needed. His mother and father died 
while he was yet in infancy, but loving relatives 
carefully looked after him. These relatives have, 
since he came to manhood, been the object of his 
solicitude and beneficence. 

The home life of Dr. Washington is sweetened 
and made happy by his cultured and attractive help¬ 
meet, who was, before their marriage, Miss Ardele 
Smith. Mrs. Washington was principal of a pub¬ 
lic school in Roanoke, Virginia, at the time of her 
marriage. She too is a Virginian by birth and is 
also a graduate of Howard University. In their 
home they have collected a beautiful and expen¬ 
sive library, the doctor being a connoiseur of the 
best literature and a lover of fine editions in mag¬ 
nificent bindings. One perusing the volumes in Dr. 
Washington’s library will see some of the rarest 
and most expensively bound books that have come 
from the binders. 

Dr. Washington is said by some to be the most 
wddely known Alumnus of Howard University, 
among the former students of that school. He is 
the same congenial fellow that he was when he 
was known on “Howard Hill,” as “Cap,” (football 
captain). And his rise should be an inspiration to 
the aspiring youth. 

When quite a small boy his aspiration was to be 
a soldier; while watching the drills of sailors at 
Portsmouth, it almost decided him to be a sailor; 
and then attracted by the work of the exponents 
of the law he thought he would be a lawyer, but 
no doubt chose wisely in entering the Medical pro¬ 
fession. 


220 










HARRY RICHARDSON 


NOWN as the friend of all colored 
people who seek pleasant lodging 
and wholesome food at Cape May, 
New Jersey, Harry Richardson, 
proprietor of the New Cape May 
Hotel, and one of the leading 
Cape May Opera houses has served many an ap¬ 
prenticeship in life’s great factory. Mr. Richardson 
was born in Philadelphia, November 3, 1867. Al¬ 
though born in a locality where the black boy had a 
great chance to educate himself, young Richardson 
was able to attend school but a limited time. This 
was due to the fact that very early in life he had to 
support himself. So we find the young lad aftei 
a few years spent in Birds Public School, leaving 
the school room and working for his maintanence. 

The first work that was tried by Mr. Richardson 
was really verv hard labor. Ibis was in a biick 
yard. He was'still but a boy, and the work was 
so hard that when an opportunity came foi a dif¬ 
ferent work, he was very glad to make the change. 
Thus at the early age of thirteen he left the brick 
yard and began an apprenticeship at electroplating 
and stereotyping. For thirteen and a half years he 
worked at this trade and from the position of an 

221 


apprentice he rose step by step to the position of 
foreman of the shop of Hanson Brothers, Phila¬ 
delphia. He changed his place of work but not 
the kind of work in his next move. He went to 
Boston and served as foreman in the electroplate 
room of the Boston Globe. 

Leaving Boston, Mr. Richardson returned to his 
native city, and went in business for himself. In 
this his first venture he chose tobacco as the com¬ 
modity to handle. Mr. Richardson succeeded with 
his tobacco business and was soon able to ven¬ 
ture in a larger business concern. Pie then opened 
a hotel for the colored traveling public. And for 
the past seventeen years he has been the owner and 
manager of a hotel in Cape May, New Jersey. In 
this line of work, Mr. Richardson has been very 
farseeing. He saw that the best class of colored 
people had no place of amusement, and so he added 
an Opera House to his list of business ventures. 
He saw the crying need of a good hotel for the Col¬ 
ored Man, he attempted to supply that need in his 
locality. In doing this he has served his race while 
helping himself. Again he saw the need of a place 
where the best people could go to get clean amuse¬ 
ment and again he attempted to supply that need. 
In this he has succeeded. Both his places of busi¬ 
ness are very heartily supported by his patrons. 
His hotel is celebrated in the east for comforto- 
ble rooms, prompt and polite service, the best class 
of guests, and the most congenial surroundings. 
What Mr. Richardson has not in his hotel, he mak¬ 
es it a point to get even though he sustains a loss 
in doing so. 

While Mr. Richardson was living in Philadelphia 
he became interested in politics. He was presi¬ 
dent of the seventh ward, Executive Committee, 
for several years, was appointed delegate to many 
conventions, and was one of the State commiss¬ 
ioners to the St. Louis World’s Fair. Mr. Richard¬ 
son served also as an employee at the State Senate 
House in Harrisburg for several terms. 

All through his life the proprietor of the Cape 
May Hotel has allied himself with the leading or¬ 
ganizations of his community. While in Phila¬ 
delphia he was President of the Philadelphia Turf 
Club, and was nine years a member of the Mathew 
Stanley Quay Club. Mr. Richardson is a member 
of the Friday Night Banquet Association, of Phil¬ 
adelphia, a member of the Citizen’s Republican 
Club, of Philadelphia, and a member of the Masonic 
Olive No. 8. 

In religious belief, Mr. Richardson is a Baptist. 
In connection with his business and for pleasure 
Mr. Richardson has traveled all over the eastern 
part of the United States. Mrs. Richardson, like 
Mr. Richardson himself is a native of Philadelphia. 
They both show their love of their native city by 
the number of times they return to its hospitable 
gates. But Cape May, and the traveling public 
that passes through Cape May, know Mr. Richard¬ 
son, and think of him and talk of him as the pro¬ 
prietor of the Cape May Hotel and Opera House. 











INTERIOR VIEW OF ST. PHILLIPS CHURCH 


N 1818, St. Phillips Church was or¬ 
ganized under the leadership of 
Mr. Peter A. Williams, who after 
being admitted to the order of 
Deacons and advanced to the 
Priesthood was made its first rec¬ 
tor. From its very beginning the 
parish has endeavored to do two 

things: 

(a) To demonstrate the capacity of the Colored 
man for leadership and group action, and: 

(b) To foster his sense of manly independence, 
The first of these endeavors has been abundantly 
justified in the marvelous work which has been 
accomplished during these one hundred years. 
From a very modest beginning in an upper room 
on Cliff Street seeking recognition from the eccles¬ 
iastical authorities, the parish has developed into 
one whose position commands the approval of the 
diocesan authorities- The upper room in Cliff 
Street is today the magnificent Gothic structure in 
West One Hundred and Thirty Fourth Street, with 
a seating capacity of over nine hundred; a well 
planned Parish House of four floors and basement, 
which houses all the parochial activities—adminis¬ 
trative, clerical, recreational and communal; a 
Home for Aged Women and a Rectory. To this 
must be added the endowment painfully accumula¬ 
ted but wisely managed, which consists of a block 
of ten apartment houses in West One Hundred and 
Thirty-Fifth Street, which shelters upward of two 
hundred families. This achievement in some 
measure demonstrates the capacity of the colored 
man, for leadership and harmonious group action, 
for it has all been wrought under the management 

222 


of Colored men. 

(b) In the working out of the second endeavor 
the Parish has been equally successful. Bishop 
Hobart in his Convention address of 1819, says, 
“I consecrated the new church of St. Phillip’s in 
Collect Street, designed for the use of the Colored 
people of our Church in that city. To its creation 
they contributed largely in proportion to their 
means and the trustees were unwearied in their ex¬ 
ertions to obtain the contributions of others, and 
in their attention to the building while it was erect¬ 
ing, in which their own mechanics principally were 
employed and which they finished with judgement 
and taste.” 

The present church of the perpendicular Gothic 
type was designed by a firm of Colored architects, 
Tandy and Foster. It is cruciform in shape and is 
built of artificial stone, closely resembling lime¬ 
stone and yellow pressed brick. To the west of 
the chancel and sanctuary are the vestry room and 
sacristy; while on the east are two choir rooms, 
with lockers for men and boys—an ambulatory 
connects these east and west rooms. 

In the basement is a large and well appointed 
room used for the Sunday School, a neat attractiv¬ 
ely equipped chapel, choir, rehearsal room, work 
rooms and lavatories- The church consists in part 
of an exquisite altar of marble, with chastely carv¬ 
ed grape vines and panels of four of the apostles, 
and in the centre the Paschal Lamb; surmounting 
the altar is a reredos of caen stone, and a back¬ 
ground of blue mosiacs tinted with gold in the 
midst of which and looking down upon the altar 
are figures of adoring cherubim and seraphim; a 
three manual pipe-organ and eagle lectern and pul¬ 
pit of brass. 

To meet the needs of a changed environment 
there are many institutional activities connected 
with the church, but all the club and guild work 
which is done has for its sole purpose the building 
of permanent Christian character. For the boys 
and young men there are the following organiza¬ 
tions : The Knights of King Arthur; St. Christo¬ 
pher, Juniors; St. Christopher, Intermediates; St. 
Christopher, Seniors; St. Phillip’s Men’s Giuld; 
Brotherhood of St. Andrew; Men’s Bible Class. 

The activities among the girls and women are: 
St. Mary’s Guild; St. Agnes, Juniors; St. Agnes, In¬ 
termediates ; St- Agnes, Seniors ; Alter Guild ; Wo¬ 
man’s Auxiliary to Board of Missions ; Dorcas So¬ 
ciety ; Woman’s Auxiliary to the Parish Home; 
Women’s Bible Class. 

Reverend Hutchens Chew Bishop, D. D., went 
to St. Phillips Church January 1st, 1886, where he 
has rendered great and effective work and for 
thirty-two years has been the directing genius of 
the Parish. He graduated from General Theologi¬ 
cal Seminary, N. Y. City in 1881. At that time there 
were divisions in the church in America and the 
parties constituting the division were at times hos¬ 
tile to each other. Mr. Bishop, as he then was, be¬ 
longed to the High Church party, then hopelessly 
in the minority. Mt. Calvary Church, of which he 
was a member, was of the same party. Owing to 
an unusual ill-feeling on the part of the diocesan 
authorities towards Mt. Cavalry, Mr. Bishop was 
denied the grace of orders in the Diocese of Mary¬ 
land. He was afterwards made Deacon and Priest 
by the Diocese of Albany. 

















WILLIAM HENRY BROOKS, D. D. 

ILLIAM Henry Brooks, was 
born in Calvert C o u nt y, 
Maryland, September 6, 1859. Al¬ 
though this date was just before 
the Emancipation Proclamation, 
for the Negro with ambitious pa¬ 
rents or guardians or an inborn 
ambition for himself, no better 
date could have been decided upon for his entrance 
upon the stage of life. The pendulum swung a long 
way in favor of the education of the blacks, and in 
some sections where the prejudice was not quite so 
great, their educational advantages were equal or 
nearly equal to those offered the white boys. Thus 
we see Rev. Brooks with a chance to educate him¬ 
self. 

To begin his training he entered the Public 
schools of the county. From the Public Schools 
he entered Morgan College, Baltimore. Here he 
applied himself to his books in a most scholarly 
manner and when an opportunity came to him he 
entered Howard University, at Washington, D. C. 
Leaving Howard he studied in turn in Union Sem¬ 
inary, New York, and in New York University and 
later in University-Dijon, France. Had not Rev. 
Brooks been a close student of books, he would still 
have been benefitted by his sojourn in these insti¬ 
tutions of learning. But being of a scholarly turn 
of mind, and at the same time a student of men and 
events, he saw a great opportunity for educating 
himself. 


At the age of twenty-one he joined the Wash¬ 
ington Annual Conference. Then he (began his 
round of charges. His first three charges were 
all in West Virginia; Spring Creek, Summers Cir¬ 
cuit, and Harpers Ferry. He then served two char¬ 
ges in Maryland; Hartford Circuit, and Frederick, 
in Maryland. He then served Central Church in 
Washington D. C., and Wheeling, West Va. Hav¬ 
ing served all these minor charges and served them 
well he was next made a Presiding Elder in the 
Washington District. He was transferred to St. 
Marks, New York. In the last named, he has been 
actively engaged since 1897. 

Because of the length and kind of the work done 
by Rev. Brooks, he has been shown many honors 
by the Denomination. In 1896 he was a Delegate 
to the General Conference. He was Fraternal Del¬ 
egate to the General Conference of C. M. E. Church 
at Nashville, Tennessee, in 1902. Again he was 
honored by his church in 1910 when he was sent as 
a Delegate to the World’s Conference at Endin- 
burg, Scotland. He is a member of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. Here the competition for the 
Bishopric is keener because of the many men with 
generations of training and culture behind them. 

Not all the honors which have come to him have 
come from his church. This is due no doubt to 
the fact, that he has not confined all his efforts to 
the workings of the church. So we find him on 
the Board of Control of the White Rose Mission, 
Friendly Shelter, and of the National Urban Leag¬ 
ue. In this last named he has been able with his 
associates to do considerable good. He is on the 
Board of Managers of the Y. M. C. A., he is an ac¬ 
tive worker in the Musical Settlement and is Chap¬ 
lain in the 15th Regiment. This represents a very 
active life and a life of great usefulness. 

In connection with his church work, while get¬ 
ting his education and for pleasure it has been the 
privilege of Rev. Brooks to travel quite extensively 
in this country. In fact he has traveled through¬ 
out the United States, in England, in Scotland, 
France, Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, 
and Mexico. This has helped to develope the man 
almost as much as did his years spent in the var¬ 
ious institutions of learning. 

The degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred 
on him by Wiley LIniversity, Marshall Texas, in 
1897, and also by Morgan College, Baltimore, Md., 
in 1917. 

He was married to Miss Sarah Catherine Car- 
roll, Nov. 2, 1882. Mrs. Brooks is the daughter 
of Rev. N. M. Carroll, D. D. Rev. and Mrs. Brooks 
were married in Asbuy Church, Washington, D. C., 
where her father was at that time pastoring. Five 
children have been born to them to share their 
home and help make it a bright, happy one. Ma¬ 
mie V., is married to Rev. A. A. Brown, of Phila¬ 
delphia; Arthur E. is a physician in New York; A. 
Clinton is a clerk in Philadelphia; Estelle Beartrice 
is a nurse in New York; and N. Cannon is a ser¬ 
geant in the 15th Regiment. All of these children 
have been to their parents a great blessing 

Rev. Brooks has accumulated some of this 
world’s goods while pastoring. He has real estate 
valued at about $5,000.00. In all that he has un¬ 
dertaken, Rev. Brooks has been a success. His 
life should be an inspiration to any young man who 
intends to be a preacher of the Gospel. 



223 


















Rev. James Walter Brown---Mother A. M.E. Zion Church 


HE Reverend Mr. James Walter 
Brown, pastor of the famous 
Mother Zion Church of New York 
City, was born in Elizabeth City, 
North Carolina, July 19, 1872. He 
numbers among his Alma Maters 
both Shaw University of his native state and Lin¬ 
coln University in Chester County, Pennsylvania. 
However, he did not go from one to the other so 
rapidly or quickly as it takes to tell. Having fin¬ 
ished his public school, he entered Shaw Univer¬ 
sity. On completing his career here he became a 
school teacher, or schoolman for several years. 
From 1893 to 1899 he was the assistant principal 
of the State Normal School of Elizabeth City. In 
September of 1900 he became a student at Lincoln 
in the theological Seminary. 

He graduated from this department in 1903 and 
began immediately his career as a pastor. His 
first charge was the African Methodist Episcopal 
Zion Church of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He 
served this church as. pastor from 1903 to 1905. 
From Bethlehem he went to Rochester, New York, 
and became the Pastor of the African Methodist 
Episcopal Zion Church of that city, and served 
them from 1903 to 1913. His two years experience 
at Bethlehem not only gave him practical training 
he needed for pastoral work, but also kindled his 
enthusiasm as a worker and won for him conside¬ 
rable reputation as a pulpit orator. He first sur¬ 
veyed the field and made a note of its needs and 
possibilities, then began his work with zeal and 
soon imparted to his congregation much of his en¬ 
thusiasm. 

He pointed out to them the need of a new and 
more commodious house of worship and influenced 
them to undertake the enterprise. Under his direc¬ 
tion they commenced the work and soon had a 
building of which they vyere proud. They did not 
stop with the erection of the church building, but 
while the spirit of enterprise was upon them they 
built a parsonage also. The value of their church 
property now amounts to thirty-five thousand dol¬ 
lars, ($35,000.00). 

Reverend Brown learned from experience that 
the divinely taught principle of fidelity in small 
things leads to larger service is a true principle. 

The fact that he had a comparatively small field 
did not deter him from doing his best and his suc¬ 
cess in Rochester brought him into prominent no¬ 
tice and into a larger field of work. The large 
churches began to take note of him and he was 
soon occupying their pulpits. Among the churches 
which was attracted to him was the old Mother 


African Methodist Episcopal Zion church of New 
York City. This church called him in 1913, and 
since that period he has been its pastor. This 
church, which has a fame co-extensive with Meth¬ 
odism in this country made no mistake in its esti¬ 
mate of the young preacher. He has not only sus¬ 
tained the reputation of the church, but has raised 
it to a higher plane of usefulness and honor. 

He has introduced modern ideas into the church 
life and has inspired them with a new vision of en¬ 
deavor. The old Gospel message is the same in all 
ages but the method of presenting and disseminat¬ 
ing the truth changes with each generation. 

The Reverend Brown recognized this fact, and 
organized in his church committees and clubs 
which would bring the members into closer rela¬ 
tions and cooperation with each other. Already 
the effect of his innovations have been felt in the 
church life, and it is advancing to larger achieve 
ments. 

With him the church comes first and even 
the outside enterprises which engage his in¬ 
terest fall largely within religious and uplift chan¬ 
nels. He is President of the Board of Control of 
the Varicle Christian Endeavor Society of the 
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, a mem¬ 
ber of the Board of Management of the Young 
Men’s Christian Association of New York; District 
Superintendent of the Sunday Schools of New 
York City for the African Methodist Episcopal 
Zion Conference. 

To these and to activities of his church he de¬ 
votes the major part of his time and thought 
When he has given attention to his duties connect¬ 
ed with these he has but little time left to devote to 
other interests, yet he is a man among men and 
finds pleasure in mingling with them outside of his 
church life, when he can do so without neglecting 
his work. 

This social proclivity has carried him into a num¬ 
ber of fraternal orders. He is a member of the 
Masonic fraternity, an Odd Fellow, and a member 
of the Southern Beneficial League. 

Reverend Brown has not been unmindful of his 
material interests, believing that it is a man’s duty 
to make provision for his family. His savings he 
has invested in property in Elizabeth City, North 
Carolina, in Rochester and in New York City. 

Mr. Brown was married in 1903 to Miss Martha 
Hill, of Philadelphia. In all his endeavors Mrs. 
Brown takes a helpful and leading part, relieving 
him whenever possible, sharing the burden and re¬ 
sponsibility when it is not possible wholly to re¬ 
lieve him. 



224 










EUGENE P. ROBERTS, A. B., M. A., M. D. 

UGENE P. Roberts, of New 
York City was born in Louisburg, 
North Carolina, October 5, 1868. 
He got his elementary and pre¬ 
paratory training in Louisburg, 
and then entered Lincoln Univer¬ 
sity, Pennsylvania. From this institution he re¬ 
ceived the degree of A. B. in 1891, and later the 
degree of M. A. Leaving Lincoln he matriculated 
at the New York Homeopathic Medical Associa¬ 
tion, and Flower Hospital. Here he received the 
Degree of M. D., in 1894. 

Dr. Roberts began his career as a physician when 
but twenty-four years of age, and he has enjoyed 
a long and very useful career in his profession. He 
is a member of the National Medical Association, 
New York County Medical Society, New York Ma¬ 
teria Medical Society, Medico-Chirugical Society, 
Academy Pathological Science, Durham Medical 
Club, Medical Society of Inspectors of greater New 
York. He is inspector of the Department of 
Health, lecturer on Care of Babies in Public Schools 
of New York City, physician in charge of St. Cy¬ 
prian’s Babies Clinic, chairman of Colored Men’s 



Branch of Y. M. C. A., member of the Executive 
Boaid of National League on Urban Conditions 
Among Colored People, committee for Improving 
the Industrial Condition of Negroes in New York, 
and the National League for the protecion of Col- 
ered Women. 

1 o meet all the demands made on his time by 
these \ ai ious duties and to attend to his practice, 
Dr. Roberts leads a very busy life. Yet he takes 
time to meet his fellows from another angle. He 
is an active member of the St. James Presbyterian 
Church, a member of the Southern Beneficial and 
Hotel Bellmen’s Beneficial Association. Dr. Rob- 
eits served one term on the Board of Education for 
New York City. This was an honor well deserved 
because of the many things done by this very busy 
physician for his people in the city of New York. 

Dr. Roberts has made a special study of the di¬ 
seases of children. New York furnishes a good 
field for extensive study along this line. Because 
of the special skill and knowledge along this line, 
Dr. Roberts has been frequently asked to address 
the Rational Medical Association on this subject. 

Dr. Roberts has traveled very extensively. He 
has covered the greater part of his own country 
in his journeyings and has been three times abroad. 
He visited Spain, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, 
Switzerland and England. The time spent in these 
travels was well spent. In fact, Dr. Roberts has 
made all the events of his life help him along in 
his profession. 

Dr. Roberts has been twice married. He was 
married to Miss Molhe Beatty, New York City, 
June 6, 1900. He was married a second time to Miss 
Ruth M. Logan, of Tuskegee Institute, Alabama, 
December 4th, 1917. The present Mrs. Roberts is 
the daughter of Warren Logan, Treasurer of Tus¬ 
kegee Institute, and for a number of years advisor 
and friend of Dr. Booker T. Washington. Dr. and 
Mrs. Roberts live in their beautiful brown stone 
dwelling in one of the best sections of New York 
City. Here they make life pleasant for their many 
friends. Besides owning the home in which he 
lives, Dr. Roberts has other valuable property in 
the city of New York. 

Dr. Roberts is a man worthy of emulation. He 
is a competent physician, an untiring worker for 
tlie good of his people and his country, a conserva¬ 
tive Christian gentleman. 

In every department of life he seeks the highest 
good of those he serves, and is a glowing example 
of what a man can accomplish who has before him 
a high ideal of life. When God called Moses out 
of Ur of Chaldee he called him to be a blessing to 
his race, and when God led Dr. Roberts to be a 
Christian physician, he made him a channel of 
blessing. 


225 










Fred R. Moore 


RED R. MOORE, publisher and 
editor of the New York Age, is 
generally conceded to be the most 
fearless as well as the most in¬ 
fluential newspaper man in Am¬ 
erica. “Fred Moore,” as every¬ 
body speaks of him, never hesitates to take a 
strong stand either pro or con on any public ques¬ 
tion, and there is never any doubt as to his posi¬ 
tion ; for he either is for or against you. He may 
be found at any time on the firing line, and noth¬ 
ing seems to please him better than to be in what 
he terms “a fight for principle.” 

Owing to the high literary value of The Age ed¬ 
itorials and the independence of thought at all 
times expressed on questions involving the rights 
and progress of the Negro, be it in America, Haiti, 
the West Indies or in Africa, The New York Age 
is quoted by more white and colored papers than 
any other publication. The recognition paid so 
widely-known a journal naturally helps to keep its 
editor in the limelight, and the public quite often 
reads in the daily press of what the editor of the 
Age has to say on this or that subject. 

Fred R. Moore is a self-made man, one who has 
made his way to the top and become a national 
figure mainly through dogged determination and 
an unfailing spirit of optimism. One’s success in 
life largely depends on himself-upon the amount 
of effort put forth in spite of obtacles, he believes 
and on this theory Mr. Moore has reached his pre¬ 
sent important status among his people. 

Receiving only a common school education in the 
District of Columbia, where he spent his childhood 
days, as well as the most romantic period of his 
life-courtship-Fred R. Moore began to take advan¬ 
tage of close contact with men of high character 
and prominence when in his teens. While living 
in Washington, D. C., he spent many years in the 
Treasury Department, serving as confidential mes¬ 
senger to five Secretaries of the Treasury during 
the Grant, Hayes, Arthur and Cleveland adminis¬ 
trations. Secretary Daniel Manning, who was a 
member of Grover Cleveland’s Cabinet during the 
first administration, was very much attached to 
Mr. Moore and had the latter accompany him to 
England, treating the colored man as a companion 
and friend in every particular. 

In 1887, Fred R. Moore accepted a position with 
the Western National Bank, where he worked in 
all of the various departments and had charge of 
the vault. He also served as delivery clerk in the 
Clearing House. The Western National Bank af¬ 
terwards merged with the National Bank of Com¬ 


merce. While with the bank, Mr. Moore purchas¬ 
ed the Colored American Magazine, and in 1905, 
left the banking institution to become deputy col¬ 
lector of the Internal Revenue for the Second Dis¬ 
trict of New York. A few months later he resign¬ 
ed to become National organizer of the National 
Negro Business League. 

Fred R. Moore acquired the controlling interest 
in The NeAv York Age, of T. Thomas Fortune, and 
Jerome B. Peterson, in 1907, and under his manage¬ 
ment the paper has steadily grown in influence 
and circulation. Mr. Moore was known as a 
staunch and devoted friend of Booker T. Wash¬ 
ington, and the renowned Tuskegeean placed im¬ 
plicit confidence in his New York friend, who 
showed a disposition to go to the front for the 
Negro leader at any, and all times. No one was 
more profoundly touched by Booker T. Washing¬ 
ton’s death than Fred R. Moore. 

Just at the close of the Taft administration Fred 
R. Moore, was confirmed by the Senate as United 
States Minister to Liberia, the appointment having 
been made some months before, but the Democrat¬ 
ic Senators had shown a disposition to hold up 
many of President Taft’s last appointments. Al¬ 
though given the proper credentials by the State 
Department, and the duly accredited representa¬ 
tive of the United States Government to the black 
republic, Mr. Moore never went to Africa. His 
resignation was accepted by William Jennings Bry¬ 
an about three months later. Minister Moore re¬ 
ceived the emoluments due this country’s diplo¬ 
matic representative to Liberia for the three 
months. 

Mr. Moore has been active in politics and in 1902 
was nominated by his district in Brooklyn for the 
State Legislature, receiving 2,156 votes. There 
were 150 colored voters in the district. He was 
an alternate delegate to the Republican National 
Convention in 1908, and a member of the Advisory 
Committee of the National Republican Committee 
in 1912 and 1916. Mr. Moore is deeply interested 
in civic affairs and is a member of the National Ne¬ 
gro Business League; Member of the Executive 
Committee National League on Urban Conditions 
Among Negroes; Empire Friendly Shelter; Aux¬ 
iliary Member Committee of Fourteen, and other 
organizations for the betterment of race condi¬ 
tions. In his church affiliation, Mr. Moore is an 
Episcopalian. 

In 1879, Fred R. Moore and Ida Lawrence were 
married in Washington, D. C., and eighteen chil¬ 
dren have been born of the marriage. Mr. Moore 
was born Jun 16, 1857. 



226 











REVEREND A. CLAYTON POWELL, D .D. 

LAYTON Powell, son of An¬ 
thony and Sallie Dunning Powell, 
was born in a one-room log cabin 
in Franklin County, Va., May 5, 
1865, near the spot where Booker 
T. Washington first saw the light. 
In his tenth year he moved with his father and 
mothef to Ivnawha County, West Virginia, and 
later to Ohio. He received his early training in the 
public schools of West Virginia and Ohio. On 
March 8, 1885, he was converted and baptised into 
the fellowship of the First Baptist Church, of Ren- 
dville, Ohio. A year later he went to Washington, 
D. C, with the intention of studying law, but be¬ 
cause of a deep religious experience his mind was 
turned to theology. He holds two diplomas from 
Virginia Union University, Richmond Virginia, 
and spent two years, 1895-96, at Yale University, 
New Haven, Conn. 

His first call was to the First Baptist Church, 
San Diego, California, but he finally accepted the 
Ebenezer Baptist Church, of Philadelphia, where 
he served for one year and was then called to the 
pastorate of the Emanuel Baptist Church, New 
Haven, Connetticutt. Here he had one of the 


most successful pastorates of the country for fif¬ 
teen and a half years. The membership was in¬ 
creased from 135 to 625 ; the church building was 
remodeled at a cost of $10,000 and every cent paid 
within two years, and a splendid piece of propertv 
adjoining the church purchased. In 1908 he re¬ 
signed this charge to accept a call to the Abyssin¬ 
ian Baptist Church, New York City, where he still 
serves. During his nine years pastorate, 2200 
persons have been added to the membership. This 
is considered the wealthiest Negro Baptist church 
in America, having under its control about $350,000 
worth of property, with a membership of 3300. 

Rev. Powell uses his pulpit every Sunday, not 
only to preach the gospel but to secure good posi¬ 
tions for the members of his congregation and to 
urge them to support Negro business enterprises. 
He is especially interested in educational and so¬ 
cial service work. He is a trustee of Virginia Se¬ 
minary and College, the National Training School 
for Women and Girls, Downingtown Industrial and 
Agricultural College, a member of the Board of 
Directors of the White Rose Industrial Home, the 
Young Men’s Christian Association, the National 
League on Urban Conditions Among Negroes, 
member of the National Association for the Ad¬ 
vancement of Colored People, P .N. F., of the 
Grand United Order of Odd Fellows, 32nd degree 
Mason, and Knights of Pythias. He received the 
title of Doctor of Divinity from Virginia Pinion 
LTniversity, May 1904, and from Virginia Seminary 
and College ,the same month. In 1900 he was del¬ 
egate to the World’s Christian Endeavor Conven¬ 
tion, in London, and spent two months abroad vis¬ 
iting many places in Great Britian, France and 
Ireland. He has also travelled through Canada, 
Bermuda, and Mexico. Very few public speakers 
are in greater demand than Rev. Powell. He has 
crossed the American continent four times in an¬ 
swer to invitations to lecture and preach in Cali¬ 
fornia and other western states. He has spoken 
on the platform with such men as Ex-President 
Taft and Governor Charles S. Whitman, of New 
York. He has been invited to lecture and deliver 
commencement addresses at several of the leading 
universities and schools. He is an honorary mem¬ 
ber of the Garnett Society of Lincoln University. 
Extracts from his sermons and addresses often 
appear in papers like the New York Times, Sun, 
Brooklyn Eagle, and the leading dailies of New 
England. 

He is author of the following pamphlets: Eman¬ 
uel Baptist Church, Pastor and Members; Some 
Rights Not Denied the Negro Race; A Plea for 
Strong Manhood; A Three Fold Cord; Valley of 
Dry Bones; Power of the Spirit the Need of the 
Church; Significance of the Hour; Broken, But 
Not Off; Watch Your Step. The pamphlets are 
widely read. Some of them have run into the sev¬ 
en thousandth edition. Proceeds oi these are used 
to educate young men to the ministry. 

He was Chairman of the Booker T. Washington 
Memorial Committee of New York State. 

Rev. Powell was married to Miss Mattie F. Scha¬ 
fer, of Pratt, West Virginia. Two children, 
Blanche F. and Adam Clayton, Jr., were born to 
bless the home of this couple. 










Lester A. 

ESTER A. Walton, journalist and 
theatrical promoter, was born 
at St. Louis, Mo., April 20, 1881, 
and is the son of Benjamin A. 
Walton and Ollie May Walton; 
old and highly respected residents 
of St. Louis, Mo. Mr. Walton is a product of the 
public schools of his native city and is a graduate 
of Summer High School. 

After completing a business course in a local bus¬ 
iness college, Mr. Walton decided to take up jour¬ 
nalism as a profession and his first work was on 
the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. At the time R. A. 
Hudlin, a boyhood friend of Mr. Walton’s parents, 
was postmaster of Clayton, Mo., and had for years 
been the St. Louis County reporter for the Globe- 
Democrat with headquarters at the county seat, 
Clayton. Taking notice that young Walton poss¬ 
essed the earmarks of a newspaper man, Mr. Hud¬ 
lin made him his assistant as reporter on the St. 
Louis Globe Democrat, which position Lester A. 
Walton filled until he become “county man” for the 
St. Louis Post-Despatch. The city editor of that 
paper and the young reporter did not get along very 
well and Mr. Walton resigned after a short time 
and became “county man” for the St. Louis Star 
Sayings, another evening paper, now known as 
the St. Louis Star. The “county men” from the 
St. Louis evening papers used to write their arti¬ 
cles and then dictate their articles over the long 
distance telephone to stenographers in the local 
room. It was not until the young colored reporter 
was summoned one Saturday afternoon to report 
at the Star Sayings’ office and write a detailed ac¬ 
count of a big elopement to Clayton of prominent 
St. Louisians that his racial identity was made 
known. Clayton was known as the “rural Gret¬ 
na Green” That Saturday evening Lester A.Walton 
walked into the local room of the Star Sayings, 
going up to John W. Kearney, the city editor, ex¬ 
claimed: “I am Walton.” “You are Walton?” ask¬ 
ed Mr. Kearney in surprise. “Well,” continued the 
city editor, “if you are game enough to report for 
us and continue to make good I am game enough 
to keep you on the staff.” Lrom that day the 
two became fast friends. 

After serving for nearly a year as “county man” 
Lester A. Walton was brought into St. Louis and 
made a member of the local Staff. He was assign¬ 
ed to the courthouse as Court Reporter. Together 
with the eight divisions of the Circuit Court, the 
Circuit Clerk’s Office, Sheriff’s Office, Court of 
Appeals, Probate Court, Probate Clerk’s Office, 
he for five years “covered” the Second District 


Walton 

Police Court in the morning where he was a famil¬ 
iar figure. No matter whether the judge or city at¬ 
torney was Republican or Democrat, Lester A. 
Walton was known to be on the most friendly 
terms with them. The spectacle of a police court 
judge, known to many in the neighborhood, leav¬ 
ing the Walton home on Sunday afternoon, was 
a mild sensation in the immediate vicinity. 

After six years on the St. Louis Star Sayings, 
serving both as court reporter and general assign¬ 
ment man, Lester A. Walton went to New York 
during the theatrical season of 1906-7, to write 
the lyrics for the Rufus Rastus Company, of which 
Ernest Hogan was the star. In St. Louis the com¬ 
edian and newspaper man had formed an acquaint¬ 
anceship and the former delegated his St. Louis 
friend to write the lyrics for his show. When the 
company went on the road, Mr. Walton served as 
personal representative for Mr. Hogan, looking 
after his business interests. 

The following season, Lester A. Walton put out 
a big act of ten people with Thomas Johnson, of 
Klaw and Erlanger, and in Lebruary, 1908, became 
dramatic editor of the New York Age, which had 
been taken over by Lred R. Moore, some months 
previous. The dramatic department was an in¬ 
stantaneous hit with both public and performer, 
and was regarded by many as a feature of the pa¬ 
per. A few months later, Mr. Walton was also 
made managing editor, and has filled the respective 
position ever since. He is regarded as an author¬ 
ity on colored theatricals. 

On June 29th, 1912, Lester A. Walton and Miss 
Gladys L. Moore, daughter of Lred R. Moore, were 
joined in wedlock and two fine children help to 
make the Walton household a happy one. 

Lor nearly two years Mr. Walton and associate 
was lessee and manager of the Lafayette Theatre, 
located in Harlem. The undertaking was a large 
one, as the original rent asked for the house was 
$25,000 yearly. Although the theatre originally 
planned primarily for white people, had been a 
rank failure; it was a success under the Walton 
management. 

In December, 1917, Mr. Walton was appointed 
a member of the Military Entertainment Service 
by Mr. Marc Klaw, of the big theatrical firm of 
Klaw and Erlanger, to supervise theatricals among 
the colored draftees at all cantonments, working 
under the direction of the War Department Com¬ 
mission on Training Camp Activities. He is also 
connected with the Walton Publishing Company, 
organized to publish songs and instrumental num¬ 
bers of talented and ambitious colored writers, en¬ 
countering difficulty in getting their compositions 
published and put on the market. 



228 








WILLIAM P. HAYES, JR., D. D. 


NE thing that is being pressed 
home to ns in this the crisis of 
the world, is that so many men 
have had no chance for educating 
themselves. Or worse still, hav¬ 
ing had the chance neglected it. 
This fact is brought out by the government records 
in all the different phases of life’s activities. They 
want men trained in every branch and in every 
walk of life. The greater portion of the ministry 
would be turned down if examined by Uncle Sam 
for work in his department. This is a sad state 
of affairs, and yet, not such a surprising one. For 
the life of the race as a free people is not yet the 
length of the life of a man who considers himself 
middleaged. Maybe the greater surprise should 
be shown because of the great number of men, who 
in spite of hardships, poverty, back sets of all 
kinds still persevered and are today thinkers—ed¬ 
ucators—persons of note and of weight. 1 hen 
there is the class of young men, born to parents 
who had gotten just a taste of slavery, just enough 
slavery to make them appreciate the privilege of 
educating their children and themselves at the 
same time. Of such parents, Rev. William P. 
Hayes, D. D., was born. 


January 18, 1881, in Bullocks, North Carolina, 
there was born in the family of Rev. Hayes, a prom¬ 
inent Methodist minister, a young son. From the 
first the father determined that the young lad 
should have every advantage which he had enjoyed 
and more. So at an early age we find young 
William in school, where he made for himself an 
enviable record. The first school of his own 
choosing was Bennett College, Greensboro, North 
Carolina. Heaving Bennett he went to Richmond, 
Virginia, where he matriculated in the Virginia 
Union University. 

As he studied and worked to prepare him¬ 
self for life out in the world, Rev. Hayes spent 
much time planning and deciding just what work 
to follow. Medicine was alluring as was also 
the remuneration that usually goes with one thor¬ 
oughly prepared in this profession. So he defin¬ 
itely decided to become a physician. But while he 
was still very young the call of the ministry was so 
strong that he had to give up his idea of medicine 
and take up the study of theology instead. To the 
mind of Rev. Hayes this is the principal episode of 
his life. 

After leaving school, Rev. Hayes taught in 
Boydton Institute, Boydton, Virginia. Heaving 
Boydton he went to the Keysville Industrial 
School, and taught there for a short while. Still 
using teaching as his point of contract with people 
and their development, he went back to his Alma 
Mater and taught for a while in Virgnia Union Un¬ 
iversity. He then branched out into his real life 
work—that of preaching. For six years he served 
as pastor of churches in Virginia. He then accept¬ 
ed the call from the Mount Olivet Baptsit Church, 
New York City. Here he has remained for the 
past seven years, preaching and leading his people 
to a higher plane of thinking and of living. 

He has not confined his work to the church. He 
is a member of the Odd Fellows, of the Banquet 
Beneficial Feague, of New York, and of the South¬ 
ern Beneficial Feague, of New York, and the In¬ 
dependent Order of St. Fuke. He serves on the 
committee of Management of the Y. M. C .A., of 
New York City; Music School Settlement for Col¬ 
ored People; Howard Orphanage and Industrial 
Institute; Fiberty Foan Committee, New York, Se¬ 
cretary of the Trustee Board, Northern Baptist 
University. In all these organizations he is not 
just a member but is active in the development 
of each. 

On November 16, 1910, Rev. Hayes was married 
to Miss Carolyne Amee, of New York City. There 
are no children in the family. Mrs. Hayes is ac¬ 
tive in all the affairs of her husband’s church. She 
has his interest at heart and lends her aid in every 
place where she can. She, with her husband work 
together for the social uplift of all who are around 
them. 



229 





ANDREW N. JOHNSON 

NDREW N. Johnson, of Nashville, 
is a business man from tip to toe. 
As such he has his own notions as 
to the way of conducting business 
enterprises and one’s personal af¬ 
fairs. He believes and asserts very 
emphatically that no customer should be asked to 
spend his money from a motive of sympathy or 
race loyalty, but that rather the Negro merchant 
should bring his wares up to the standard of com¬ 
petition with the best in the market. Another set 
policy of Mr. Johnson’s is that he never goes in 
debt, does not believe in credit, refuses to sign 
notes and enter into any of that form of pay-to¬ 
morrow, so common in all practices of business. He 
pays cash or refuses to buy. 

Mr. Johnson was born in Marion, Alabama, in 
1866. He attended the public schools in Marion 
and then the Marion State Normal School. From 
the State Normal Institution, Mr. Johnson entered 
Talladega College. On leaving Talladega, he took 
Civil Service Examination and served as Postal 
Clerk for three years, being retired for political 
activity, then he went to Mobile, Alabama and be¬ 
gan the business of Undertaking, and publishing 


“The' Mobile Press.” After fourteen years of re¬ 
markable success here he moved to Nashville, 
Tenn., and established there once more his Under¬ 
taking house. 

Mr. Johnson’s is not a shop, but a house with its 
waiting rooms, offices, its departments containing 
all classes of caskets and funeral equipment; with 
its gallant span of horses and some half score of 
limousines backed by Winton, McFarlan, Hudson, 
and other high grade makes of cars, lined before 
the door—all owned, paid for in cash. The estab¬ 
lishment rises, yes, soars far above the level even 
of the better class of Undertaking businesses. In¬ 
deed, Mr. Johnson is reported by reliable author¬ 
ities to own the finest Undertaking equipment in 
the South; white or colored. 

The late Dr. Booker T. Washington was exceed¬ 
ingly fond of preaching from the text, “To him 
that hath,,’ etc., which appears to be both a natural 
and spiritual law. Mr. Johnson is a conspicuous 
instance of the truth of this law. With all of this 
establishment on his hands he does not cry, “hold, 
enough”, but rather reaches out for more kinds of 
business to master. He was a member of the 
Republican National Convention, which nominated 
McKinley, Roosevelt and Hughes. He was also 
the last Negro nominated for Congress by the Re¬ 
publican party of Alabama. He is President of 
the Nashville Board of Trade, which organzation 
was instrumental in building a Negro Library, 
creating blocks and playgrounds and civic im¬ 
provements in Nashville—especially caring for the 
thousands made homeless in the conflagration in 
Nashville in the spring of 1918. 

Mr. Johnson is the owner of the Johnson 
Block, consisting of the Lincoln Theatre and a half 
dozen business houses in the centre of the business 
district of Nashville, one block from the State Cap¬ 
itol Bulding and on the same street. He is also 
chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Grand 
Lodge Knights of Pythias, and a member of the Y. 
M. C. A. managing committee. He is president of 
the Johnson-Alien Undertaking Co., of Mobile, Ala. 

With all this responsibility on his shoulders, and 
he attends to most of it personally, Mr. Johnson 
finds time and money to join in most local and nat¬ 
ional enterprises for progress, such as entertaining 
visitors, giving banquets, aiding in handling con¬ 
ventions, attending sessions of business leagues, 
and of Undertakers, holding and playing a strong 
hand in local political and projecting quite into 
national politics. In all situations, he is ready to 
be energetic, patient, pugnacious, hospitable and 
generous as the situation may demand. 

Mr. Johnson was married in 1886 to Miss Lillie 
A. Jones, of Marion. Mrs. Jonhson is a graduate of 
Talladega college. The two sons of the family are 
already grown and in business. Mr. L. E. Johnson 
is Secretary of the Johnson-Alien Undertakng 
Company of Mobile, and Dr. A. N. Johnson, Jr., is 
a practicing physician of Nashville, Tenn. 



230 





LEO FRITZ NEARON, M. D. 


N recent years Colored men of for¬ 
eign birth have taken on many of 
the traits and ambitions of the 
American. This is especially true 
in regard to gaining an education 
and making a career. Time was 
when people of any caste whatsoever in the foreign 
countries regarded work as a calamity. They 
were satisfied with their training, with their own 
environment, preferring to stay at home and hus¬ 
band out their fortunes, small or large, to getting 
out in the open and combating for a place in the 
sun. 

Among those to come forth and out-American, 
the Yankee himself for education and career is Dr. 
Leo Fitz Nearon, of New York City. Dr. Nearon 
was born at St. George, Bermuda, July 17, 1881. 
His early days were spent at home, where he at¬ 
tended the public schools and St. George Academy. 

His academy days over, he began his struggle foi 
education and for a livelihood. For a time he 
worked in the Bermuda shipyards, serving an ap¬ 
prenticeship. From shipyard apprentice he be¬ 
came a school teacher, teaching in the Bermuda 
public schools 6 months, when he was but seven¬ 


teen years of age. School teaching failing to prove 
the “Open Seasame” to him, as it has to many 
others on their way forward, he took up work with 
the St. George Bicycle Company, of Bermuda. 
Again wages were too small. 

Working here and there he finally made his way 
to America. Here he set out to complete his 
education and to become master of a profession. 
Working summers and odd times during his school 
days, he managed to enter, and to complete the 
college course of Lincoln University in „ Pennsyl¬ 
vania, from which he was graduated in 1903. 

What he had done to defray his expenses in col¬ 
lege he must now repeat for his course in the 
study of medicine. Only, he had to redouble his 
efforts, as his expenses were much heavier. Going 
into New York, he registered in the New York 
Medical College. He completed his course here in 
1898. His internship was the next step forward. 
He was fortunate enough to become an interne in 
New York, where he had been graduated. He did 
his time in the Flower Hospital, and then did post 
graduate work in the Lying-in Hospital, in the 
Flower and Metropolitan Hospitals. 

New York, though rife with competition, ap¬ 
pealed to him as a desirable place in whch to be¬ 
gin practice. He hung out his sign as a physician 
and surgeon and began his work. In ten years he 
has built up a very extensive practice and made 
many friends in Gotham. He owns a three-story 
residence, a residence with a brown stone front, 
and one which cost $12,500. 

While Dr. Nearon has not yet taken on the re¬ 
sponsibilities of domestic life, he has allied himself 
with many available organizations for personal up¬ 
lift and professional service. He is a member of 
the Protestant Episcopal Church. He holds mem¬ 
bership in many lodges and medical organizations. 
He is Past Deputy Grand Master of the I. O. U. of 
M. A., a member of the B. K. Bruce 8171, G. U. O. 
of O. F., of the Juanita Household of Ruth 4091; 
of the Lincoln Tabernacle 6024, G. U. O. of F. G., 
and Past Grand Master of Council 403, of New 
York Patriarchs Number 2; Past Exalted Ruler of 
Elks. Professionally he is a physician to the Day 
Nursery, to the B. K. Bruce Lodge, to the Imperial 
Lodge of Elks, to the St. Manual Lodge, to Eureka 
Temple, Invincible Temple, and to Excelsior Lodge. 

In addition to his affiliation in these bodies he 
carries membership in seven medical bodies. He 
belongs to the County Medical Socety of New 
York, to the State Medical Society, to the Aescolo- 
pian Medical Society, the National Medical Society, 
to the Manhattan Medical Society, to the Medical 
Clinical Society. In all these organizations he takes 
an active part, bringing in his experiences, throw¬ 
ing light upon many of the vexing problems in the 
practice of both medicine and surgery. 



231 

















hhhhhir 



i att i 



THE CLEF CLUB GRAND ORCHESTRA, N. Y. CITY 


ROBABLY the most written of 
and deservedly popular Negro or¬ 
ganization of New York City to¬ 
day is the Clef Club. Its name 
is a synonoym for all that is ex¬ 
cellent, original, and aristocrat¬ 
ic in music and in musical and 
lighter drama. Whether its sig¬ 
nature stands back of an individual, a quartet, a 
troup, or an orchestra of one hundred pieces, it 
means finished eclat. 

This talented body was incorporated in the City 
of New York, in May, 1910. Considering the ma¬ 
terial out of which it was formed, it stands as a 
modern miracle. About the date named, a number 
of aspirants to musical honors met with James 
Reese Europe, to learn and practice note reading. 
They made their debut at the Manhattan Casino, 
under the direction of the founder and president, 
James Reese Europe, who now, by the way is 
leading a band “Somewhere in France,” was assis¬ 
ted by William H. Tyler. In a few years they were 
in Carnegie Hall and in about any other Hall, pri¬ 
vate or public, they wanted in New York. 

To original song and music, meaning thereby 
that a great many instrumental and vocal selec¬ 
tion numbers were the work of the members of the 
company, were interspersed with very entertain¬ 
ing and original dramatic parts. Confidence and 
ambition growing, they ventured out of New York. 
They went down to Philadelphia, Washington, and 
Richmond, were banqueted and applauded to their 
heart’s content, and returned to New York in a 
halo of glory and inspiration, the organization in¬ 
tact; the railroad fares and other expenses more 
than generously cared for. Perhaps no other 
summary can be made of their success than is giv¬ 
en in the “Richmond Times Dispatch.” 


“In many respects the most remarkable concert 
ever given in Richmond was offered at the City 
Auditorium last night by the Clef Club, an organi¬ 
zation of Negro singers and instrumentalists, un¬ 
der the direction of the well known James Reese 
Europe, assisted by William H. Tyler.” 

“An orchestra of sixty men, playing and sing¬ 
ing fortissimo—remarkable indeed; and theirs are 
not the rusty, unused voices of musicians who are 
instumentalists alone, but those of strong, vigorous 
young Negro men, to whom singing comes as na¬ 
turally as breathing. Nor did they attempt to sing- 
difficult, elaborate music, though, for a matter, 
Europe is abundantly able to teach them anything 
he might select, but confined their choral singing 
to rousing, melodious, full-voiced pieces that lent 
themselves admirably to their natural style. 

“Practically every number on.the program was 
the composition of a Negro, from Coleridge-Tay- 
lor, who was an international figure in the world 
of music, to lesser but competent men. Several 
of the pieces were written by Europe himself, and 
excellently written, while the work of the assis¬ 
tant conductor, Tyler, was also represented.” 

To the roles of leaders in music the Clef Club 
lias added another feature that is varying- with its 
musical reputation ; that is the social feature. New 
York society makes it as a gala day when the Clef 
Club entertains. Then one can gain a glimpse 
of the elite en masse, among the colored people. 
Their balls at the Manhattan Casino have become 
famous throughout the country. Mr. Daniel Kil¬ 
gore succeeded Mr. Europe as President of the 
Club and was in turn succeeded by Deacon John¬ 
son, its present head. 

Its policies, though undergoing refinements, re¬ 
mains the same to produce original Negro music 
and to place deserving talent before the public. 



232 


















BERRY O’KELLY 

O see a man of prominence and of 
comparative wealth who has 
climbed from the bottom of the 
ladder unaided—a man who does 
not even know the date of his 
birth is one of the anomalies of 
the Negro race. No where else in the world in this 
privilege given so freely to the common man. Mr. 
Berry O’Kelly, of Method, North Carolina, is one 
of the many Negroes in America who has seized 
upon this opportunity and made the most of it. 

Mr. O’Kelly was born in Chapel Hill, Orange 
County, North Carolina. The date of his birth he 
does not know. He never saw his mother or his 
father to know them, his mother having died when 
he was still an infant. As a lad he attended the pub 
lie schools of Orange and Wake Counties, getting 
from his meager chances for schooling all that he 
could, in fact getting more from this chance than 
many young boy of his day got from much better 
opportunities. So we find Mr. O Kelly as a man 
with a foundation laid in childhood and in young 
manhood upon which he has builded a superstruc¬ 
ture of culture and refinement. 1 his has been done 
through the medium of contact and travel. 

At the early age of sixteen, Mr. O’Kelly started 
out in the mercantile business. He has never 



changed his business. He has only added to it. 
So today we find Mr. O’Kelly in the mercantile bus- 
siness and dealing in Real Estate. When we look 
at all that this man stands for, all that he owns in 
his own name, it is hard for us to look back and 
see the start he had. He worked for $5.00 to 
$12.00 a month until he had saved $100.00. He 
never had hut two employers. This took time and 
the very strictest economy. To Mr. O’Kelly this 
was no real hardship for he had his goal before 
him. Having gotten the $100.00 he went into bus¬ 
iness with Mr. C. H. Woods. The business was 
known as Wood and O’Kelly. After a short time 
Mr. Wood wished to go west and sold out. So Mr. 
O’Kelly came into the possession of the whole bus¬ 
iness. Starting with the small capital of $100.00, 
the business has grown to the the extent that two 
railroad . warehouses are used constantly for the 
accomodation of it. 

In addition to owning his business and business 
interests, the subject of this sketch has accumulat¬ 
ed considerable real estate. He owns over 1,000 
acres of farm land, and a lot of city property, bank 
stock and other stock of value. Mr. O’Kelly has 
continued with the habit formed while he was still 
very young, the habit of saving and investing wis¬ 
ely. 

In religious belief, Mr. O’Kelly is a member of 
the African Episcopal Church, and a helper in all 
denominations. He is a Mason and an Odd Fellow. 
For more than twenty-five years he served his 
town in the capacity of Post-Master. He is now 
the Chairman of the School Committee of the 
Berry O’Kelly County Teachers Training School. 
This is an institution which because of the very li¬ 
beral way in which Mr. O’Kelly gave to its support 
hears his name. The Governors of North Caro¬ 
lina have given him many appointments. In all 
the duties thus thrust upon him he has measured 
up to the expectations of the people. On several 
occassions he has been elected a delegate to Na¬ 
tional Bodies, and he is a life member of the Na¬ 
tional Negro Business League. 

One of the things that has made the culture of 
this man is the travels it has been his opportunity 
to enjoy. He has traveled all over this country 
and over Europe, Asia, and over parts of Africa. 
The effect of these days spent in travel are appar¬ 
ent in the talks and actions of Mr. O’Kelly. It is 
this that has made the superstructure of culture 
and refinement upon the foundation laid in the 
little country school back in Orange and Wake 
County, North Carolina. 

About twenty years ago, Mr. O’Kelly was mar¬ 
ried to Miss Chanie Ligon. For twelve years she 
was to him a helpmate in the truest sense of the 
word. About eight years ago she died. There 
were no children and so once more Berry O’Kelly 
was left alone in the world. But the conditions 
are so different from the other time when both his 
father and mother left him to the mercies of the 
world. The man himself, has been the sole 
cause of the change in these conditions—then there 
was nothing. Today he is a man of means, of bus¬ 
iness ability, of social prominence, of culture and 
refinement. 


233 









Isaac A. Lawrence, M. D. 



ARCH 3rd, 1870, there was born at 
Morg Neck, Maryland, a baby 
boy, whose destiny carried him 
along a rocky path in his early 
life, but which led him finally to 
a goal which any one might envy. 
This boy was Dr. I. A. Lawrence of Elizabeth, New 
Jersey. His father died when he, an only child, 
was only two years of age, leaving his mother in 
abject proverty. This entailed upon young Isaac 
the extreme hardships which follow in the wake of 
poverty. His early days were marked with great 
privations and suffering. Frequently during se¬ 
vere winters he went without an overcoat and with 
but meager garments of any kind to protect him 
from the cold. The dump heap became his friend, 
and he often resorted to it to fish out the old and 
discarded shoes of other boys, for his mother was 
unable to buy him covering for his feet. His feet 
would present an odd appearance for it was not of¬ 
ten that he could secure mates of the same kind of 
shoes. Frequently he would be seen with a lace 
shoe on one foot and a button shoe on the other. 
Necessity knew no fashion as well as no law with 
!n‘m, and so long as his feet were fairly well pro¬ 
tected he did not mind the smiles of the passers by. 

Adversity did another thing for him—it early 
developed in him those qualities which go to make 
up the man. He began doing his part in sustaining 
the family at the early age of six years. His first 
*work was to turn bricks, which earned him five 
cents per thousand. He was an industrious boy, 
and very frugal, habits which aided him in all of 
his life struggles. 

It is not surprising that a boy exhibiting such 
grit and determination should elect to educate him¬ 
self and he worked and saved to this end. His 
progress through school was marked by the same 
hardships that characterized his early boyhood. To 
add to his difficulties him money was frequently 
stolen from him at the most inopportune times. At 
one time after working all summer and saving his 
money earned as waiter at a seashore resort, the 
whole sum was stolen the day before the hotel 
closed for the season. 


He was the first colored pupil admitted to the 
South Chester High School, from which he gradua¬ 
ted in 1888. To do this he was compelled to work 
in a mill, from six in the evening, until six in the 
morning, attending school during the day, the ses¬ 
sion being from 9 A. M. to 2 P. M. In this way 
-—-working at night and studying during the day, he 
not only graduated from the South Chester High 
School, but saved enough money to enter the Lin¬ 


coln University. He entered the University in 1888, 
and graduated therefrom in 1892. His first idea 
was to practice law and on leaving college he took 
up the study of law, but owing to the death of his 
preceptor, and his change of mind regarding the 
profession, he gave up this study and turned his 
mind towards medicine. In order to take a med¬ 
ical course the money question again came to the 
front so he was compelled to teach for a while be¬ 
fore entering college. 

He matriculated at Howard University in 189S, 
and remained there one year, when he went to 
Shaw University and finshed the medical course. 

Pluck, energy, integrity and patience are sure to 
bring a rich reward, not only in the development 
of character, but in material blessings, and so it 
was with Dr. Lawrence. The day of his prosper¬ 
ity dawned when he completed his medical course 
at Shaw University. From that day his star of 
hope and prosperity began to rise. 

On completing his medical course at Shaw he 
began the practice of his profession in Elizabeth, 
N. J. From this time fortune began to smile upon 
him and has ever since. 

He was married to Miss A-rdeha Matthews, of 
Hawkinsville, Georgia, in 1902. They have one 
daughter, who is nine years old, Hattie Christine, 
a musical prodigy. 

Aside from the practice of his profession, Dr. 
Lawrence has been very active along all lines that 
tend to uplift his people. He was for several years 
the Superintendent of Mt. Teman A. M. E. Sunday 
School, which prospered greatly under his adminis¬ 
tration. He was the first president of the North 
Jersey Medical Association. This is perhaps the 
best and most widely known local colored medical 
society in the United States. He helped to organ¬ 
ize and was first and the only president of the Al¬ 
pha Ben Association which for thirteen years has 
been the leading insurance company among the 
colored people of the North. He was organizer 
of the Alpha Investment Company and its only 
president. This is the leading investment company 
among colored people in the United States, and has 
been in existence since 1905. 

In fraternal organizations he has taken a promi¬ 
nent part, being Past Chancellor Commander of 
Knights of Pyhias, a member of the Elks, and Odd 
Fellows, and at present Grand Master of Masons 
of New Jersey. His real estate holdings are ex¬ 
tensive. Indeed, whenever Dr. Lawrence casts up 
his accounts and estimates his holdings he smiles 
and says that they are worth far more than all the 
boys whose cast off shoes he wore back there in 
his day of want and poverty. 


234 








SAMUEL H. VICK 


CHOOL man and public servant, 
Nig Samuel H. Vick of Wilson, North 
Carolina worked his way from the 
ground, as it were, to a place of 
X/k HI eminence in both school work and 
in the service of his government. 
Mr. Vick was born in Castalia, North Carolina, 
April 1st, 1863. As a boy he attended the public 
schools of Wilson, the town to which he was to re¬ 
turn and in which he was to make for himself an 
enviable career. Completing his work in the pub¬ 
lic schools of Wilson, he matriculated in Lincoln 
University, in Pennsylvana. He was graduated 
from Lincoln in 1884. 

His course through school and college was by no 
means one of ease or opulence. Even when he was 
very young he must needs work, not only to go to 
school, but for his own sustenance. W hen he was 
but thirteen years of age he found employment in 
a grocery store. Here he'worked in spaie hours 
and went to school during school session. Ilis va¬ 
cations were also spent in working in this grocery 
store. Thus as a grocery clerk he made his way 
through the public schools and through Lincoln 

University. 

Graduating from Lincoln in 1884 he returned to 


Wilson and secured a post as an assistant teacher 
in the city graded schools. This position he held 
for one year. At the end of the school year he was 
promoted to a principalship in Wilson. For the 
next five years he was principal of the Negro pub¬ 
lic school of his native town. It was at that time 
common to appoint respectable and deserving col¬ 
ored men to political office especially when the Re¬ 
publican Party was in power. When Benjamin Har¬ 
rison came into office several of these more de¬ 
serving positions were given to leading Negroes. 
Among those to fall heir to one of these posts was 
Mr. Vick, who was made postmaster of Wilson. In 
many sections of the south the loud complaints 
were made about putting Negroes in public office at 
all, and especially in office where they would be 
over white people, and would be brought more or 
less in social contact with white people. But Mr. 
Vick managed to escape most of this protest, and 
to conduct the post office with such efficiency that 
whatever complaint might have come forth at first 
was soo stifled. Indeed, so thoroughly had he 
administered his office that when the administra¬ 
tion changed there were not a few of the leading 
citizens of Wilson who eagerly desired his reten¬ 
tion. 

However, he went out of office, and sought other 
fields for his talents. The Presbyterian church, 
which had given Lincoln LJniversity, and which was 
working among the churches as well as among the 
schools soon enlisted his services. This body put 
Mr. Vick in the field to labor among the Sunday 
Schools, working as a Sunday School Missionary. 
His own home town had not however forgot his 
services either as a school man or as a postmaster. 
He had not therefore been out of the post office 
many years before they appointed him to another 
post of public service. He was made a member of 
the County Board of Education of Wilson County, 
and served his county with the same credit to him¬ 
self that he had served in the Wilson Post Office. 

Then came further evidence that the people of 
Wilson, white as well as black, were well pleased 
with the service he had given them as postmaster. 
When McKinley was elected Mr. Vick was once 
more made post master of his native city. Here he 
served a second time for a period of five years. He 
was now ready to retire from active service which 
he did, devoting his time to public service and to 
looking after his personal interests. 

During his early days in Wilson he had made 
some investments in real estate and in land im¬ 
provement. This work with his various secret 
order obligations he now retired to superintend. 
Mr. Vick is a member of the Presbyterian church, 
a Mason, an Odd Fellow and a Pythian. In the first 
named secret body he is First Colonel of the North 
Carolina Patriarchy, and has been twice Grand 
Master of the Odd Fellows of North Carolina. He 
has traveled very extensively in America, having 
toured the east, and much of the west and south. 

Mr. Vick was married to Miss Annie M. Wash¬ 
ington of Wilson, in May 1892. Mr. and Mrs. Vick 
have seven children. 


235 















WILLIAM GASTON PEARSON, B. S., A. M., PH. D. 


ILLIAM G. Pearson, school teach¬ 
er, business man and educator, is 
one of those stalwart men of Dur¬ 
ham, North Carolina. He was born 
in the days of slavery, in 1859, in 
the place which is now known as 
Durham, but unknown then as anything save a 
semi-rural settlement. Of course early education 
with him was out of the question, except that se¬ 
vere brand which many of the young slaves tasted 
on the plantations. 

When public schools for Negroes were establish¬ 
ed in Durham, Mr. Pearson enrolled and began his 
education in books. However, these schools ran 
but six months in the year and had teachers with 
only meagre preparation. The young exslave need¬ 
ed merely to get a start. After this he taught him¬ 
self until after the age of twenty-one when he 
entered Shaw University. 

Graduating from Shaw in 1886, with the degree 
of Bachelor of Science, Mr. Pearson began his ca¬ 
reer as a teacher in public schools. From that time 
on he was a teacher, principal, worker in the graded 
school of Durham for twenty years. However, he 
did not cease to study. He did not only continue to 


labor with his books during spare hours at home 
but pursued courses in Cornell University and in 
other institutions in the summer. In recognition of 
his continuous growth and of service to education, 
Shaw University conferred upon him the degree of 
Master of Arts, in 1890, and in 1915, Kittrel College 
made him Doctor of Philosophy. 

Professor Pearson as he came to be known, has 
widened his influence and his activities, from year 
to year, both in school work and in business. He 
soon became a trustee of Kittrell College, Secre¬ 
tary of the Board of Trustees of the National 
Training School, of Durham, and a director of the 
Mechanics and Farmers’ Bank of Durham, trustee 
of Lincoln Hospital, and one of the prime movers 
in practically every uplift undertaking of Durham, 
indeed of North Carolina. In this respect he be¬ 
came not only a worker, but a giver as well. The 
most celebrated donation he has made, though he 
has an open hand for all good causes, was the giv¬ 
ing to Kittrell College, a model school building. 

Distinguished as are Air. Pearson’s services as 
teacher and Educator, probably his most lasting 
and most helpful contribution is the organization 
known as the Royal Knights of King David. This 
body, which is, strictly speaking, an insurance or¬ 
der, operates in several states, and has deposits 
with insurance Commissioners in these states to 
protect its patrons. Its fees are small; it insures 
men, women and children; but its dividends and 
benefits are sure and prompt. It ranks as one of 
the best Negro Insurance companies in America. 
In his office of six clerks, graduates from the best 
institutions, Air. Pearson keeps in intimate touch 
with all the branch houses and orders both in 
North Carolina and in other states. 

Mr. Pearson was married in 1893 to Mrs. Minnie 
S. Summer of Charlotte, North Carolina. Mrs. 
Pearson is a graduate of Livingston College, at 
Salisbury, and a woman of rare talent. She has 
done, much as Dr. Pearson will very frequently tell 
you, in shaping the career of her distinguished hus¬ 
band. 

Air. Pearson is an ardent church worker, being 
one of the pillars of the A. M. E. Church. His high 
standing in the church, coupled with his clean re¬ 
putation in business and in school work make his 
word his bond and a guide to all who know him. 
The records show that Air. Pearson’s wealth is val¬ 
ued at $75,000. 

William G. Pearson is a many sided man and 
every aspect of his attainments and service shine 
forth with a resplendance so great that it has at¬ 
tracted attention to him near and far. He is a 
schools teacher, an educator of marked ability and 
a business man and in all of these lines he is recog¬ 
nized as a man of great intelligence and power. 
He is a most influencial citizen of North Carolina. 



236 





ALBERT WITHERSPOON PEGUES, A. B., B. D. 



ORN Nov. 25, 1859, Albert W. Pe- 
gues, had a little taste of slav¬ 
ery, but not enough to effect in 
any way his ambitions as a young 
man. He was born in Raleigh, 
North Carolina, and he set for 
himself the attainment of learning and a distinct 
position in the world as an educator. To this end 
he sat under many men of learning and made in¬ 
timate acquaintance with a very large number of 
American Colleges and Universities. 

Mr. Pegues is a Baptist in his faith, and so it 
was that in choosing his first school he made one 
of the Baptist schools his choice. Thus we find 
him first as student at Benedict College, Columbia, 
S. C., where he stayed for a time and then changed 
to Richmond Institute—now Union University. 
We next find the young student enrolled in Buck- 
nell University, in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, where 
he remained till he received his Bachelor Degree. 
Mr. Pegues, when he had opportunity to pursue 
his studies further, went to Chicago and attended 
lecture courses at the University of Chicago, Illi¬ 
nois. 

By the time he was twenty-seven years of age, 


Dr. Pegues was ready to undertake his career as 
an educator. His first post of responsibility in 
school was that of Principal of the Summer High 
School, of Parkersburg, West Virginia. This po¬ 
sition he accepted in 1886 and held for one year. 
Then he got an appointment to a larger institu¬ 
tion, left Parkersburg, and took up the work in the 
new field which was in Shaw University, in Ra- 
leigh, North Carolina, d hus we have the young 
man in a very responsible position in his native 
town, a sight which is altogether too rare. In 
Shaw he labored for sixteen years. Owing to his 
very thorough preparation he was able to serve 
in the capacity of Dean of the College Department 
and in that of Dean of the Theological Depart¬ 
ment. For six years he held the former and for 
ten years he held the latter position. 

At the end of sixteen years of service for Sharv 
University, Dr. Pegues resigned to accept the 
Principalship of the Colored Department of the 
North Carolina State School for the Blind and 
Deaf, the position which he now holds. 

Along with his duties as an educator. Dr. Pe¬ 
gues has found time to do considerable writing. 
About twenty-five years ago he published a book 
Qui Ministers and Schools.” This book was verv 
widely read and it did a great deal toward making 
a name for Dr. Pegues. He has also been a very 
liberal contributor to papers. Then Dr. Pegues 
has spent much time and thought in the prepara¬ 
tion of speeches, for in connection with his school 
work he has been in constant demand as a speak¬ 
er. For some years he was statistical Secretary 
of the National Baptist Convention. In North 
Carolina he has had the honor of serving his de¬ 
nomination in every capacity. He is Secre¬ 
tary of the Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission 
Convention, a position he had held since its organi¬ 
zation. For eighteen years he has been Corres¬ 
ponding Secrtary of the Baptist State Sunday 
School Convention, a position of trust and one in 
which Dr. Pegues has had opportunity to do great 
good. 

Severing his connection with Shaw University as 
Dean did not really sever his connections with 
the school, for Dr. Pegues still serves this insti¬ 
tution, where for so many years he labored, in the 
capacity of Trustee. He is also a Trustee of Girl’s 
Training School, of Franklinton, North Carolina. 

Dr. Pegues has given of his energy and strength 
in still one other direction. He has taken consi¬ 
derable interest in business. During the years he 
has been out of school and at work for himself he 
has been able to accumulate considerable property. 

Dr. Pegues is an Odd Fellow and Mason. In 1890, 
Dr. Pegues was married to Miss Ella Christian, of 
Richmond, Virginia. They have two children. 


237 


















BISHOP ALEXANDER P. CAMPHOR, A. B, B. D. 



ill 


ISHOP Alexander P. Camphor, 
Bishop of the African Methodist 
Episcopal Church, was born in a 
cabin that comprised one of a 
group of shacks known as “Negro 
Quarters,” in Jefferson Parish, 
Louisiana, on a large sugar plan¬ 
tation twelve miles east of New 
Orleans. The Bishop has told his own story so 
well that we shall read as he has written: 

“Both my parents,” says he, “had been slaves, the 
Emancipation Proclamation having gone into ef¬ 
fect two years previous to my birth. My mother 
is still living but my father died when I was an 
infant. My father had secured knowledge enough 
to read the Bible and to write his mother’s name. 

“Mother made a solemn pledge to father before 
he died, that she would spare no pains in giving me 
an education. Being unlearned and without means 
she decided that the only way to do this was to 
give me away to one whom she believed could 
more easily educate me than herself. Accordingly 
when eight years of age I left the plantation to live 
in the city of New Orleans, with Stephen Priestley. 

“It seems providential that I should have fallen 
into such hands as those of Stephen Priestley, for 
in my foster father I had both rigid school-master 
and a rugged old fashioned Methodist preacher to 
direct my feet aright. 

I attended public school in Carrolton, and after 
completing the work there entered New Orleans 


University, where I graduated in 1889, receiving 
the Bachelor of Arts Degree. During the greatest 
revival in the history of the University, conducted 
by the Rev. Wm. R. Webster, D. D., of Massachu¬ 
setts ,1 was converted and later licensed to preach. 
I was then 16 years of age. After graduation I 
taught four years as Professor of Mathematics in 
my Alma Mater. Completing the full course 
there and securing the Bachelor of Divinity degree, 
I entered the ministry and was appointed pastor 
of James M. E. Church, Germantown, Pa. My next 
appointment was to Orange, N. J., while there I 
received an invitation from Bishop Hartzell to go 
as missionary to Africa, and I was ready to go. 

“My wife and I were the first regularly appointed 
colored missionaries under the Prent Board to the 
“Dark Continent.” As president of the college of 
West Africa and superintendent of the Methodist 
Schools in Liberia from 1896 to 1907, I had the 
pleasure of contributing to the advancement of the 
work. 

“While in Liberia I gathered original material 
for two volumes “Missionary Story Sketches and 
Folklore from Africa” and “Liberia, the Afro- 
American Republic.” Returning to America in 1907 
I was persuaded that I could better serve Africa by 
helping to educate the youth of my race in Amer¬ 
ica. For this reason I accepted the presidency of 
the Central Alabama Institute located at Birming¬ 
ham, Ala., where I have labored for the past eight 
years, 

“I was three times elected delegate to the Gen¬ 
eral Conference and once a delegate to the World’s 
Missionary Conference at Edinburgh, Scotland. At 
the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church that met at Saratoga Springs, N. Y., by an 
almost unanimous vote of that body I was elected 
Bishop of Africa. In this office I succeeded Bishop 
1. B. Scott and will be associated with Bishop E. S. 
Johnson. These evidences of confidence on the part 
of the church have only served to intensify and in¬ 
flame my zeal for unselfish service, that the cause 
of education and Religion might be all the more 
speedily advanced.” 

Bishop Camphor is an illustration of the law of 
service as laid down by the master whom he serves 
—the Lord Jesus Christ—who said that the road 
to greatness is through service. “When God wants 
a worker He calls a worker. When He has work 
to be done, he goes to those who are already at 
work. When God wants a great servant, He calls 
a busy man.” 

Bishop Camphor is not only a busy man but a 
very busy man, just such a man as God can use, 
and his remarkable accomplishments attest to the 
divine guidance and help. The secret of his suc¬ 
cess lies in his great love of humanity and his love 
of service. It is this spirit that makes him a man 
beloved by all who come in personal contact with 
him and who fall under the spell of his influence. 

Bishop Camphor could say with Thomas H. Gill: 

“The more I triumph in thy gifts, 

The more I wait on thee ; 

The grace that mightily uplifts 
Most sweetly humbleth me.” 

Bishop Camphor was married to Miss Mamie 
Anna Rebecca Weathers in 1893, at Atlanta, Ga. 
They have no children. 


238 













LEWIS GARNETT JORDAN, D. 1). 



R. Lewis Garnett Jordan in one 
of those who has climbed all 
the way from the abject ignor¬ 
ance of slavery to a manhood of 
travel and culture, from being 
the property of his master to 
owning property in his own name 
and acquiring great property for 
his church. He was born a slave in 1853, near Me¬ 
ridian, Mississippi. His father was Jack Gaddis, 
and his mother Mariah Carey, but when be be¬ 
came a free man he chose a name for himself and 
so we have Dr. Jordan. Although born when it 
was impossible to get an education and hai d to 
get one even after he was freed, we find Dr. Jor¬ 
dan as a lad getting all that he could in the way of 
book knowledge in the public schools of both Me¬ 
ridian and Natchez, Mississippi. He also spent 
some time as a student in Roger Williams L niver- 
sity, at Nashville, Tennessee. Here m Roger Wil¬ 
liams, one of the largest and oldest institutions of 
the Baptist Church, Dr. Jordan got an insight into 
things and an inspiration that has never left him. 
His degree of Doctor of Divinity was received 
from Natchez College in 1880, and from Gauda 

loupe in 1903. , , 

Merely the bare facts of the very active life lead 
by Dr. Jordan can be recorded here He was or¬ 
dained to the Baptist Ministry in 1875 He built 
churches while pastoring at kazoo . 
ippi, in 1878; in San Antonio, Texas, m 1885, 


Waco, Texas, in 1886, in Hearne, Texas, in 1888; 
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1893. This is a 
great service for any man to render to his church. 
Since 1896, Dr. Jordan has served his denomina¬ 
tion in the capacity of Corresponding Secretary of 
the Foreign Mission Board, of the National Bap¬ 
tist Convention, and he still holds this position. 
He is the Senior Secretary of the National Bap¬ 
tist Convention and is regarded as one of its most 
influential members. 

During his incumbency in office more than for¬ 
ty missionaries have been sent into its field in 
South America, the West Indies, the western, 
southern and central parts of Africa. During this 
time they have received several bequests, the lat¬ 
est of importance exceeding $30,000.00. Under 
his administration of the affairs of this branch 
cf the work the board has acquired property in 
its fields valued at about $47,000.00.,This includes 
the land, churches, stations, schools and homes. 
Dr. Jorda'n has had other honor’s showered upon 
him by his denomination. He was delegate to the 
World’s Baptist Alliance, England, in 1904, and to 
tjie World’s Missionary Conference, Edinburgh. 

Dr. Jordan has not confined his work to the 
church. He is an active member of the Y. M. C. 
A., and active in the Equal Rights of League Socie¬ 
ty for the Advancement of Colored People. He is 
K mident of the Douglass Improvement Company 
and trustee of the National Baptist Training 
School for Women and Girls in Washington, D. C. 
Vi has also taken an active interest in the political 
life of his country. He is a Prohibitionist and has 
had the honor of being delegate to nearly every 
National Convention of his party since 1888. At 
one time he was candidate for Congresman-at- 
large for Pennsylvania. He is a life member of the 
National Negro Business Men’s League, a Mason, 
a member of the Independent Order of St. Luke 
and a member of the American Woodmen of the 
world. 

Dr. Jordan has traveled all over this country and 
has visited England and Scotland, has been to the 
West Indies twice, to Africa three times, to South 
America once. During his trip to Africa, in 1917 
the President of Liberia conferred upon him the 
Knighthood of the Republic “Knight Commander 
of the Liberian Humane Order of African Redemp¬ 
tion.” The effect of this extensive travel is seen 
in the writings and the lectures of this public spi¬ 
rited man. He is the founder and Editor of the 
Mission Herald, outhor of “Up the Ladder in Mis¬ 
sions,” 1908; “Prince of Africa,” 1911; “In Our 
Stead,” 1913; “Pebbles from an African Beach,” 
1917. This represents a great deal of work on the 
part of Dr. Jordan and has added immeasurably 
to his usefulness in the denomination. 

Dr. Jordan, while not a man of means, the bulk 
of his earnings having been contributed to further 
Religious and Civil enterprises for national and 
racial uplift, may, however, easily be rated at 
$10,000.00 realty’ holdings, besides several thous¬ 
and dollars interest in a number of undeveloped 
enterprises. 

Dr. Jordan has been twice married. His first 
wife was Mrs. Fannie Armstrong. They were 
married in 1880, and they lived together till her 
death, thirty years later. He was married, May 
29, 1913, to Mrs. M. J. Marquess, of Helena, Ark. 


239 







BISHOP WILLIAM HENRY HEARD 



HAT the life of Bishop William 
Henry Heard, Bishop for Louis¬ 
iana and Mississippi has been one 
of steady climbing is seen by 
a simple recital of the main facts 
in his life. He was born in El¬ 
bert County, Georgia, June 25, 
1850. From the date we may ga¬ 
ther the facts of his early life. Although too young 
to know many of the horrors of slavery, he still 
knew enough of that period to appreciate his per¬ 
sonal freedom. 

One of the blessings that came to him was that 
he lived with people who had ambition for his bet¬ 
terment. So the young man had plenty of oppor¬ 
tunities to attend school. He was a student in the 
South Carolina University, Atlanta University, 
Clark University, Atlanta, Georgia, and in the Re¬ 
form Divinity School, in West Philadelphia, Penn¬ 
sylvania. In all of these institutions he distin¬ 
guished himself both by his good scholarship and 
by his manly conduct. 

It was not a sudden jump to the Bishopric for 
Bishop Heard. He traveled the long road that 
has to be taken by all who achieve success. He 
has served in political offices of various kinds. He 
was at one time a Railway Postal Clerk, he was a 
member of the South Carolina Legislature from 
Abbeville County, he was United States Minis¬ 
ter Resident and Council General to the Court of 


Liberia, Africa. In this manner he has been able 
to serve his government. 

At the age of thirty, in 1880 Bishop Heard join¬ 
ed the A. M. E. Conference of North Georgia. 
Thus began the round of charges that fall to the 
lot of the minister of any denomination and espec¬ 
ially to the lot of the Methodist Minister. He 
served Johnston Mission, Athens, Georgia; Mark¬ 
ham Street Mission, Atlanta, Georgia; Aiken Sta¬ 
tion, Aiken, South Carolina; Mt. Zion Station, 
Charleston, South Carolina ; and Allen Chapel, Phi¬ 
ladelphia, Pennsylvania. At this time, having ser¬ 
ved his charges so very well, Bishop Heard was 
promoted to the position of Presiding Elder. He 
was at this time working in the Philadelphia Con¬ 
ference. His first district was the Lancaster Dis¬ 
trict. He pastored the Bethel Church at Phila¬ 
delphia, Pennsylvania, and the Mother Church of 
the Connection. He then had the two charges of 
Wilmington Station and Harrisburg. At this time 
he gave up the work in this country and served 
as superintendent of Missions in West Africa, but 
returned to the work of his own land to take the 
Zion Chapel, at Philadelphia, and Presiding Elder 
of Long Island District, New York Conference. 
He next served Phoenixville, Pennsylvania and 
Allen Temple, Atlanta, Georgia. This represents 
working with a great number of people. A great 
many souls were by this time saved through the 
ministration of this man. 

While still serving in the capacity of pastor, 
Bishop Heard realized the need .of the Preachers’ 
Aid Society. To help this organization along he 
served as its Secretary for four years. This ser¬ 
vice was given freely without any remuneration 
whatever. As a culmination of the long years of 
service in the various places he was elected Bishop 
of his church. No more worthy man could have 
been found to fill the place. May 20, 1908, at Nor¬ 
folk, Virginia, he was ordained. This was not the 
end of his very active career, but merely a broad¬ 
ening of his field of labor. So well had he served 
in the small fields given him that his denomina¬ 
tion had the confidence in him to believe that he 
would do the work of the greater fields. 

His first charge in the capacity of Bishop was in 
Africa. Here he remained for eight years. The 
Church there grew under his ministration. He 
added materially to the cause while serving in this 
post. At the same time he served his govern¬ 
ment in an official capacity. So we see that the 
name of Heard is well known in West Africa. Re¬ 
turning to this country, Bishop Heard was made 
Bishop of Mississippi and Louisiana. In this po¬ 
sition he is still serving. 

The life of this man should be an inspiration to 
any young man who has for his aim in life the 
preaching of the Gospel. In Bishop Heard we 
have an excellent example of a man who has done 
what he set out to do. Helping him all along 
the way in every step of the journey we find Mrs. 
Heard. She was Miss Josephine D. Henderson, 
daughter of Lafayette and Anna Henderson. The 
Heard’s were married in 1882, in their Georgia 
home. Both Bishop and Mrs. Heard have the love 
and the esteem of all who know them. 


240 












BIRDS-EYE VIEW OF LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, PENNSYLVANIA 


INCOLN University is the oldest 
Institution for the Higher Educa¬ 
tion of the Negro. It was pledged 
to God in an ordination service in 
1849. The General Assembly of 
the Presbyterian Church gave its 
sanction in 1853. The Legislature of Pennsylvania 
granted a Charter to Ashmun Institute in 1854. A 
modest building was erected and the doors were 
opened to four students in 1857. The Legislature 
changed the name to Lincoln University in 1866. 
The Reverend Mr. John Pym Carter, and Reverend 
Mr. John Wynn Martin, D D ., were the two suc¬ 
cessive Presidents and the whole Faculty in them¬ 
selves from 1857 to 1865. The Reverend Mr. Isaac 
Norton Rendall, D. D., was President from 1865 to 
1906 and the Reverend Mr. John B. Rendall. D. D., 
has been President since 1906. 

The University owns equipment, buildings and 
grounds, costing $350,000, and productive endow¬ 
ment to the amount of $650,000. Its annaul cut i ent 
expenditures approximate $50,000. It has two De¬ 
partments, a College, and a 1 heological Seminary. 
In its 60 years of history, Lincoln University has 
had 1638 students in its College, and 628 in its Sem¬ 
inary. 

The Alumni statistics show 656 ministers of all 
denomnations; 263 doctors including dentists and 
druggists; 255 teachers; 227 in business; and 86 
lawyers. The students have come from almost ev¬ 
ery state of the Union, and the Alumni have gone 


to virtually every state of the Union, as well as to 
Africa, South America, and the Isles of the Sea. 

At the close of the Civil War most of the stu¬ 
dents had been soldiers in the United States Army; 
and in the world war, the student body in large 
number again wore the American uniform The 
University is proud to give its choicest sons in this 
holiest of all wars. A full proportion of them were 
commissioned officers, some serving in France. 

The general control is vested in a Board of 21 
Trustees. The College has full recognition and 
membership in the Association of the Colleges of 
the State of Pennsylvania, and the Theological 
Seminary is under the full control of the Presby¬ 
terian General Assembly. 

White Institutions have since taken the name 
of Lincoln, but this Institute for the Higher Chris¬ 
tian Education of the Negro was the first to bear 
the name of the Immortal President. This Christ- 
ian school was also the first to establish a chair of 
the English Bible and make it a required course for 
every student in every class. 

Mrs. Susan Dod Brown endowed this chair and 
also gave the chapel in which each day The work is 
opened with 15 minutes of Devotional Exercises, 
and in which regular preaching services are held 
each Sabbath. 

Lincoln Unversity is not a rival of other schools 
in this field. She never advertises for students, and 
cannot receive a fourth of those who apply. She 
has nothing but a good will and a God speed to all. 






















Edwin J. Turner, M. D. 


HE following tribute to Dr. Tur¬ 
ner, taken from the Columbus, 
(Georgia) Ledger, is a most ap¬ 
propriate introduction to the 
sketch of his life prepared for the 
Negro Cyclopedia: 

“What Daniel Boone and other pioneers, who 
labored, toiled and endured hardships which would 
have chilled the hearts and swerved the purpose of 
less earnest and able men, did toward peopling the 
West, and toward opening up a hitherto unknown 
country. Dr. Edwin J. Turner, who is well and fav¬ 
orably known by all but a very few of the people 
of Columbus, both White and Colored, has done 
for the colored race in this section of the State, and 
the United States. And the influence of his life, 
and possibly the measure of success which he has 
wrought has inspired, who knows how many of 
his countrymen and members of his race, to go and 
do likewise. For Dr. Turner has the heart and the 
ability of a pioneer, and such, literally he was in 
the field of education, and in the line of progress 
to the people of his race in Columbus, and the sur¬ 
rounding country—who can say how far his influ¬ 
ence has spread abroad throughout the land.” 

Dr. Turner was born in Meridian, Mississippi, in 
1876, and until he reached the age of fifteen he at¬ 
tended the public schools of his native city. 

After his course in the public schools he entered 
the Clark University, of Atlanta, Georgia, where 
he took up the study of Pharmacy. He graduated 
from this Institution and then entered the New Or¬ 
leans University, where he graduated in the school 
of medicine in 1912. 

Having prepared himself for his life work he 
chose Columbus, Georgia, as the field of his en¬ 
deavors. Here he soon built up a large practice 
and has the distinction of being the first colored 
physician to locate in Muscogee County. He soon 
established himself high in the esteem of his com¬ 
munity among all classes, white and black, and 
holds an enviable position in the ranks of his col¬ 
leagues in other counties and other states. 

Without neglecting his practice, which always 
commands his closest attention, he has actively 
identified himself with the public interest, keep¬ 
ing always in mind the good of his community and 
especially the elevation of his race. 

When the Young Men’s Christian Association 
was tottering and almost ready to fall under the 
burden of debt and in-ability to keep up its current 
expenses, he was called to the rescue. He prompt¬ 
ly accepted the Presidency, went thoroughly into 
the investigation of its condition and intelligently 


addressed himself to relieving its distressing situa¬ 
tion. The Association under his direction has wea¬ 
thered the financial storms, been raised to a paying 
basis and is now in a flourishing condition. His 
ambition is to have his people so live as to com¬ 
mand the respect and esteem of all citizens and by 
his own exemplary life he has set them the exam¬ 
ple. He has possibly done more to raise them to 
this high place in the public estimation than any 
other man in the State. 

A mere list of accomplishments of Dr. Turner 
would be indeed a bare record without taking into 
consideration the conditions under which they 
were accomplished. When convinced that a course 
was right no difficulties could prevent him from 
going forward in the accomplishments of the ob¬ 
ject set before him. He was not reckless in meet¬ 
ing difficulties, but faced them patiently and firm¬ 
ly with a courage born of a deep conviction. 

The honors which have been conferred upon him 
are insufficient to show how they were earned, and 
how worthy he is to bear them. 

Dr. Turner’s interest in his people has led him 
into the field of politics and there as elsewhere he 
is an active factor. He is not constituted to be 
passive in any field of endeavor he enters. 

He is a member of the Republican party and a 
member of the State Republican Executive Com¬ 
mittee, representing Muscogee County. He was 
a National Delegate to the Republican Conven¬ 
tion which nominated Mr. Taft for President, and 
his influence and vote went for Mr. Taft at that 
time. He was the first colored man that was ever 
appointed Notary Public in Muscogee County, and 
throughout his term of office he has demonstrated 
his reliability and worth in that capacity, and has 
fulfilled his duties to the entire satisfaction of 
those whom he serves. 

Dr. Turner is a member of the Presbyterian 
Church where his disposition for work is also man¬ 
ifested and where his counsel and help is in con¬ 
stant demand. 

He is also a member of the Masonic Fraternity, 
a Knight of Pythias and a member of the Knights 
of Tabor. He is the Grand Medical Director of the 
Colored Knights of Pythias of Georgia, and Grand 
Chief Mentor of the Knights and Daughters of Ta¬ 
bor of Georgia. 

He is proprietor of the 10th Street Drug Store, 
which carries a stock valued at $5000. 

In _904 he married Miss Lela Benner, of Macon, 
Georgia, and they have but one child, a son, ten 
years of age, Benner C. Turner. 



242 










NORVAL COBB VAUGHAN, A. B., M. D. 

MONG the Negro physicians who 
have won laurels in the West and 
who has risen to a high place in 
the profession, Dr. Norval Cobb 
Vaughan, of Cincinnatti, Ohio, 
stands as a brilliant instance. He 
exemplifies the very spirit of loyalty and is true to 
his fraternity throughout the country and especial¬ 
ly so to the Negro fraternity. Although engaged 
in active practice he remains the hard and close 
student. He realizes that there is always some¬ 
thing to learn in his profession and he keeps abreast 
of the times and for this reason gives all the time 
that he can spare from his work as a physician to 
reading and studying. 

Hacing the interest of his race at heart his life 
has been given in unselfish service to them in every 
way where he could lend a helping hand. It is the 
exhibition of these traits and spirit that has won 
him distinction and praise. 

Dr. Vaughn is a native of Virgina. He was born 
in Farmvile, Virgina, August, 1867. He received 
his early school training in another State but re¬ 
turned to “Old Virginia” for finishing touches. He 
secured his elementary training in East Orange, 
New Jersey, attending and passing through the 

243 


public schools there. After his course in the pub¬ 
lic schools of Orange, he returned to his native 
State, Virgina, and entered the Richmond Insti¬ 
tute, taking the Academic course. Completing his 
course at the Richmond Institute, he enrolled at 
the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute, at 
Petersburg, Virginia, where he was graduated as 
a Bachelor of Arts. 

He was now ready to give thought to a career 
and after due consideration of the various calls 
held out to men he decided upon medicine, and 
having determined to be a physician he entered the 
Medical Department of Howard University, to get 
the necessary preparation for his work. He grad¬ 
uated from this Institution in 1897. 

Dr. Vaughan is a man of cool calculation, rather 
than one .given to impulse so in deciding the ques¬ 
tion of a location he surveyed the field before 
coming to a decision. He made note of the fact 
that Cincinnati, Ohio was not only a large and 
growing city, but that it had a large Negro popu¬ 
lation and that this class of its population was con¬ 
stantly growing. He decided that this was a most 
promising field so in this city he pitched his tent, 
and hung out his shingle, and here he has labored 
for twenty-two years. He has demonstrated the 
wisdom of his choice for with patience, energy and 
loyalty to his profession he has built up a large and 
lucrative practice. 

Without neglecting his special work he his inter¬ 
ested himself in welfare work. 

His spare moments have been devoted to uplift 
work and study in many directions. He is holder of 
many valuable pieces of real estate, to which he 
gives some thought and study. He is also greatly 
interested in inventions and patents. He has in¬ 
vented and had patented a bullet proof breast 
shield. He is a member of the Academy of Medi¬ 
cine of Cincinnati, wherein much time and study 
are devoted to modern and local problems in medi¬ 
cine. He is also a member of the Medical Council of 
Pensylvania; member of the Council of Social 
Agencies of Cincinnati; and Staff Physician of the 
Evangeline Home and Hospital of Cincinnati. Be¬ 
sides this he is a member of and in close contact 
with every local organization which has for its pur¬ 
pose Negro uplift or advance in any direction. 

On entering his professional career, Dr. Vaughan 
took the advice of those modern philosophers, who 
say that the first step in a successful career of a 
young man is marriage. In 1899, the same year he 
opened office in Cincinnati, he was married to Miss 
Victoria Powell of Richmond, Virginia. Two 
children have been born to Dr. and Mrs. Vaughan 
but both are deceased. One died when it was a 
month old; the other at the age of five and a half 
years. 












HON. JOHN P. GREEN 


R. John P. Green was born in 
Newbern, North Carolina, April 
2nd, 1845. His parents John R. 
Green and Temperance Green 
were both free and honorable. IV! r. 
Green was educated in Common, 
High and Law Schools, of Cleveland, Ohio. But 
this education came to him through his own ef¬ 
forts. Between the ages of fourteen and twenty 
two, Mr. Green worked in all sorts of menial em¬ 
ployments, buying a home for his widowed mother. 
After that, he followed the same pursuits in striv¬ 
ing for an education for himself. 

He began his professional career in 1870, when 
he was admitted to the South Carolina Bar. and, 
in 1872, he returned to Ohio and began the practice 
of law, in Cleveland. His has been a very active 
life, since being admitted to the bar. He was el¬ 
ected justice of the peace of the city of Cleveland, 
in 1873, and served for three terms, (nine years). 
During this time, he disposed of about twelve 
thousand cases. In 1882 he was elected to the low¬ 
er branch of the Ohio General Assembly, and re¬ 
elected in 1890. In 1892, he was elected to the 
Senate of Ohio. He is the first and only colored 


man, as yet, elected to the Senate. When he was 
in the Senate, he presided over that body, and was 
for that space of time, defacto Lieutenant-Gov¬ 
ernor of Ohio. When he Avas in the Lower House 
of the Ohio General Assembly, Mr. Green wrote 
and secured the passage of the bill creating Labor 
Day in Ohio. This was subsequently, made a nat¬ 
ional Holiday, by Congress. In 1897, President 
McKinley appointed him United States Postage 
Stamp agent. For nine years, he manufactured 
and distributed all the postage stamps for the gov¬ 
ernment. For eighteen months, he Avas defacto 
Superintendent of Finance, of Post Office Depart¬ 
ment ; during which time he signed many thousand 
warrants for money due to mail contractors. 

Mr. Green has traveled extensively. He has 
been to Europe four times. In 1809 he was re¬ 
ceived, with his Avife, by Pope Leo; he Avas also re¬ 
ceived by the Lord Bishop, of London, and the 
Dean of West Minister Abbey. He sat with his 
family in the Choir of the Abbey, and also of Saint 
Pauls during divine services. Mr. Green visited 
France, Italy, Austria, also the Midera Islands, Gi- 
bralter and Scotland. While in Scotland he lectur¬ 
ed eleven times to large audiences. Another 
pleasant memory of Mr. Green if the fact that, 
while in Ireland, he visited Blarney Castle, and, by 
the courtesy of fellow tourists, was enabled to 
kiss the Blarney Stone. 

Mr. Green has been active in the affairs of the 
nation as Avell as in those of the State of Ohio. He 
has been Alternate Delegate at large to National 
Republican Conventions. He has also associated 
with a number of the most prominent Republican 
statesmen. 

Mr. Green is Junior Warden and Lay-reader in 
St. AndreAvs Episcopal Church, and, in eighteen 
years, he has not missed attendance at church in 
the morning or been late, when in toAvn.. 

At the age of seventy-four he is still engaged in 
practice of law. In thirty-one murder cases, he 
has lost but one client. All the others have been 
either acquitted or let off with reduced sentences. 
From the practice of his profession, Mr. Green has 
been enabled to earn not only a very good living 
for himself, and family, but to invest in real estate. 

Mr. Green Avas married to Miss Annie Walker, 
in Cleveland, in 1869. He was married a second 
time to Mrs. Lottie Mitchell Richardson, in 1912, 
with whom he is noAv happily living. Four chil¬ 
dren were born to Mr. Green to help brighten his 
home. Captain William R. Green, laAvyer; Mr. 
Theodore B. Green, lawyer; Mr. Jesse B. Green, 
Chef; and Mrs. C. C. Johnson, who was Miss Clara 
Annie Green. 

Mr. Green has for his hobbies the reading and 
reviewing of his classical school studies, with the 
addition of French, which he reads almost without 
effort. During the tAvo years just passed, he has 
read the four Gospels in Greek tAvice. In this 
Avay he, at his ripe age, keeps his mind in good 
Avorking condition, and is enabled to transact the 
large amount of business which confronts him. 



244 











JACOB E. REED 


WSF 


ACOB E. Reed, of Cleveland, 
Ohio, was born in Harrisburg, 
Pennsylvania, Dauphin County, 
November 30th, 1852. His educa¬ 
tion was limited to that of the 
Grammar School. For the first 
twenty one years of his life he lived on a farm, 
where he acquired a strong body that has been one 
of his chief assets during his long business life. 

Because of his mother’s interests, Mr. Reed mov¬ 
ed into the town of Harrisburg, when he was 
twenty-one years of age. Here he worked first 
in the Harrisburg Car Works. Then for a number 
of years he worked at Wheatland, Pennsylvania, 
in the Weeds Brothers Iron Works. He was 
maimed while engaged with the firm and had to 
give up his work. He went to Youngstown, Ohio, 
and went into the Barber business with his brother- 
in-law. At this trade he worked for four years, 


when he moved once more, this time to Cleveland. 
Here he has remained building up for himself a 
business that is very creditable. 

When he first went to Cleveland, Mr. Reed took 
a position as a waiter for a year. This was meiely 
used as a stepping stone. His next step was to the 
position of conductor and motorman for the East 


Cleveland Street Railway Company. Colonel Louis 
Block, one of the regular passengers on the car on 
which Mr. Reed was conductor, opened a new mar¬ 
ket and gave to Mr. Reed the position as special 
police and janitor. The new undertaking was not 
a success, and so Mr. Block, who felt himself re¬ 
sponsible for getting Mr. Reed out of a job, offer¬ 
ed him the chance to install a fish market in the 
building, rent free for the first six months. Mr. 
Reed recognized the fact that he was ignorant of 
the fish business and so took a partner in the ubsi- 
ness with him. The partner was a Mr. Reitz, a 
white man. Together they in nineteen years built 
up a very successful business. 

At the death of Mr. Reitz the interest which 
was his was purchased from his widow by Mr. 
Reed. So after a number of years in various call¬ 
ings, Mr. Reed found himself in one in which 
he was very successful. Among his customers, he 
numbers a number of the best families in the city 
of Cleveland. Besides he sells to some of the lead¬ 
ing hotels and restaurants. The Hollenden Hotel 
alone runs a monthly account of about $700.00 
with Mr. Reed. His annual business is from 
$15,000.00 to $18,000.00. This is no small achieve¬ 
ment for one who started with almost no capital. 
One of the secrets of Mr. Reed’s success is the fact 
that he never lets his bills run any time. He makes 
it a habit to pay all his bills weekly. 

Mr. Reed has saved considerable from his bus¬ 
iness. He owns his own home which represents 
an investment of $10,000.00 and two pieces of ren¬ 
tal property that represents the investment of 
$ 10 , 000 . 00 . 

Mr. Reed has been twice married. His first 
wife was Miss Rebecca Jackson, of Foxburg, 
Pennysylvania. They were married June, 1874. 
She died October 20th, 1915. He was married a 
second time to Mrs. Emma Clayge, of Chatta¬ 
nooga, Tennessee, on June 25th, 1918. Mr. Reed 
had one son, Addison D. Reed, who died at the age 
of seven years. There is one adopted daughter in 
the family, Miss Byrdie L. Reed. Miss Byrdie is 
now eighteen years of age and she was adopted 
at the age of nine years. 

The fish business does not take up all of Mr. 
Reed’s time. He is an active member of the Epis¬ 
copal Church, of the Odd Fellows, Masons, Elks, 
33 degree Mason and Shriner. For eight years he 
served as treasurer of the Odd Fellows. He has 
been appointed delegate to both national State con¬ 
ventions of the Elks, Odd Fellows and Masons. 

It took Mr. Reed more than thirty years to find 
the business of which he was to make such a suc¬ 
cess, but having found it, he has not changed, but 
has continued 26 years, in the same line and built 
up for himself a very lucrative enterprise. 


245 


















JOHN WILLIS HUGHES 

R. J. W. Hughes, of Tulsa, is one 
of the comparatively few colored 
men of this country, who has left 
his native State and gone to seek 
his fortune at a distance without 
doing it of his own free will. This 
in the mind of Mr. Hughes is the principal episode 
in his life. And well may all consider it, as we 
shall see. 

Mr. Hughes was born in Rutherford County, 
Tennessee, April 30, 1865. Here he spent his early 
childhood on the farms of his native county, work¬ 
ing hard during the greater part of the year and 
attending school during the short winter session. 
In this way he lived till he was eighteen years of 
age. At that time he left the farm for the more 
lucrative employment of the railroad. While work¬ 
ing on the road he managed to save enough mon¬ 
ey to enter school at Fisk University. At Fisk he 
was one of the steady, studious boys, and when he 
went out, he left the class room as a student to 
enter it as a teacher. He entered the public 
schools of his State and served as principal of the 
city school at Springfield, and later at Orlinda for 
thirteen years. During this time, Mr. Hughes had 
been careful of the money he earned and had quite 


a bit invested in farm, stock and all the things that 
go to make up country property. 

His farming operations proved unusually pro¬ 
ductive and brought to him much prosperity, so 
much so, that it caused his neighbors to be envious 
of him. The enmity between him and his neigh¬ 
bors, finally reached such a stage that he decided 
to sell his farm and change his location. This he 
did. leaving his native town and State and went out 
to begin all over onte more. 

Having made up his mind to sell his farm and 
equipment, he acted witfi his usual promptness, 
and disposed of same at a loss to him of between 
three and four thousand dollars. 

Leaving Tennessee with its “Night Riders” Mr. 
Hughes went to Oklahoma. For two years he had 
a partnership in a store and then he accepted the 
principalship of the Dunbar School. This was in 
1911. 1 his position he still holds, working for the 

education of the young people in that part of the 
country and helping uplift all about him. In his 
endeavor to help in this work of uplift, Mr. Hughes 
has not confined himself to work in the class room. 
He is a deacon of the First Baptist Church, and a 
teacher in the Sunday School. Here every Sunday 
we will find him teaching the advanced Bible 
Class in the Sunday School. 

In fraternal matters, Mr. Hughes is also a prom¬ 
inent man in his section of the country. He is 
Worthy Master of Coal Creek Lodge No. 88, of the 
Free Masons, he is Grand High Priest in the Ro- 
}al Arch Chapter, and in the Consistory he is 
Grand Master of Ceremonies. So again we find 
Mr. Hughes taking a leading part in matters that 
cei tainly work for the betterment of the people. 

Although Mr. Hughes had to make a new start 
when he was forty-three years of age, and make 
this start at a disadvantage, he has been able to ac¬ 
cumulate a goodly share of the choice property in 
and around Tulsa. He owns four different pieces 
of property in the business district of the town, 
his own home and three rent houses, all of which 
is in a good section of the town. 

Mr. Hughes has traveled extensively in this 
country and in the southern part of Canada. This 
has served to broaden him. While still in Tennes¬ 
see, m 1886, he was married to Miss Sarah Eliza¬ 
beth Owens, at Eglesville. They lived very hap¬ 
pily^ together till the time of her death, Nov. 24, 
1907. Ihree children were born of this union 
Miss Annie C. Hughes has gone back to her fath¬ 
er s old state of Tennessee, where she is an excel¬ 
lent teacher. Talmage Cravath Hughes is with the 
United States Army in France, and Johnnie Vista 
Hughes died while still very young. ' Mr. Hughes 
was married a second time, May 30, 1914, to Miss 
Nettie A. Ledsinger of Dyersburg, Tennessee. A 
graduate of Fisk University, Mrs. Hughes was at 
the time of her marriage, principal of the Primary 
Department of the City school of Okmulgee, Okla¬ 
homa. In his community Mr. Hughes is an ex¬ 
ample in all matters to the younger people. His 
work in the school room, in the church, in the 
lodges and in all points where his life touches the 
lives of others, is all for the uplift of mankind. He 
is an example in thrift as well as in religious mat¬ 
ters- He and his family like to help make the so¬ 
cial life in Tulsa pleasant. 



246 

















FRENCH WILSON BRUNER 



NCE the Seminole Nation of In¬ 
dians occupied the beautiful land 
of Florida. Many years ago, 
they moved to Oklahoma, the 
land of the Fair Gods. The Se- 
minoles held slaves in Florida be¬ 
fore the Civil war. It is an interesting bit of his¬ 
tory to know that the Bruners not only were free 
men and women all of their lives, but are descend¬ 
ants of a Seminole chief. Today they can trace 
their ancestors seven generations to the good old 
days when Seminoles lived happily on the exti erne 


peninsular of the southland. 

Yesterday in the old Indian Territory, were large 
ranches, and cornfields, and meadows where Na¬ 
tives and Indian-wards of the Federal Government 
stood together like free men. Nor were they one 
whit behind civilization in lodges and other fra¬ 


ternal organizations for free Masonary was known 
and practiced by all upright free inhabitants. And 
where the Federal Government failed to establish 
any institution for the betterment of society, the 
Baptist Missionaries and the Presbyterian Mission¬ 
aries, and the representatives of other churches es¬ 
tablished churches, school houses and academies. 

French Wilson Bruner, was born January 13, 18- 
83. He cast his first vote in Seminole County, 
Oklahoma. In his early days he attended the Me- 


kusukey Academy, an institution which belonged 
to the Seminole Nation, Indian territory, now Sem¬ 
inole County, Oklahoma. 

And later, finishing his course at Hampton, he 
did work in the Summer Schools of Chicago Uni¬ 
versity. In 1908, he taught a common school on 
the Bruner estate in Oklahoma. The next year he 
took charge of the Manual Training Department 
of Douglas High School, Oklahoma City, Okla. 
For ten years Mr. F. W. Bruner has been in charge 
of this work with great success and marvelous ad¬ 
vancement from a small uncouth manual training 
room in 1909, to a $10,000.00 structure, in 1915, 
where he has prepared students for Pratt Univer¬ 
sity, New York, and other institutions of learning. 

Mr. Bruner is more of a business man than other¬ 
wise. In Oklahoma City ,in 1909, he invested with 
a partner in the drug business. Later, he interest¬ 
ed himself in the oil industry, and later still he sold 
his drug interest to his partner and turned all of 
his attention to the development of oils. He joined 
the Springvale Oil and Gas Company, and is now 
the company’s Secretary. Inheriting some money, 
he become very well off. He owns lands in Sem¬ 
inole County, land in Garvin County, a residence in 
Oklahoma City, a stock farm in Oklahoma, and 
carries investments in various oil companies. 

Again, true, to the Bruner instinct, French Wil¬ 
son Bruner takes an interest in all form of life 
work about him. He is an active member of the 
Baptist Church, a member of Knights of Pythias, 
CC and past CC of star Chamber No. 23, Past 
Master of Keystone Lodge No. 2, A. F. & A. M., 
and a Shriner, and a member of the Great Western 
Consistory, Oklahoma Jurisdiction. Too, he is 
a chairman of the teachers divisional and High 
School faculty, of the Oklahoma Negro Teachers 
Association. Moreover he has been Vice Presi¬ 
dent and secretary of the said association. 

The number and diversity of such connections, 
all of them highly honorable and useful, indicates 
the regard that has fixed for this prominent man so 
high a measure of Civic service, and he has nobly 
responded to the call in every phaze of the duty 
that this draft on his fidelity and capacities has im¬ 
posed. In no relation has the worth of Mr. Bruner 
been more strikingly demonstrated than in the 
manner in which he has responded to these high 
demands which lie so completely out of the narrow 
realms of self. 

Mr. Bruner was married to Miss Bloosie Bell of 
Muskogee, Oklahoma, Sept. 1914. They live in 
their beautiful residence in Oklahoma City; a 
residence which is valued at ten thousand dollars. 
The one thing lacking to make their home life ideal 
is the absence of children. 


247 







WILLIAM HARRISON 


EW men at the bar have attained 
the distinction of Mr. William 
Harrison of Oklahoma City, Ok¬ 
lahoma. A southern man by birth, 
rearing and education, he has 
so conducted himself on the one 
been so thorough a master in his 
profession on the other, that many a door that has 
been shut to others has freely opened to him. 
This does not mean that others do not deserve all 
the courtesies of the courts, without any special 
consideration, save the stamp of merit, but we 
are discussing things as they are rather than 
things as they ought to be. 

Mr. Harrison’s prestige in the courts has been 
truly remarkable, not only for a Negro of the 
South, but for a man of any section. Admitted 
to the bar in 1902, he was first permitted step by 
step to practice in all the state courts of Okla¬ 
homa. Gaining a footing here he steadily made his 
way to the front until today he practices in all the 
Federal courts, and in the Supreme Court of the 
United States . 

As has already been pointed out, Mr. Harri¬ 
son is out and out a southern man. He was born 


in Mississippi, in Clay County, in 1874. His fa¬ 
ther, devoting most of his energies to the raising 
of cotton, raising starch and grain as supplement. 
For a number of years the son served an appren¬ 
ticeship with the father. But somehow the quiet 
humdrum of the farmers’ life did not appeal to 
him. A life of sharp competition, of give and 
take, began very early to lure him from behind 
the plow, from the hoe and the wagon, and attract 
him to the city. 

In spare months, that is in months when the 
crops were “laid by,” and in winter when there 
was no farm labor to be performed the future law¬ 
yer attended the public schools. When he grew 
older he saw that he would never reach his goal 
by attending school one fourth or one third of the 
year. And so the day came when he took leave 
of the farm and the old folks and sped away North¬ 
ward, from Mississippi to Nashville. He entered 
Roger Williams and completed the elementary 
education. From Roger Wiliams, he went to Chi- 
cago University where he pursued a college course. 
Returning to Nashville, he marticulated at Wal¬ 
den, where he completed his course in law. In 
1902, he was admitted to the bar in Oklahoma. 

He was not long in becoming known, once he 
had gotten before the courts. Sound reasoning, 
thorough scholarship and common sense soon gave 
him extraordinary prestige. On one occasion he 
was chosen special judge of the Superior Court in 
Oklahoma County, to sit in judgment on a case in 
which all the litigants were white. 

Mr. Harrison keeps in touch with practically all 
the activities of his State, and indeed of the whole 
country. He is an extensive traveller, having 
covered the whole country on business and pleas¬ 
ure trips. He is wide awake to business chances 
as well as to planning out a suit. He owns heavy 
interests in zinc, lead and oil companies, as well 
as a home and several pieces of real estate. He 
is a good Baptist, a Mason, a loyal Knight of Py¬ 
thias. In these latter organizations, as well as in 
others, not named, he has taken a leading part in 
many councils. He is Past Grand Chancellor of the 
Oklahoma Knights of Pythias, former attorney 
of the National Baptist Convention, President of 
the Negro Civic League, President of the People’s 
Protective Circle, member of the Chamber of Com¬ 
merce of Oklahoma City, being the only colored 
man to hold membership in this body. 

Mr. Harrison was married in Clanton, Mississ¬ 
ippi, June, 1898, to Miss Idella B. Carmichael. Mr. 
and Mrs. Harrison have two children; Wilhelmina, 
who is fifteen years of age, and who is in school; 
and William Alfred, who is twelve years old, and 
a school boy. 



248 















R. W. WESTBERRY 


OME day, R. W. Westberry of 
Sumter, South Carolina, should 
go apart and set down in some 
sort of form a few of his exper¬ 
iences and describe the types of 
men he has known in given occu- 
the account a mere catalogue, it 
would prove an instructive document, in that it 
would not only afford an engaging panorama, hut 
would demonstrate how wide a variety of tasks 
one man can perform passably well. 

Mr. Westberry was born in Sumter, South Car¬ 
olina, near Horatio Post Office, July 11, 1871. A 
member of the younger generation, he managed to 
eke out a good education. He attended the public 
schools in Sumter County, then went to Benedict 
College at Columbia, S. C. and finished his school 
career at Wilberforce University, Ohio. 

Mr. Westberry began his life on the farm, where 
as a lad he worked for his father. His life exper¬ 
ience widened Summer by Summer during his 
school life and year by year after his graduation. 
For a time he was a waiter in a Chicago Hotel. 
From this he took up the task of odd jobs. In a 
little time he became a Chicago letter carrier, 


working at this post twelve years. For two years 
he was a member of the letter carrier’s Council, 
one year of which he was the only Negro member 
of the body. 

Although the West, especially Chicago had many 
attractions for a live, wide-awake man like Mr. 
Westberry, he could not resist the call of the South 
and hither he turned his steps and again found 
himself in his native state of South Carolina. 

The first five years after his return South he 
worked as a Uhiited States Demonstration Agent. 
He gave up this work to accept the Secretaryship 
of the South Carolina State Fair, which position 
he held for three years, when he was elected Sup¬ 
erintendent of the same organization and served 
the Company three years more in that capacity. 

At the end of his six year’s service for the fair 
organization he decided that the time had come to 
strike out for himself so he organized the West¬ 
berry Realty Company, and became its President. 

To this variety of experiences in occupations, he 
adds a career fuller still in honorary pursuits. Jn 
1909 he was one of the leading members in the 
Booker T. Washington party that toured South 
Carolina. He was a volunteer soldier in the Spanish 
American War. When the Negroes of South Car¬ 
olina were waging a campaign for a boy’s reforma¬ 
tory, Mr. Westberry was one of the committee to 
appear before the Governor in the interest of the 
cause. Again when the Negroes of the State were 
laboring for a Colored People’s Fair, Mr. West¬ 
berry advocated their cause before the State leg¬ 
islature. 

His membership in Church and Fodge and on va¬ 
rious boards shows how wide are his interests and 
activities. He is a member of the Baptist Church, 
and a Deacon and Trustee. He is a Mason, Odd 
Fellow; a Knight of Pythias; a member of the 
Gospel Aid Society. He was a member of the fi¬ 
nance committee of the Masonic Fodge of his state 
three years; a state officer of the Odd Fellows two 
years, a Master of Finance for the Knights of Py¬ 
thias one year; Grand Deputy Archon of the Wise 
Men one year; local secretary of the Gospel Aid 
Society one year. He is a trustee of the Mays- 
ville Institute and of Morris College; a life member 
of the National Negro Business Men’s Feague; 
President of the South Carolina Farmer’s Confer¬ 
ence and of the National Farmer’s Asociation and 
an honorary member of the Sumter Chamber of 
Commerce, the only Negro member of that body. 

Mr. Westberry is an extensive property holder 
in South Carolina, and in other places. He owns 
two lots on Oyster Bay, Long Island; three lots 
and two two-story buildings in Chicago, and his 
property in Sumter, among which is included his 
two-story house valued at $30,000. 

He was married in 1902, to Miss Eva Anderson, 
of Chatham, Canada. 



249 



















JACOB JAVAN DURHAM, A. B., M. D. 


m 


ACOB Javan Durham, famous as 
an orator and debater was born 
near Spartanburg, South Carolina, 
April 13th, 1849. He attended the 
public school, at Greenville, South 
Carolina. From the public school 
he entered the State University of South Car¬ 
olina, remaining in that institution until 1877, 
when it was closed against Colored students. 
He then entered Fisk University, Nashville, Tenn¬ 
essee, where he was graduated two years later 
with the degree A. B. 

He graduated from Meharry Medical College, 
Nashville, Tenn., in 1880, and received his M. D. 
degree. At his graduation he won the honor of 
being the class valedictorian, having made 98)G on 
his final examination. Recognizing his great abil¬ 
ity he was offered a professorship in the college 
but declined the honor as he wished to enter at 
once upon his chosen fields of labor—that of med¬ 
icine and the ministry. 

His first charge was the Bethesda Baptist church 
at Society Hill, which was one of the largest 
churches in the State of South Carolina, receiving 
and accepting a call to this church immediately up¬ 


on his leaving Meharry Medical College. He en¬ 
tered upon his work both as a preacher and a phy¬ 
sician with energy and zeal, and did the work of 
both with marked success. 

He gave up his work in Society Hill to enter a 
larger field. He was elected Educational Mission¬ 
ary of the Baptist State Convention of South Car¬ 
olina, which office he filled so ably that he was ad¬ 
vanced a step higher and made the Financial Se¬ 
cretary of the Baptist State Convention. Here he 
had a wider scope for the exercise of his gifts and 
for ten years he applied himself to his work with 
such skill and tact that he won the cooperation of 
his brethren and raised large sums of money and 
paid off large debts. 

He was especially gifted in this line, an illustra¬ 
tion of which is seen in his accomplishment when 
pastor of the Second Baptist Church, of Savannah, 
Georgia. In one rally he raised for this church 
$3059.33. 

Dr. Durham was then recalled to South Carolina 
to become educational secretary. At the close of 
his first year’s work as Educational Secretary he 
recommended among other things the establish¬ 
ment of an institution of learning to be owned and 
operated by the Negro Baptists of the State. The 
report was followed by an eloquent and powerful 
speech on the subject by the Secretary, and in a few 
minutes, more than $12,000 was subscribed, and 
Morris College, at Sumter, South Carolina, is the 
result. The presidency of this institution was 
offered him but he declined it. Dr. Durham has 
been often referred to as “the Daniel Webster of 
his race,” because of his unusual ability and elo¬ 
quence as a debater. 

He has been called upon to introduce some of the 
great public men of the Nation. Frederick Douglas 
on being introduced once by Dr. Durham, said: 
“That was the most eloquent introduction I ever 
had. That man ought to be in Congress pleading 
the cause of the people.” 

After introducing President McKinley on one 
occasion, the President remarked, “That was the 
most beautiful and eloquent speech I ever heard.” 

Dr. Durham is a great scholar and has been a 
hard student. He reads the Bible in five different 
languages—English, German, Latin, Greek, and 
Hebrew. 

Dr. Durham has been twice married, first to Miss 
Ella Simpkins, and from this union there was one 
son. His second wife was Miss Emma Ramey of 
Edgefield, South Carolina, daughter of Judge W. 
D. and Katie Ramey. 

Dr. Durham is a man of considerable wealth. He 
is public spirited; has made many great public and 
patriotic speeches; written much on great public 
questions. He stands high as a man and citizen and 
has received many honorary degrees from repu¬ 
table institutions. 


250 












ROBERT E. L. HOLLAND, M. D. 


OCTOR Robert E. L. Holland, the 
eldest of eight living children of 
Benjamin and Margaret Holland, 
was born in Montgomery County, 
Texas, November eleventh, 1864. 
___ The father was a farmer; and as 

such set a glowing example of hard work and 
thrift for his son. All day the parent would labor 
in the field and then at night time split rails or chop 
wood. For a while the eldest son followed this 
example. He, too, labored on the farm, and at 
night split rails, chopped wood and built chai-coal 
kilns until midnight. He attended school when 
time permitted and when the two or thi ee months 
country school was in session. As he was ambi¬ 
tious, however, he studied in and out of season. 

Such close application to his studies soon began 
to bear fruit and note was made of his mental de¬ 
velopment, and at the age of seventeen years he 
was advised to stand for a teacher’s certificate, and 
was offered the position of assistant teacher if he 
should successfully pass the teacher’s examination. 
He passed the examination, got his certificate foi 
second grade and secured the teacher’s position. 
Thus he began his career as a teacher. He had 


started up the ladder and the following year had 
advanced so far as to be made principal of one of 
the largest schools of his county. While he was 
teaching he continued his studies and in two years 
he stood his examination for first grade license 
and got his certificate. After receiving this certi¬ 
ficate he continued to teach and applide himself 
more vigorously to his studies. Continuing this 
course for seven years he entered a competitive 
contest for a scholarship in Prairie View State 
Normal School which he won after standing a most 
rigid examination. He entered the Prairie View 
State Normal School with his ambition whetted by 
his success in the scholarship competition and fin¬ 
ished his course with honor, in 1888. 

He returned home and taught one year in the 
school in which he taught before he went away to 
Prairie View. In 1890, on passing a rigid examina¬ 
tion he was made principal of one of the Ward 
Schools, of Austin. However, though he was con¬ 
tinually climbing as a teacher, he had long felt 
called to another profession—that of medicine. 
And so, after three years teaching in Austin, he 
resigned his post and went away to Meharry Med¬ 
ical College, Nashville, and then to the University 
of Vermont, to study medicine, obtaining his de¬ 
gree from the latter school. 

Finishing his course in medicine in 1895, he re¬ 
turned to his native state and began practice in 
Temple. Here he rapidly gained the confidence 
of all the people and soon had a lucrative practice. 
For twenty-one years he followed his profession in 
Temple, equipping his office with the best imple¬ 
ments, widening his services and usefulness in 
many drections. 

On returning to Texas, Doctor Holland decided 
to affiliate himself with all local organizations that 
stood for the good of his race. He allied himself 
with the Eighth Street Baptist Church at Temple, 
became a Knights of Pythias, an Odd Fellow, a 
United Brother of Friendship, and a member of the 
Court of Calanthe. At one time he was a past 
Grand officer in the Knights of Pythias. He joined 
the Lone Star State Medical Association, was Sec¬ 
retary for eight years, and President for one year. 

Dr. Holland was married in 1898 to Miss Mary 
B. Pittman of Tavbora, North Carolina. Dr. and 
Mrs. Holland have one son, Robert E. L. Jr., who is 
a student at Tillotson College, Austin, Texas. 

The crowning recognition came to Dr. Holland in 
1916, when the Governor of the State of Texas 
appointed him Superintendent of the Texas Deaf, 
Dumb and Blind Institute for Colored youths, at 
Austin, Texas. Within a year marked signs of im¬ 
provement had already become manifested under 
him. The attendance has increased 35 per cent, 
the teaching force has been enlarged, new indus¬ 
tries added and larger appropriations gained for 
the maintenance of the institution. 



251 



















JOHN MARION FRIERSON 


OMMENCING at the bottom in 
business, John M. Frierson, Un¬ 
dertaker and Embalmer, of Hous¬ 
ton, Texas, has climed steadily 
and persistently until he is the 
leader in his kind of business in 
the State of Texas. With no special training for his 
task and no very large bulk of capital, he enter a 
city where competition was sharp and rent high ; 
yet he has never moved, never failed. He has only 
expanded. The room which once held the business 
of his whole plant is now the store room for his 
caskets. 

Mr. Frierson was born in Columbia, Tennessee, 
June 10th, 1865. He was born in a period which 
was fraught with great difficulties for the colored 
race, for it was passing through the transition 
from slavery to freedom and had to encounter the 
many problems which opened up in meeting this 
crucial test. Trials met him when a small lad and 
he had his turn at hard labor, scant food, scant 
clothing, and very meager facilities for education. 
He soon learned that the way of success in life 
was not a path of ease, but a way of thorns. He 
aspired to make something of his life and had an 
ambition to be an educated man. This he deter¬ 


mined to be and he never took his eye from the 
goal until he had reached it. In order to earn 
the money to pursue his studies he toiled as a 
laborer, as a carpenter’s helper to his father, as a 
teacher in country schools. Sometimes his earn¬ 
ings amounted to two dollars per week, but fre¬ 
quently fell below that amount and occasionally 
went above it. Frugality and perseverance won 
their reward and he was enabled to enter college. 

Finally he was able to enter Roger Williams Uni¬ 
versity, Nashville, Tenn. Graduating here in the 
spring of 1891, he went out and became principal 
of the colored school in Galletin, Tenn. in the fall 
of the same year. Texas at that time, as it is now, 
was a more attractive field in education than most 
of the Southern States. It paid better salaries, held 
longer school terms, had better schools and proved 
more respectable for a teacher. Hither in 1892, Mr. 
Frierson went to take charge of a school near Wax- 
ahatchie, in Ellis County. The next year he be¬ 
came associate principal of Hearne Academy in 
Roberson County. For the next five years he 
taught in Hearne Academy and in the County 
schools. 

Feeling that teaching was too itinerant and in 
many ways too restrictive in the opportunities foi 
advancement, Mr. Frierson left the school room 
and began his present business of Undertaking in 
Houston, Texas He opened a shop at 203 San Fe¬ 
lipe Street, where his shop still stands, though 
much expanded. His was the first Negro Under¬ 
taking business to open in the State of Texas. 
Hence for a number of years he had to overcome 
the obstacles common to all pioneers, to overcome 
prejudice and to establish confidence. This he had 
to do while buying his horses and equipment, learn¬ 
ing those detals of business which only experience 
can give The obstacles overcome, he rose rapidly, 
as a business man. Today his stock room which as 
has been said, was his original establishment, is full 
of the best caskets available. He is accredited with 
having the finest outfit of horses of any Negro in 
Texas. These, however, he is now converting into 
automobile hearses. In addition to this business in 
Houston, he owns interests in businesses in Tex¬ 
arkana and in Brenham. 

Air. Frierson stands high in many of the leading 
organizations of his state. He is a member of the 
Baptist Church, of the the Masonic Fodge, of the 
Knights of Pythias, of the Odd Fellows, of the 
Knights and Daughters of Tabor and of the Amer¬ 
ican Woodman. He is one of the leading members 
of the National Undertakers’ Association and of 
the National Negro Business Men’s Feague. He 
has attended every meeting of the two latter since 
their founding. He has traveled over practically 
the whole United States, on business and on pleas¬ 
ure. 

Mr. Frierson was married to Aliss Hattie Esk¬ 
ridge of Atlanta, Ga., December 23, 1906. They 
live in their own home on San Felipe Street in 
Houston. 



252 





REVEREND CHARLES AUGUSTUS BELL 



EV. Charles Augustus Bell was 
born in Knoxville, Tennessee. Pie 
was of poor parentage and so 
had to work at an early age to 
help support himself. His earliest 
school days were spent in the 
public schools of Knox County, 
where he applied himself dili¬ 
gently and secured all that he could. Finishing the 
course offered in the public school, the young man 
entered Knoxville College and by working at odd 
jobs he was able to remain in school till he had 
completed the course prescribed. During this pe¬ 
riod of study Rev. Bell spent his summers m teach¬ 
ing in the rural districts of his state. In this way 
he kept himself in funds sufficient to keep up with 
his needs. 

Rev. Bell at ean early age decided to take up 
the ministry as his life work. To this end he 
spent a great deal of time m study with corres¬ 
pondence schools. He took a course of study wi 
the Extension Department of the University of 
Chicago, and later took a course with the Dska- 
loosa College, of Iowa. In this way he fitted him¬ 
self very thoroughly for the work he had before 
him, as a minister of the Gospel and a seivan t 

‘'’deling himself to be fairly well equipped now 
for his life work he entered the ministry m 189A 
His first charge was the Rogers Memorial Church, 


of Knoxville, Tenn. For six years Rev. Bell served 
his home congregation, endearing himself to them 
by his kind ministrations to their many needs and 
his ready help in time of great trouble. Rev. Bell 
from the first decided that he could best serve by 
remaining long enough in one place to really ac¬ 
complish some good in the community. To bear 
this out, he has during his nearly twenty years of 
pastoring, served only two churches. 

After leaving Knoxville, he accepted work in 
Chattanooga, Tennessee. Here he has remained, 
pastoring the First Baptist Church. Rev. Bell is 
well beloved by all of his congregation. He has 
won the interest and co-operation of the children, 
young men, and women as well as that of the old¬ 
er members of his congregation. To do this has 
meant work on the part of the pastor. In this 
work he has shown great executive ability. He 
has reorganized his church, putting it on a work¬ 
ing basis. Rev. Bell has his own ideas about a 
church and its functions. He believes that a 
church is not merely a place for Sunday meetings 
or rather he believes that this is not the purpose 
at all. He belives that a church is a center for 
thought, for culture, for activities of all kinds for 
the people. He believes that the church should 
train the young, and spur up the old in things tem¬ 
poral and intellectural as well as in things which 
are purely spiritual. 

Thus the first Baptist Church at Chattanooga is 
one of those modern churches. It is organized 
upon thoroughly business method, and it seeks to 
render the highest possible efficiency in the church 
and religious work. This church, under the direc¬ 
tion and inspiration of Rev. Bell has developed a 
mission and Educational Society. This organiza¬ 
tion is an auxiliary to the Church proper. There 
are several other organizations that are auxiliaries 
to the church. Among these are the Teachers’ 
training Class; the Christian Culture Class; the 
Dunbar Literary Society ; the Young Men’s auxi¬ 
liary; a corps of Boy Cadets. Rev Bell has taken 
pleasure and pride in adding these branches to his 
church. They have added much to the life of his 
congregation and to the community in general. Tn 
these organizations Rev. Bell has sought to pro¬ 
mote and sustain the efficiency of the church. 

One direct result of the establishing of all these 
auxiliaries to the First Baptist church, is the di¬ 
recting of the thoughts and actions of the young 
and the adult toward the good, the useful and the 
beautiful. Through them the people are kept 
bouyed up, enthusiastic, the church is freely sup¬ 
ported and the pastor encouraged. By reorganiz¬ 
ing his church Rev. B e ll has been able to use all 
the members of his congregation. In this way, 
every member is given a chance for growth and 
every member feels that he is of use to the church. 

Rev. Bell is a member of the executive board of 
the State Convention and a Trustee of the Nelson 
Mary Academy of Jefferson City, Tenn. He is 
also a Mason and a great traveler, having toured 
the whole of this country and Canada. 

Rev. Bell was married in 1901 to Miss Mary A. 
Bell, of Knoxville, Tennessee. 


253 









BISHOP CHARLES HENRY PHILLIPS, A. B., A. M., 
M. D, D. D., LL. D. 



ISHOP Charles Henry Phillips, 
Bishop of the 4th Episcopal Dis¬ 
trict, Colored Methodist Episco¬ 
pal Church, is easily one of the 
leading churchmen of his genera¬ 
tion. He was born in Milledge- 
ville, Ga., January 17, 1858. His 
parents the Rev. and Mrs. George 
Washington Phillips, were devout Christians. 

As a boy young Phillips worked on his father’s 
farm and attended the common schools. Convert¬ 
ed at the age of sixteen, four years later he was li¬ 
censed to preach by Rev. R. T. White, D. D., one 
of the leaders of Georgia Methodism. 


Seeking a higher education he attended first At¬ 
lanta University, Atlanta, Ga., and in 1880 graduat¬ 
ed from Walden University, Nashville, Tenn., with 
the degree of A. B., and “Cum Laude.” Bishop I. 
B. Scott of the M. E. Church and the late Dr. Rob¬ 
ert Fulton Boyd were classmates, and both declare 
Bishop Phillips to be an expert Linguist, especially 
in Hebrew, Latin and Greek. Studying Theology 
at Walden he also graduated from Meharry Med¬ 
ical Colloge, with the M. D. degree, in 1882. Since 
his graduation he is universally recognized a bril¬ 
liant scholar. Wiley University, of Marshall, Texas, 
and Philander Smith College, of Little Rock, Ark., 
conferred on him D. D.; Walden University, M. 
A., and Wilberforce University of Ohio, LL. D. 


ferred D. D.; Walden University, M. A., and Wil¬ 
berforce University, of Ohio, LL. D. 

Bishop Phillips taught school a few years and 
served as President of Lane College, of Jackson, 
Tenn. From the latter position he was called to 
the pastorate. He served a “circuit,” a “station” 
and as Presiding Elder. His rise was rapid, for 
soon the young minister was pastor in charge of 
Collins Chapel, of Memphis, Tenn., one of the larg¬ 
est and most aristocratic congregations in the 
South. From here he was sent to Israel Metropol¬ 
itan C. M. E. Church, of Washington, D. C., where 
for four years he was one of the leading and most 
popular ministers of the Nation’s capital. He was 
in constant demand, both as speaker and preacher, 
and the daily press often reported his sermons and 
addresses. The citizens of Washington, in 1890, 
regardless of color and denomination, sent him a 
delegate to the First World’s Sunday School Con¬ 
vention, which convened in London, England. 

At the farewell reception given him by Israel 
and citizens when transferred to Kentucky, the 
Hon. Frederick Douglass, John Mercer Langston, 
the Rev. J. C. Price and other notables were on the 
program. It was pronounced one of the most 
brilliant affairs of its kind ever given. From 
Washington he was sent to old historic Center 
Street C. M. E. Church, of Louisville, Ky., and 
serving out his time there, he was made presiding 
elder of the Mt. Sterling District. He visited Eu¬ 
rope a second time in 1901, when his church sent 
him a delegate to the Third Ecumenical Confer¬ 
ence. While abroad Bishop Phillips traveled and 
lectured in England, Scotland, France, Belgium, 
and other countries. He was elected editor of 
the Christian Index in 1894, after coming within 
three votes of the Bishopric. 

In 1902, after serving The Index two terms he 
was elevated to the high office of Bishop, with the 
largest majority ever given a Negro for that office. 
At the Toronto Ecumenical Conference in 1911 
Bishop Phillips served as assistant-secretary, the 
first time a Negro ever filled so distinguished a 
position. He has attended every General Confer¬ 
ence since 1886 as a delegate ; is at present an offi¬ 
cial member of the Federal Council of Churches, 
the Ecumenical Methodist Conference, the Church 
Council and various other inter-racial organiza¬ 
tions, and was recently appointed by the United 
State Government, one of its spokesmen. He is 
called the scholar of the bench of bishops and pio¬ 
neer bishop of the church, having established the 
C. M. E. Church in Western, Texas, Arizona, New 
Mexico, California and sections of Ohio and In. 
diana. He is author of the History of the C. M. E. 
Church and a writer of great force and power. 

Bishop Phillips married Miss Lucy Ellis Tappan 
in 1880, who was a graduate of Fisk University. 

She died in Nashville, Term., in 1913, survived 
by five children: Dr. Chas. Phillips, Jr., Dr. Jas¬ 
per Tappan Phillips ; Miss Lady Emma ; Mrs. Lucy 
Phillips-Stewart, and Mrs. Lottie Phillips-James. 

Bishop Phillips was married a second time in 
1918, to Miss Ella Cheeks, of Cleveland, Ohio. She 
is a very charming woman, and one of culture. She 
graduated from Hampton Institute and did post 
graduate work in Columbia Lhffversity and Cheney 
Institute. Bishop and Mrs. Phillips reside at 
“Sunshine,” their Nashville home. 


254 










O. W. JAMES, M. D. 

HEN the people of Chattanooga 
want a man to head a list of don¬ 
ors to a good cause, someone 
whose name will inspire friends 
for the cause, they very frequent¬ 
ly seek out the office of Dr. O. W. 
Janies. This is particularly the case if the cause 
for which they are working is that of education. 
Dr. James very seldom turns a deaf ear to appeals 
of help for schools. This he does because he likes 
to and because of what the schools have done for 
him For in point of education, Dr. James is 
not very unlike a great many persons whose strug¬ 
gle for book-learning is recorded in these pages. 
The great majority had to work with the hands in 
order that they might have the oportunity to 
study. 

Dr. James was born in Missouri, Warren County, 
in 1868. Because he was born in 1868, he had the 
privilege of studying and becoming a great man in 
any profession he might choose. But because he 
was born in 1868, he had to work his way, for very 
few Negroes had gotten together means enough to 
educate their children at that early date. But m 
so many of our colored families the lack of means 
was made up by the great desire to study, and the 


willingness to do any kind of work in order to sat¬ 
isfy that desire. So we find Dr. James as a lad at¬ 
tending the public schools of his home town, study¬ 
ing, applying himself, and getting more ambitious 
each day to become a man of culture, helpfulness, 
and wealth. 

When he had gotten all from the public schools 
that he could, he made up his mind to attend col¬ 
lege. He had heard of Tougaloo University, an 
A. M. A. school about seven miles out of Jackson, 
Mississippi, and made up his mind to enter there. 
And so he matriculated at Tougaloo and remained 
there to finish his literary training. On leaving 
Tougaloo he entered Meharry Medical College, at 
Nashville, Tennessee, and remained to complete 
his course. He was graduated with the degree of 
M. D., in 1890. 

After graduating and giving thought to the 
question of a location, Chattanooga became the 
City of his choice, and he moved there the year he 
graduated. He has never regretted his choice, for 
he has built up a good practice, and has become 
very much attached to its citizens. In fact, so well 
pleased is he with Chattanooga, that during his 
long period of residence in that city he has never 
been tempted to make a change. He feels that he 
is located there for life, and is giving his best ser¬ 
vice to this city in which he has made his home. 

All over the city of Chattanooga ,Dr. James is 
well known, both as a physician and as a man. All 
Chattanooga knows and speaks of the James 
Building. This is a three-story double brick build¬ 
ing which stands near the heart of the city. In 
this building is one of the big drug stores of the 
city, spacious ice cream parlors, carrying a most 
elaborate bill of sodas, creams and ices. It is the 
center of the colored population of the city and 
headquarters of most of the colored physicians. It 
is also a sort of bureau of information and sponsor 
for all things pertaining to the Chattanooga Negro. 
Seeking for a colored man’s residence or his stand¬ 
ing in the community, you are instructed to “ask 
at the James Building, they can tell you if anbody 
can.” 

This building stands as a monument to the man 
who began life almost penniless and in this short 
time has acquired so choice a bit of property. The 
building is used for offices and stores. In addition 
to this Dr. James owns his own home and six 
rent houses, which net him a good monthly income. 

The home of Dr. James is without a mother, 
Mrs. James having passed away in June of 1916. 
Mrs. James was a native of Chattanooga, and was 
beloved by the many friends of the good Doctor, 
There is one child, a little four-year-old daughter, 
Charlotte. She is a bit of sunshine in the home. 

Dr. Janies is considered the leading colored phy¬ 
sician of Chattanooga, and numbers many of the 
best people among his patrons. 

255 







BISHOP EVANS TYREE, D. D„ M. D., LL. D. 



ISHOP Evans Tyree of the A. M. 
E. Church is one of those church 
fathers, who spends all of their 
days about the altar and wax old 
slowly in the service for men and 
for their Maker. Putting aside 
the finer distinction of denominatons and proceed¬ 
ing rather upon the basis of men, Bishop Tyree be¬ 
longs in that galaxy of giants with the late Bishop 
Grant, Turner, and Gaines, with the fine veteran, 
—still active—Bishop Holsey. 

Bishop Tyree, the twenty-sixth bishop of the A. 
M. E. Church, the son of Harry and Winifree Tyree 


—both African Methodists, was born a slave, in 
DeKalb County Tennessee, in 1854. He was one 
of the twelve children. He began attending school 
in 1876, and received about ten years schooling in 
all, attending principally Central Tennessee Col¬ 
lege, Walden University, and graduated from the 
theological department without a degree. He re¬ 
ceived D. D. degree from Livingston; M. D. from 
Louisville Medical School; LL. D. from Paul 
Quinn, and also from Wilberforce. Most of his 
educational struggle was outside of school, by pri¬ 
vate instructors. He was converted in 1866, at 


t 

Carthage, and joined the Methodist Episcopal 
Church the same year, as there was no A. M. E. 
Church then. He was always active in the church, 
and has held almost every office in the body. He 
was licensed to preach in 1869, at Hartselle, Tenn., 
by Rev. Jordon W. Earley. 

In 1872, he began his career as minister start¬ 
ing in the Alexandria Mission, Dekalb County, the 
place of his birth. For 28 years he followed the 
humble career of minister; filling posts, raising 
collections, moving from place to place, organizing 
Sunday Schools, Conventions, and other bodies 
necessary for the uplift of the people . 

In May 1900 came his promotion. While at Col¬ 
umbus, Ohio, he was consecrated bishop. Once 
more, however, he began to go from place to place. 
On election to the bishopric he was assigned to the 
8th Episcopal District, comprised jof Mississippi 
and Arkansas. 

Four years later he was transferred to the Dis¬ 
trict covered by Texas and Oklahoma; over which 
section he remained until 1912. 

January 1912 Bishop Gaines having died, Bishop 
Tyree was called to fill out his unexpired term in 
the East and immediately was given charge of the 
First Episcopal District which covers one half of 
Pennsylvania, all of Delaware, New Jersey, New 
York and the New England States. 

This he held until the General Conference, which 
met at Kansas City, Mo., May, 1912, when he was 
given permanent charge of the First Episcopal Dis¬ 
trict and remained in that district until the General 
Conference of 1916, when he was returned to the 
First District for a second full term. 

Bishop Tyree holds membership of a fraternal 
nature and of honor in several bodies. He is a mem¬ 
ber of the Masons and of the Knights of Pythias 
in the fraternal bodies. He is a member of the 
Board of Trustees of Wilberforce University, Ohio; 
chairman of the Executive Board of Payne Theo¬ 
logical Seminary, of the same University, a member 
of the Board of Directors of the One Cent Savings 
Bank and of the People’s Saving Bank and Trust 
Co. of Nashville, Tenn. 

Bishop Tyree makes his home in Nashville, Tenn. 
Here he owns his home, a two and one-half story 
brick structure on North Hill St. 

He was married to Miss Ellen Thompkins in 
Smith County, Tenn., in 1871. Seven children were 
born of this union. Of these two are deceased, 
namely: Mattie and Wayman Tyree. Misses Eu¬ 
genia and Carrie are married, Miss Alberta is em¬ 
ployed by the Sunday School Union of the African 
Methodist Church; Evans, Jr., is a printer in Chi¬ 
cago, and Herman is a minister in Texas; all show¬ 
ing their splendid home training. 


256 








JAMES WELDON JOHNSON, A. B., A. M., LITT. D. 



AMES Weldon Johnson, writer and 
poet, was born in Jacksonville, 
Florida, where he attended the 
Public Schools. In 1894 he grad¬ 
uated from Atlanta University, 
with the degree of A. B., and he 
received the degree of A. M. from 
the same University in 1904. Mr. 
Johnson also spent three years in post graduate 
work at Columbia University, in the City of New 
York. In 1917, the honorary degree of Lift. D., 
was conferred upon him by the Talladega College, 
Talladega, Alabama. . . 

For several years, Mr. Johnson was princi¬ 
pal of the Colored high school at Jacksonville. He 
was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1897, and pi ac- 
ticed law in Jacksonville until 1901, when he i e- 
moved to New York to collaborate with his Mo¬ 
ther, J. Rosamond Johnson, in writing for the light 


opera stage. 

In 1906, he was appointed United States Consul 
at Peurto Cabello, Venezuela, being transferred as 
Consul to Corinto, Nicaragua, in 1909, and to the 
Azores in 1912. While in Corinto, he looked after 
the interests of his country during the stormy days 
of revolution which resulted in the downfall of 
Zelaya, and through the abortive revolution against 
Diaz. 

His knowledge of Spanish has been put to use 
in the translation of a number of Spanish plays, e 
was the translator for the English libretto of Coy- 


257 


escas,” the Spanish grand opera produced by the 
Metropolitan Opera Company in 1915. Mr. Johnson 
also has several French translations to his credit. 

Mr. Johnson is well known throughout the coun¬ 
try as the Contributing Editor of the New York 
Age. He added to his distinction as a newspaper 
writer by winning in an editorial contest, one of 
three prizes offered by the Philadelphia Public 
Ledger, in 1916. 

During the fall of 1916 Mr. Johnson went on a 
six weeks mission throughout the South, when he 
interviewed the editors of the leading white news¬ 
papers and talked with them regarding the atti¬ 
tude they should take on the exodus of Negro la¬ 
bor, which was then reaching its height, and upon 
the whole Negro question. 

Mr. Johnson contributes to various magazines 
and periodicals. His poems have appeared in the 
Century, the Independent, the Crisis and other pub¬ 
lications. He is the author of a novel, “The Auto¬ 
biography ‘of an Ex-Colored Man,” and a volume 
of poems, “Fifty Years and Other Poems.” He is 
a member of the American Society of Authors and 
Composers, the American Sociological Society, and 
of the Civic Club of New York, and is the Field Se¬ 
cretary of the National Association for the Ad¬ 
vancement of Colored People. 

It is as a writer that Mr. Johnson is best known. 
His novel, “The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored 
Man” aroused considerable comment, and his re¬ 
cent volume of poems, “Fifty Years and Other 
Poems” has been favorably reviewed by a num¬ 
ber of the best critics of the country Professor 
Branden Matthews, of Columbia University, in his 
introduction which he wrote for the book, says of 
Mr. Johnson and his work, “But where he shows 
himself a pioneer is in the half-dozen larger and 
holder poems, of a loftier strain, in which he has 
been nobly successful in expressing amply the 
higher aspirations of his own people. It is in ut¬ 
tering this cry for recognition, for sympathy, for 
understanding, and, above all, for justice, that Mr. 
Johnson is most original and most powerful.” 

Mr. Elias Lieberman, in the American Hebrew, 
says of him, “James Weldon Johnson is not only 
versatile but more than that—sincere. He has con¬ 
tinued to do for the Negro race what Paul Law¬ 
rence Dunbar began so inimitably. He has thrown 
the illuminating light of interpretation upon lives 
which for so many of us are puzzles.” 

The following was taken from a tribute to him 
in the Boston Evening Transcript: 

“And in other verses that strike a universal note 
there is more often both felicity of conception and 
expression. Particular reference should be made 
to Mr. Johnson’s poem, “The Young Warrior,” 
which, set to music by Mr. Harry T. Burleigh, has 
been sung throughout Italy as a martial song in¬ 
spiring the Italian soldier on his way to the front. 
The pieces in Negro dialect are characteristic of 
work of this kind and Mr .Johnson’s possesses the 
usual intensity of pathos and the usual humorous 
abandon. One notes particularly, however, in the 
dialect verses in this volume, the absence of 
coarseness, of crudity, in the humor which has 
more or less pervaded the racial writers of dialect 
since Dunbar. Mr. Johnson, if he has done noth¬ 
ing else to enhance the value of this kind of speech 
in verse, has given it a quality of i efmement. 













PHILLIP A. PAYTON 

HE late Phillip A. Payton, of New 
York City, was without doubt the 
greatest Negro real estate dealer 
that ever lived. Measured by the 
competition he met, by the con¬ 
tracts he executed and consider¬ 
ing the city in which he operated, going right into 
the lair of the tiger, he has up to this time not even 
a second. 

Mr. Payton was born in Westfield, Massachu¬ 
setts, February 27th, 1876. Finishing the public 
and high schools of his native town, he went down 
to Livingston College, Salisbury, North Carolina, 
for his college course. Completing his college 
course, Mr. Payton went to New York and began 
a career of want and penury which none but a 
stout heart like his could endure. Others would 
have succumbed to the easy living in the hotel or 
Pullman Service. Going to New York in 1899, he 
found a job as penny-in-the-slot-man, at the wage 
of six dollars per week—scarcely board money. On 
losing this post, he took up barbering, a trade he 
had learned from his father. Again his earnings 
amounted to five or six dollars a week. In 1900 he 
secured a job as porter in a real estate office. His 


wages here were eight dollars a week, but his time 
proved an investment, for here he conceived the 
idea of going into the real estate business for him¬ 
self. 

Opening his real estate business with a partner 
he soon found that his former job had been a lux¬ 
ury. The business began in October, 1900. By 
spring the partner had grown weary and quit. A 
little later, Mr. Payton was himself dispossessed 
because he could not pay his rent. In all these 
seven months the gross receipts had amounted to 
one hundred and twenty dollars. 

Ousted in one place he opened another office. In 
a few months he was again put out for his inabil¬ 
ity to pay his rent. Three times he suffered this 
fate. Then a grim sort of fortune held out her 
hand. A murder had been committed in a certain 
tenement. Nobody would live there. Mr. Payton 
agreed to take charge of the house. He soon filled 
it with tenants. This gained the respect and grat¬ 
itude of the owner, who gave him more houses to 
rent. 

Mr. Payton, feeling that the colored people 
should be better housed, set about getting them 
more decent homes in Harlem. 

The “Outlook” of December 14, 1914 says of him, 
“It was Payton’s theory that equal housing condi¬ 
tions for colored people as for white would make 
for healthier and more self-respecting Negro Cit¬ 
izens.” 

Working day and night at this idea he moved to 
Harlem, which he opened up for the colored people. 
He became known as the “Father of Harlem” be¬ 
cause he was the pioneer in securing for the color¬ 
ed people the best houses in this district. 

His last and greatest effort in this direction was 
the securing of six elevator houses in 141st and 
142nd Street, which were valued at more than 
$1,500,000.00 and which are now known as the Pay- 
ton Apartments Corporation. These houses are 
among the most modern and up-to-date to be 
found anywhere, and are the largest group of ele¬ 
vator houses owned by Negroes in the United 
States. 

Mr. Payton’s fearless aggressiveness and thor¬ 
ough knowledge of his business earned him the re¬ 
spect of the greatest real estate dealers of the 
country. Ninety-nine per cent of his clients were 
white, and he necesarily had to be well grounded 
in his business to retain them. 

He has a country home in Allenhurst, New Jer¬ 
sey, which is valued at $25,000.00. Of his last deal 
which secured him the 141st and 142nd Street 
houses, the Press of the city had the following to 
say: 

Evening Mail, (N. Y. : “The most notable 
transaction in which Negroes have ever figured in 
this City.” 

New York Sun: “Reflects progress of Negro 
Race in this city. Largest deal associated with 
housing of colored families that has ever been con¬ 
summated in this city.” 



258 

















HENRY PARKER 


JOHN E. NAIL 


HE time was when good self-re¬ 
specting, well-to-do colored peo¬ 
ple could not find a decent home 
in which to dwell and rear their 
children. For the last quarter of 
a century New York has been un¬ 
dergoing a very wholesome change in Negro hous¬ 
ing. This change has asserted itself for the most 
part in Harlem, and happy to relate has been 
brought about by the enterprising colored men 
themselves. Philip A. Payton, Jr., was the pioneer 
in this field. Following close upon his trail, and in¬ 
deed associated with him for a time were the two 
real estate dealers, Nail and Parker. 

The firm of John E. Nail and Henry Parker op¬ 
ened its doors for business December 10th, 1907. 
They began in a one-room apartment on West 
133rcl Street. Harlem then had a Negro population 
of about fifteen thousand people. These inhabi¬ 
tants dwelt for the most part between 133th and 
135th Streets. In 1900 the white population began 
to move out of Harlem. The property owners were 
on the verge of realizing a panic. But the colored 
people, led by their business men, saved the dealers 
and at the same time gained the option on good 
comfortable homes. Nail and Parker were among 
the few astute dealers to see the opportunity for 
housing respectable colored people, d hey combined 
as a firm and from that move won their place in 
the real estate world. Today, thanks to their en¬ 
terprise ,the Negro population of Harlem numbers 
more than 100,000 people. These inhabitants have 


spread themselves in two directions. From 133rd 
Street they have pushed their way all the way up 
to 144th Street, and back to 131st Street, all of this 
turned on one heroic move, the opening of one or 
two houses on West 134th Street. 

The effecting of this wholesale change was a ser¬ 
vice indeed, but it wholly pales before the other im¬ 
petus which it gave the colored people. Though 
they were realizing fair and satisfactory returns as 
renters, Nail and Parker began to inspire by their 
dealings the desire to buy. Thus began the Negro 
home owner in Harlem. Before the change in 1900 
the colored householder was very rare in New York 
perhaps a half million dollars would cover all their 
holdings. It would take twenty millions to cover 
it today. 

Among the big realty owners in this section is 
the St. Philip P. E. Church. This church controlled 
about $1,500,000 worth of realty, which property 
is controlled wholly by Negroes. In 1911 Nail and 
Parker made an exchange of properties with this 
church. This involved the sum of $1,700,000. The 
firm then moved into its present spacious office 
apartments on 135th Street, where they have ever 
since been established, and where their business 
has steadily developed. They manage more than 
fifty buildings and do a monthly business amount¬ 
ing to One Hundred Thousand Dollars. They han¬ 
dle property and serve in advisory capacity for 
some of the largest mortgage institutions in New 
York, and are prime movers in all civic and up¬ 
lift work of the city. 



259 



















Photo By C. M. Battey 


WILLIAM EDWARD BURGHARDT DUBOIS, A. B„ A. M., PH. D 




William Edward Burghardt Dubois, A. B., A. M., Ph. D. 


O history of the Negro race is 
complete without a sketch of the 
life of William Edward Burghardt 
Dubois. His place in the litera¬ 
ture of the race is a most promi¬ 
nent one. 1 he book that won for 
the first he published, “The Soul of 
Of this book Professor Brawley, 
who is a writer of no mean note himself, says: 

The remarkable style of this book has made it un¬ 
questionably the most important work in Classic 
English yet written by a Negro. It is marked by 
all the arts of Rhetoric, especially by liquid and al¬ 
literative effects, strong anthithesis, frequent allu¬ 
sion, and poetic suggestiveness.” Had Dr. Dubois 
done nothing more than produce this master piece 
of English he would have a place in any history of 
the Race.” 

W. E. B. Dubois was born February 23, 1868, at 
Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Here, where 
most of his associates were of the white race, the 
young lad was slow in realizing that he was not 
one of them. When this realization came he says 
that he always felt himself “the superior, not the 
inferior, and any advantages which they had were 
quite accidental.” At the age of sixteen years he 
graduated from the school in his home town and 
upon the advice of friends turned his face South¬ 
ward. Here he entered Fisk University, and for 
the first time came to know his own people. 

From Fisk University he received the degree of 
Bachelor of Arts, in 1888, the same degree from 
Harvard in 1890, and the degree of Master of Arts 
from Harvard in 1891. Thoroughly a student and 
not satisfied with his attainments, Mr. Dubois next 
spent a season of study in Berlin. From Harvard he 
received the degree of Doctor of Philsophy in 1895. 

Dr. Dubois taught for a short time in Wilber- 
force University, and also for a time as assistant 
and fellow in Sociology at the University of Penn¬ 
sylvania. One direct result of the work in Penn¬ 
sylvania was his study “ I he Philadelphia Negro, 
which he produced in 1899. His next work was in 
Atlanta, Georgia. While in Atlanta, Dr. Dubois 
was Professor of History and Economics at Atlan¬ 
ta University. Of this work during this period Di. 
Dubois says: 

“My real life work was done in Atlanta,” for 
thirteen years, from my twenty-ninth to my forty- 
second birthday. They were years of great spiiit- 
ual upturning, of the making and unmaking of 
ideals, of hard work and hard play. Here T found 
myself. I lost most of my mannerisms. I be¬ 
came more broadly human, made my closest and 


most holy friendships, and studied human beings. 

I became widely acquainted with the real con¬ 
dition of my people. I realized the terrific odds 
which faced them. From captious criticisms I 
changed to cold science; then to hot, indignant 
defense. 

At last, forbear and waver as I would I faced the 
great Decision. Against all my natural reticence 
and hatred of forwardness, contrary to my dream 
of racial unity and my deep desire to serve and fol¬ 
low and think, rather than to lead and inspire and 
decide, I found myself suddenly the leader of a 
great wing of my people, fighting against another 
and greater wing. I hated the role. For the first 
time I faced criticism and cared. Every ideal and 
habit of my life was cruelly misjudged. I, who 
had always over-striven to give credit for good 
work, who had never consciously stooped to envy, 
was accused by honest colored people of every sort 
of small and petty jealousy; and white people said 
I was ashamed of my race and wanted to be white ! 
I realized the real tragedy of life. We simply had 
doggedly to insist, explain, fight and fight again, 
until, at last, slowly, grudgingly, we saw the world 
turn slightly to listen. My Age of Miracles re¬ 
turned again. 

My cause grew, and with it I was pushed into a 
larger field. I was invited to come to New York 
and take charge of one part of a new organization. 
I came in 1910. It was an experiment. My salary 
even for a year was not assured, and I gave up a 
life position. I insisted on starting The Crisis as 
the main part of my work, and this, after hesita¬ 
tion was approved. In this position Dr. Dubois 
has been able to make many investigations, many 
of them for the United States Government. He 
still has this work. 

Dr. Dubois is recognized as one of the great So¬ 
ciologists of the day. His articles on this subject 
have been published in the leading magazines of 
the country. He more than any one else has given 
to the world accurate knowledge concerning con¬ 
ditions surounding the Negro. He is also one of 
the great Negro writers. His books, “John Brown,” 
“The Quest of the Silver Fleece,” and “Soul of 
Black Folk” give him a place of prominence among 
the writers of today. 

Dr. Dubois was married in 1896. From the un¬ 
ion two children were born. The oldest passed 
away at an early age. The writing “The passing 
of the First-Born” shows plainly the soul of the 
parents over this. The other child is a beautiful 
young daughter, Miss Yoland Dubois. The Dubois 
family are at present residing in New York, where 
Dr. Dubois makes his headquarters. 

Dr. Dubois is a clear thinker, a matchless writer 
and a fearless advocate for Negro rights. 



261 









MADAM C. J. WALKER 









Madam C. J. Walker, 


OREMOST among the few wom¬ 
en who have membership in the 
National Negro Business Men’s 
League is Madam Walker. This 
is the place for her by dint of her 
achievements. The work that she 
has done in building up a business, the manner in 
which she has made use of the deep insight that 
she had in the minds of her fellows, the way in 
which she has handled the business once it was 
started, and the use to which she has put her 
funds, all claim for her, a place among the noted 
business characters of the Negro Race. 

A few years ago she was poor and unknown, 
save to her neighbors, and those for whom she 
toiled, and because of her close application to her 
work, which her necessities required, she had but 
little time and opportunity to cultivate these and 
consequently had but few friends. Because of this 
the wonderful change that has taken place in her 
life and surroundings within twelve years is in¬ 
deed most remarkable. From obscurity she has 
jumped into great prominence, and we find the 
large newspapers of the country devoting space to 
her accomplishments. 

Madam Walker is one of the few persons who 
having a vision made use of it. The vision came 
to her thrice repeated and left no doubt upon her 
mind that she had been commissioned to confer a 



benefit upon her race. She realized that men and 
women, as a rule, were concerned about theii pet- 
sonal appearance and that one of the objects of 
special care was the head, both in preserving and 
beautifying the hair. She felt sure that sooner or 
later all men and women who were interest¬ 
ed in their personal appearance would come to her 
or to some one else for help for their dry scalps, 
and she had not a doubt that the remedy she 
would place upon the market would win its way 
to popular favor because of its great merit. 

The remarkable thing about Madam Walker was 
that she persisted in trying to establish a business 
and a large lucrative one. She thought in terms of 
thousands of boxes of her preparations and to go 
to the Indianapolis Factory and see those thous¬ 
ands of boxes being loaded daily into her pnvate 
mail truck or to go into her office and see four 
or five office girls— each opening letters from the 
same mail, and see the large baskets being pdec 
high with postal money orders, makes one feel 
that she has created that for which she has striven. 

To some there might be the tendency to oox 

down upon a business based who y 

, r i • ic hut as Tohn D. Rockefeller 

sale of hair goods, but as j«mii 

gained his fortune by the sale of oil, Madam Wal¬ 


ker has a right to gain her fortune by the sale of 
(a hair) oil. When we think of Mr. Rockefeller, 
we do not get a mental picture of him as a man 
with a kerosene can in one hand and a jar of petro¬ 
leum in the other. Thus it is when we think of 
Madam Walker, we do not get a picture of her 
with a box of her “grower” in one hand and a 
“Pressing comb” in the other. In both cases we 
think of their individual fortune, their philanthropy 
and their ingenuity as Business Magnates. 

How many a poor mortal has spent his whole life 
in the vain hopes of the acquisition of a fortune, 
and after having arrived at the desired end lost it 
hi one mad play. How different with Madam Wal¬ 
ker. In a space of fourteen years, she by her dex¬ 
terity and business foresight, has acquired a for¬ 
tune and serves as an inspiration for others to feel 
that truly, “All service ranks the same with God.” 
A few years ago she was poor and unknown, save 
to her neighbors and those for whom she toiled. 
Yet, on September 2, 1917, The New Y r ork Times 
Magazine gave her space with cuts of the exterior 
and interior of her beautiful New Y 7 ork home. She 
is easily the wealthiest Negro woman in the coun¬ 
try. 

Although the formula for the “grower” came, as 
she tells it, to her in a dream, her fortune has not 
been acquired by any chance, nor did she have any 
inherited wealth, with which to start in business , 

Her only asset was her unbounding faith in her 
formula, that it would do what she claimed for it, 
and her determination to make the public regard 
it in the same light. 

She began in a small way, the wash tub furnish¬ 
ing the means to commence her enterprise. 

She has labored, thought, and carried out her 
plans with such business tact that today she gives 
employment to a thousand Negro women and to a 
lawyer, who finds all his time taken with her af- 
iairs. 

As has been said, Madam Walker began with no 
inherited wealth' for her capital. Her birth and 
early life, were amid the most humble surround¬ 
ings. She was born in Delta, Louisiana. Her par¬ 
ents, Owen and Minerva Breedlove, were honest 
farmers. At the age of seven, Madam Walker 
found herself an orphan. She was then taken to 
Vicksburg, Mississippi, to live wih her sister, and 
a none-too-kind Brother-in-law. Her life was so 
miserable that at the age of fourteen she married 
in order to get a more comfortable home. The 
marriage proved a happy one and though the home 
was humble it was brightened by love and the mer¬ 
ry laughter of their only child, Leila. 1 he family 











RESIDENCE OF MADAM C. J. WALKER—IR VINGTON, ON HUDSON, N. Y.—(FRONT VIEW) 


circle was broken by the death of the husband, 
leaving Madam Walker a widow at the age of 
twenty. She moved from Vicksburg to St. Louis, 
Missouri, where she lived for eighteen years. Here 
she reared and educated her daughter and succeed¬ 
ed in sending her to Fisk University. In order to 
do this Madam Walker endured many harships and 
much toil. 

In 1905 came the turning point in her life ; she 
discovered a remedy for growing hair. After hav¬ 
ing tried it successfully on herself and family, she 
decided to make a business of it. Thus July 19, 
1905, she left St. Louis, Missouri, for Denver, Col¬ 
orado, to enter upon her business. She was called 
upon to face many obstacles and much discourage¬ 
ment, but these she over came, and like a shrewd 
business clerk, she succeeded in convincing the 
people that she was offering them just what they 
wanted. After they had bought once they contin¬ 
ued to buy. This grew into a fair business in Den¬ 
ver in the space of a year. 

While the people in Denver were convinced the 
outside public was prone to be a little skeptical re¬ 
garding this new wonder. Here again her clear, 
calm mind responded to the situation. She started 
to travel in the interest fo her work. Many of 
her friends told her that she would not make fare 


from one town to the other. But this very strong 
willed woman saw only success ahead of her, and 
she went out to claim it. She started out on this 
mission September 15, 1906. For a year and a 
half she traveled and at the end of that time the 
mail order business had become so large that she 
had to settle somewhere temporarily. Pittsburg, 
Pennsylvania was selected and she established her 
business there and left it in charge of her daughter 
and again started out to travel. Her travels led 
her all over the Lhiited States, Cuba, Panama, and 
the West Indies. This gave her an Excellent op¬ 
portunity to decide on a permanent place for a fac¬ 
tory. It so happened that Indianapolis, Indiana, 
through its cordial welcome impressed her as a 
most favorable place for home and factory. Here 
she has since purchased and paid for a beautiful 
home, valued at ten thousand dollars, adjoining 
which is a factory, and laboratory, said to be the 
most complete of its kind in the United States. 

For a number of years, Madam Walker lived 
here, managing the home and the factory. 
Throughout the city were many agents and where- 
ever she traveled there were other agents. In fact, 
Madam Walker had to employ a lawyer, now her 
business combined with her investments and real 
estate demands the entire attention of her lawyer, 


264 











RESIDENCE OF MADAM C. J. WALKER—IRVINGTON ON HUDSON, N. Y.—(REAR VIEW) 


Mr. F. B. Ransom. The business is incorporated 
with a capital stock of $10,000, with an income of 
$1000.00 per week. 

Since coming to Indianapolis she is regarded as 
one of the most active in its commercial life and 
her business methods are unquestionable. But that 
which has endeared her even more to the people 
is her philanthropy. Her donations to Charity are 
many and varied and one perhaps better depicts the 
real soul of this woman from her annual donations 
of fifty Christmas baskets to poor families of In¬ 
dianapolis. Many of these people Madam Walker 
has never seen and even though she no long'er hves 
in the city, she has arranged that this annual affair 
be continued. 

Aside from the annual donations to the Old 
Folk’s Home and Orphans’ Home in Indianapolis, 
St. Louis, and other cities, Madam Walker donates 
largely to temperance cause and gives fifty dollars 
annually for the current expenses of the ^ . M. C. 
A. and Y. W. C. A., as well as contributes one hun¬ 
dred dollars a year to the International Y. M. k. 
A. Much has been said of Madam Walker being 
the first to donate $1000.00 to the Y. M. C. A. when 
she made this contribution to the Colored Bi anch 
of Indianapolis, but the true greatness of her gift 


was the Christian spirit which prompted her and 
the inspiration that it gave to others of her race to 
do likewise. 

Madam Walker’s philanthrophy is not restricted 
to Home, but extends even to Africa. She has es¬ 
tablished an industrial school in Africa and she has 
set aside a certain percentage of her annual in¬ 
come for its upkeep. She also maintains many 
scholarships at Tuskegee and other institutions. 

In her travels, Madam Walker meets many who 
afterwards seek her aid and after she has carefully 
investigated their condition she lends them a help¬ 
ing hand in one way or another. Surely an un¬ 
biased historian will record her as a shrewd busi¬ 
ness manager, a broad philanthropist and a devoted 
Christian worker. 

iriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiimiimiiiimimiiiiiiiiiimim 

Since writing this sketch, Madam 
1 Walker has passed to the “Great be- 

f yond.” She died Sunday morning, May | 

25th, 1919, leaving an estate valued at | 
1 $1,000,000.00. The estimated value of | 

her real estate was about $800,000.00 
and the other was in personal property, | 
1 stocks, bonds, etc. | 

n 11111 III i III 111111111111111111II11111N11111111 i 1111 n 11M1111111111II i n 1111111 m I.I.I ill 111 u IIII n 11 111 111111MI m i m 1111111M111111111111111 iT 


















GEORGE HENRY SIMS, D. D. 

R. George Henry Sims, D. D., was 
born in a double log cabin in Cum- 
land County, Virginia, April 8th, 
1871. His parents had been slaves. 
Set free, they moved into Cum¬ 
berland County, and reared their 
Born on the farm, the future 
pastor of popular Union Baptist Church of New 
York, spent his early days with the mule and the 
plow and the hoe. He was converted at the age of 
eleven and was baptized one year later. 

Coming into young manhood, Dr Sims left the 
farm and began to work on the railroads. Here 
he labored for seven years. On going tj New 
York he sought and obtained employment as an 
elevator runner. Eager to push ahead, however, 
he carried his books with him and studied during 
his spare moments in the day and at night. ! le had 
from his experience on the railroad become inter¬ 
ested in stationary engineering. This subject he 
now pursued, and in a little while obtained a li¬ 
cense as a mechanical engineer, a license which he 
held in the city of New York for ten years. This 
again, however, was but the stepp ng stone to a 
higher calling. He had long yearned to preach. His 


opportunity to study theology now arrived. While 
working as a stationary engineer he took studies 
in theology. 

By 1898 he felt himself ready to follow the real 
life mission he believed he was called to perform. 
On August 23rd, 1898, he was ordained at Nyack, 
New York. Here for a time he was pastor of a 
small church, but in 1898 he went to New York 
City to organize the present Union Baptist Church, 
204-06 West 63rd Street, a church in the district 
much neglected by church workers; a church, 
which, as an organization, had nailed up its doors 
for want of a congregation and for need of support 
for a pastor. 

Opening first a mission here, then the old church, 
then building a new one, Dr. Sims became famous 
as a preacher and a worker in New York, and in 
the country round about. Honors now began to 
come to him from nearly every section of the coun¬ 
try. He was made a Doctor of Divinity by Guad¬ 
alupe College of Seguin, Texas, in 1905. He was 
chosen a member of the board of trustees of V ir- 
ginia Theological Seminary, a member of the board 
of Managers of the New England Baptist Mission¬ 
ary Convention, President of the New York Color¬ 
ed Baptist State Convention, Vice-President of the 
National Baptist Convention, a member of the 
Board of Trustees of the Northern University, a 
member of the Board of Managers of the Walton 
Kindergarden, and President of the West End 
Workers Association of New York. 

To honors in service and uplift work have been 
added many appointments from the various gov¬ 
ernors of New York. The governor’s party politics 
seems to make but little difference in his case. In 
1913 he was appointed by Governor Sulzer as a 
member of the Emancipation Proclamation Com¬ 
mission ; in the fall of the same year he was ap¬ 
pointed by Governor Glynn a delegate to the Eman¬ 
cipation Proclamation Commission which convened 
at Atlantic City, New Jersey; he was also appoint¬ 
ed by Governor Glynn, as a delegate to the fifth an¬ 
nual convention of National Educational Congress, 
of Oklahoma, in 1914; and was appointed by Gov¬ 
ernor Whitman, as a delegate to attend the Negro 
National Educational Congress, which was held at 
Washington, D. C., 1916. Thus has he stood with 
the rulers of the state regardless of party or creed. 

Prominent in sacred and religious work, Dr. 
Sims does not neglect his membership and stand¬ 
ing in secret bodies. He was made a 33rd degree 
Mason in 1911. He is a member of the Independ¬ 
ent Order of St. Luke and of the Ancient Daugh¬ 
ters of the Sphinx. He has traveled extensively 
in the United States and in Canada. 

Dr. Sims has been twice married. He was first 
married to Miss Mary E. Davis, September 25th, 
1895. Their one child, Ethel, lived but two years. 
The mother died in August 1908. The second Mrs. 
Sims was Miss Louise D. Russell, to whom Dr. 
Sims was married in 1909. Five children have been 
born from this union, of whom three are living: 
Edith Thelma, aged seven; George H., Jr., aged 
five ; and Arial Louise, aged two years. 



266 








FRANK S. HARGRAVE, M. D. 


F the professions open to men, the 
two which seem to appeal to the 
colored man more than others is 
the ministry and medicine. Both 
of these look to the betterment 
of the human family. One has the 
spiritual interest of man at heart and the other 
seeks his physical well-being. Both are high call¬ 
ings and both occupy important places in the af¬ 
fairs of men. 

Dr. Hargrave is an honored member of the lat¬ 
ter profession, and has reached a high place in it. 

Dr. Hargrave was born in Lexington, North 
Carolina, and was a member of a large family, 
which made it difficult for him to secure help hi 
obtaining his education. 

In his early days lie attended the public schools 
of Lexington, North Carolina, and the State Noi- 
mal School, of Salisbury, North Carolina. 

At the age of sixteen he assumed the responsi¬ 
bility of his further education and in order to meet 
the expense of his tuition he worked in tobacco 
factories in Western North Carolina. 1 he money 
earned in this way carried him through Shaw Un¬ 
iversity, at Raleigh, North Carolina. At this fam¬ 
ous institution he took, both the Literary and Med¬ 


ical courses, winning his degrees. After complet¬ 
ing his work at the University he immediately took 
up the practice of medicine. 

He first located in Winston-Salem North Carolina, 
where he remained from 1901 to 1903, but was con¬ 
vinced that he had made a mistake in the location 
selected and so decided upon a change. In 1903 
he removed from Winston-Salem to Wilson, North 
Carolina, where he has since lived. Here he has 
built up a large and lucrative practice and is held in 
high esteem by all classes. 

Very few men have greater opportunities for do¬ 
ing good than the Christian physician, and Dr. 
Hargrave is not only a Christian, but a very 
active one. He is a member and deacon of the 
First Baptist Church of Wilson, North Carolina, 
and the Superintendent of the Sunday school. With 
him the offices held in the church are not merely 
places of honor, but of work, and he is giving his 
best efforts to the cause. He is a member of the 
Executive Committee of the North Carolina Bap¬ 
tist Sunday School Convention, and is thus brought 
into close and sympathetic touch with the religious 
sentiment of the State. 

In 1912 he was elected President of the __orth 
Carolina Medical, Dental, and Pharmaceutical As¬ 
sociation. The same year he was elected a mem¬ 
ber of the Executive Board of the National Medical 
Association. 

In 1914, at Raleigh, North Carolina Dr. Hargrave 
had the honor of being elected President of the Na¬ 
tional Medical Association, an unusual honor as he 
was elected practically without opposition. This 
election gave the Doctor much pleasure and was a 
matter of commendable pride to him. Dr. Har¬ 
grave does not confine his activities to his profes¬ 
sion, and the interests of his denomination, though 
these are his first love, but ardently labors with a 
number of secret orders fostered by his people. He 
is a member of the Masonic fraternity, Knights of 
Pythias, and is the President of the Lincoln Ben¬ 
efit Society, of Wilson, North Carolina. He is ac¬ 
tively identified with all of these orders. While 
serving the public, Dr. Hargrave has not neglected 
his personal affairs and by close economy and wise 
use of his money he has accumulated cpute a nice 
property and is one of the large property owners 
of his race in the town of Wilson. He is loyal to 
the town in which he located and believes that he 
helps himself when he invests his means in pro¬ 
perty in his home city. He thus sets a worthy ex¬ 
ample to others. 

Possibly the pride of his heart, as the inspiration 
came from his heart, is the “Verona Cottage,” the 
beautiful home he erected for his wife in Eastern, 
North Carolina. Here they find great joy and 
pleasure in a sweet companionship the only dreg- 
in their cup of bliss being the absence of children. 



267 








TAMES EDWARD SHEPHERD, PH. G., D. D„ A. M. 

PRESIDENT NATIONAL TRAINING SCHOOL 
—DURHAM, N. C. 

HAT the good work being done in 
the many institutions in the South 
is not confined to the schools es¬ 
tablished right after Emancipa¬ 
tion of the Negro or soon after, 
but is shared by the younger in¬ 
stitutions, is brought out in the history of the Na¬ 
tional Training School, at Durham, North Carolina. 
This institution of learning was established in 1910. 
At that time it was known as The National Reli¬ 
gious Training School. For five years it worked 
under this name and with the Religious Training as 
its chief aim. In 1916 it was completely reorgan¬ 
ized and rechartered under the laws of North Caro¬ 
lina, as the National Training School. 

The National Training School stands for efficien¬ 
cy ; this is abundantly proven by the high scholar¬ 
ship maintained by its students in Northern and 
Southern Colleges, as well as by the work done by 
pupils who have gone out into the active affairs of 
the world. In 1918 the Institution sent out from 
its Theological Department three thoroughly pre¬ 
pared ministers; from the Academic department, 
eleven, and from the commercial, nine; Domestic 


Art, two; Domestic Science, two. 

The school is still young and is still forming its 
courses. In the near future it hopes to number 
along with the courses already mentioned the fol¬ 
lowing : 

1. A thorough teacher-Training Course, espe¬ 
cially adapted to the needs of the rural teacher. 

2. A bureau of investigation to study the social, 
moral, physical and economic conditions of the Ne¬ 
gro, so as to be able to co-operate in an intelligent 
manner with organized bodies and civic authorities 
so as to really better the condition of the Negro. 

3. Conferences along the various lines as sug¬ 
gested above. 

4. Group studies in various sections of the coun¬ 
try. 

5. Extension courses, so as to carry the idea of 
this school into every section of the country. 

One of the prime aims of the school is to lift the 
race into racial consciousness thus helping it to 
come into its own. In this way it hopes that by 
lifting and serving its own to serve and aid the 
State and the nation. One of the particular be¬ 
liefs of those in authority at the National Training 
School is that the large schools cannot reach its 
students in the close, intimate way for real con¬ 
structive work in the same manner as the smaller 
institutions. Hence one of the aims of this school 
has been to gather together a particular group of 
well-selected persons, train them and send them 
out in turn to train others. 

In order to put the school within the means of all 
the people, the. charges are very small indeed 
There is a charge of only ten dollars for board, 
room rent, lights, heat and tuition. This means 
that the school must be supported by the public. 
This is the real reason why this institution has to 
keep ever before the public its many needs. But 
the aim of the institution and the amount of good 
already being done justifies the appeal for help. 

Look at the Religious Education as Set Forth by 
the National Training School: 

1. Awakens the dormant energies of an indi¬ 
vidual and directs these aroused forces into chan¬ 
nels of usefulness and service. 

2. Causes a man to see himself as he really is; 
no man is worth while who has not seen himself, 
his powers, his possibilities. 

3. Reduces crime, stops idleness, prevents vio¬ 
lence, thus adds to the peace and prosperity of a 
community. 

4. Alleviates race prejudice. 

5. Brings about at all times a peaceful adjust¬ 
ment between capital and labor. 

6. Promotes steadfastness and reliability, be¬ 
cause it is a character builder. 

7 . Teaches absolute self-control. 


268 













8. Makes religion a practical every-day reality, 
not simply an emotional noise. 

9. W ill promote race consciousness. 

10. It is founded on the Bible. 

The National Training School has a high stan¬ 
dard for its students. Students are received from 
high schools and academies approved by the facul¬ 
ty and placed in corresponding classes without ex¬ 
amination. 1 his is done only on the presentation 
of certificates showing their rank in the school 
which they are leaving. Others are admitted to the 
school through examination. In order that the full 
stamp of the spirit of the school may be made upon 
each person leaving her doors ,there is a rule re¬ 
quiring students to spend their senior year as res¬ 
idents of the dormitory. Frequently students make 
application for special courses. To supply this de¬ 
mand, the National Training School has rulings 
and regulations that permit such persons to be¬ 
come students there. But before they are taken 
on this ground they have to satisfy a committee 
that they are fitted for the type of work that they 
are preparing to do. 

These special courses in the trade, religious, and 
academic line are open especially to persons of ma¬ 
ture years and judgement. 

One of the theories, and it is working out well, 
of this school is this : “Change the man and the 
man will change the environment.” Therefore, 
above all else the school stands for a sound Chris¬ 
tian character, a sound body, a trained mind, and 
well directed industrial training. To fully effect 
this change and to get the greatest benefit from 
the change, the National Training School uses a 
system of self-government. To this end each stu¬ 
dent is ahowed, as far as possible, to regulate his 
conduct by his or her sense of honor, justice and 
propriety. The school looks to the self-control of 
each individual student in the end. Their regu'a- 
tions are such as have been tested and proven of 
value in the development of well-rounded charac¬ 
ter, and students who think that they cannot abide 
by these regulations are advised not to seek en¬ 
trance in the school at all. In all things the student 
of the National Training School is looked upon and 
treated as a gentleman or lady. I he only thing 
that can change this attitude of the teachers’ and 
officers toward a student is the misbehavior of the 
individual himself. 

The students maintain numerous organizations, 
religious, athletic, literary, musical and social. 
Then there are numerous class and inter-class or¬ 
ganizations. All these make for the personal ac¬ 
quaintance of the teachers and pupils. The socials 
of the Y. M. C. A. and the Y. W. C. A., are espe¬ 
cially attractive to the new students and to the old 
students as well. The officers of the various stu¬ 
dent organizations can be held only by students 
who are doing their work in a satisfactory manner. 


I his applies to the athletic teams and the publish¬ 
ing board. In fact, in order to get any of the hon¬ 
or that comes from representing the school in the 
athletic world or the literary world, good work in 
the regular class room regime must be done. In 
addition to this ruling there is another which is 
equally as good. No student will he eligible to ac¬ 
tive participation in conduct and management of 
more than two such organizations during the same 
semester. Any time that a student begins to fail 
in his studies he is notified that he must give up 
some of his outside duties. 

Backing this institution and helping shape its 
courses and destinies we find some very strong 
men. On the Board of Trustees are: Mr. Howard 
J. Chidley, D. D., of Winchester, Mass., Judge Jeter 
C. Pritchard, Asheville, North Carolina; Janies' E. 
Shepard, Durham, North Carolina; General Julian 
S. Carr, Durham, North Carolina; James B. Mason, 
Durham, North Carolina; W. Y. Chapman, Newark 
New Jersey; William G. Pearson, Durham, North 
Carolina; J. Elmer Dellinger, M. D., Greensboro, 
North Carolina ; and J. Stanley Durkee, Ph. D. C., 
Mr. Gordan Parker, Winchester, Mass.; and F. J. 
West, N. Y. With these men back of him the 
president, Mr. James E. Shepard, in his character¬ 
istic fearless manner is establishing this school and 
shaping its courses. Somewhere President Shep¬ 
ard is on record as saying: “The Negro begs little 
for himself as an individual, but he does beg for his 
schools and his churches, so that the masses may 
be lifted up.” 

“The home held cannot be neglected and the 
foundations of the Government remain secure. In 
a Republic, next to the homes', the schools are the 
Nation’s bulwark and strength. They must teach 
lessons of patriotism and lessons of self-control. 
Hence they must be fostered and supported.” 

Before taking up the work in Durham, President 
Shepard spent years in active service that fully 
prepared him for the many different tasks that de¬ 
volve upon the President of an institution of learn¬ 
ing. Indeed President Shepard has had all the ex¬ 
perience necessary to make him a real guiding star 
to the National Training School. 

President James Edward Shepard was born at 
Raleigh, N. C., Nov. 3, 1875, and educated at Shaw 
University, 1883-90, and received the degree of Ph. 
G., Department of Pharmacy, same college. In 
1894 he took private course in theology, and in 
1912 he received the degree of Doctor of Divinity, 
Musgingum’s College, Ohio; and has A. M. degree 
from Selma University, (Ala.) in 1913. 

He has been honored with many positions 
of trust and honor ; Comparer of deeds, recroder’s 
office, Washington, D. C, 1898; deputy collector 
U. S. Internal Revenue, Raleigh, N. C., 1899-05; 
Field Superintendent International Sunday School 
Association (work among Negroes) 1905-09; Pres¬ 
ident National Training School for Colored Race, 
Durham, April 1910. Director Mechanics and Far¬ 
mers Bank, State Industrial Association ; President 
Interdenominational Sunday School Convention, 
(Exec. Com. 1909-14) ; Trustee Lincoln School for 
Nurses, Durham; Member North Carolina Medical 
Association ; Delegate and only Negro speaker 
World’s S. S. Convention, Rome, Italy, 1907; a 
Mason; Clubs; Civic, National Arts, Aerial League. 
He has traveled extensively in Europe, Africa and 
Asia; a lecturer. 



LAWRENCE McCROREY, D. D. 

EV. H. L. McCrorey, D. D., is one 
of those quiet presidents in the 
smaller Southern College, one 
who is doing his work quietly, 
conscientiously, effectively. He 
was born in Fairfield County, 
South Caroina, March 2nd, 1863. 
As a boy he worked on the farm 
and attended the Richardson school at Winnsboro, 
S. C. Finally, in 1886, he enrolled as a student in 
Biddle University, North Carolina. This marked 
the turning point in his career. Here was to be 
laid the scene of all his achievements, as a student, 
as a teacher, as an executive. He was graduated 
from the High School and Collegiate and Theolog¬ 
ical departments. Later he specialized in the Sem¬ 
itic languages in the University of Chicago. He was 
appointed teacher in the High School department 
of his alma mater after this special preparation. 
Having gained a reputation here as a teacher, he 
was promoted to the position of Principal. From 
here he was moved to the position of head Latin 
teacher in the Collegiate department, where he 
made a good record as a teacher of the classics. 
Lie was again promoted, this time to the chair of 
Hebrew and Greek in the department of Theology. 
This postition has in itself an interesting and help¬ 
ful phase. As is well known, in some instances, in 
the denominational schools where there are white 
teachers, colored teachers will be and are substi¬ 
tuted whenever available. Biddle, which is under 
the Presbyterian Church, has followed this policy, 


as has Morehouse in Atlanta and Jackson College 
in Jackson, Mississippi, the two latter being Bap¬ 
tist schools. Dr. McCrorey enjoys the distinction 
of succeeding the last white man who taught in 
Biddle. In 1907 he was again promoted to the pres¬ 
idency of Biddle University, succeeding the late 
Dr. Sanders. 

Dr. McCrorey has taken an active part in the 
work of uplift in the church and among the people. 
He was delegate in 1909 to the Pan-Presbyterian 
Alliance in New York City; a delegate in 1915, ap¬ 
pointed by the State, to the Southern Sociological 
Congress, which met in Houston, Texas. He is a 
member of the American Academy of Political and 
Social Science, and of a committee of the Federal 
Council of the Churches of Christ in America, and 
a member of the Social Service Commission of the 
Northern Presbyterian Church. He is close’y iden¬ 
tified with the local uplift work in Charlotte, being 
the president of the colored Chamber of Commerce 
in that city. 

Dr. McCrorey has been twice married. His first 
wife was Miss Karie N. Hughes, of Mebane, N. C., 
who died in 1911. His present wife was Miss Mary 
C. Jackson of Athens, Ga., who was for several 
years a close co-laborer with Miss Lucy Laney as 
Associate Principal of Haynes Institute, Augusta, 
Ga. To the first wife were born four children, one 
boy and three girls. The boy is now a college stu¬ 
dent in Biddle University. The oldest girl is a stu¬ 
dent in Fisk University, the next a student in Sco¬ 
tia College for Women, and the third is attending 
public school in Charlotte. 

As president of Biddle University, Dr. McCro¬ 
rey is of course best known. 

Biddle University is located in Charlotte, North 
Carolina. It owns seventy acres of land and four¬ 
teen buildings, the whole being valued at $225,000. 
It has four departments: High School, Arts and 
Sciences, Theological and Industrial. It is conser¬ 
vative, thorough, clean and straight-forward in its 
policy. Many leading Negroes, especially in the 
professions, owe all they have become to Biddle. 

Biddle’s position in North Carolina, as well as 
that of Dr. Crorey, is seen happily in the following- 
clipping from a column editorial appearing in the 
Charlotte Observer, November 16, 1911, the day 
following the laying of the corner-stone of the 
splendid new Carnegie Library which cost $15,- 
000 . 00 . 

“Biddle University is now in its forty-fourth 
year. It has been pursuing its mission quietly and 
without any blowing of trumpets, preferring to 
make its way on merit rather than by the circus 
methods adopted by some schools, and encouraged 
by the success it has attained. Mr. D. A. Tompkins, 
who was present at the corner-stone laying yester¬ 
day and who was highly praised by Dr. McCrorey 
for the unselfish interest he has always taken in 
the school, thinks that Biddle is a model school and 
that it would well repay those who are interest¬ 
ed in the solution of race questions everywhere 
throughout the world to visit this place and study 
the methods that have made this institution one 
of the most conservative influences in the land. In 
his address, Mr. Clarkson, who for seven years was 
solicitor for the 12th Judicial District, said yes¬ 
terday that during his term of office he had never 
been called upon to prosecute any man who had 
ever attended this school. ” 


HENRY 



270 







ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, BIDDLE UNIVERSITY—CHARLOTTE, N. C. 


N the first years of the work of 
the Presbyterian Church for the 
Freecl-Men of the South, a special 
necessity developed the need of a 
training school which, with God’s 

_blessing, might prepare, for the 

work of the church and a trained ministry. 

Through the generous gift, in memory of Maj. 
Henry J. Biddle of Philadelphia, from his widow 
the necessary buildings were built on a beautiful 
tract of eight acres, the gift of Col. W. R. Myers, 
a citizen of Charlotte. Biddle Institute, located at 
Charlotte, North Carolina, was opened for students 
September 16th. 1867. When the first session op¬ 
ened there were present forty-three students, 
twenty of these candidates for the ministry, and 
the others seeking preparation for the work of 
teaching. 

“‘Biddle Institute” has grown into “Biddle Uni¬ 
versity.” It is a chartered institution with prop¬ 
erty vested in a Board of Trustees, for the Pres¬ 
byterian Church, U. S. A., under the care of the 
Presbyterian Board of Missions for Freedmen, and 
the salaries of the professors and other expenses of 
this institution are paid out of the board’s funds. 

Biddle University now consists of about 80 acres 


of land, 14 buildings, 18 professors and other teach¬ 
ers, and combines all the advantages of academic 
seclusion and easy access to a business center. 
There are four main departments in the University. 
The Preparatory trains for teaching and for busi¬ 
ness and for college. The College department of¬ 
fers two courses, classical and scientific, covering 
the usual four years, and affording the advantages 
of a liberal education. 

The Theological department is organized on the 
usual plan of the Seminaries of the Presbyterian 
church with a full three year’s course. The Indus¬ 
trial department includes training in carpentry, 
printing, plastering, tailoring, bricklaying, shoe¬ 
making, blacksmithing, and to some extent agri¬ 
culture. 

Biddle has sent out from its various departments 
1433 graduates, 169 of these being ministers of the 
gospel. There have been enrolled over 10,000 stu¬ 
dents, of whom about nine-tenths became profess¬ 
ing Christians, mostly Presbyterians. 

At first a white president and professors presid¬ 
ed over and conducted the affairs of Biddle, but in 
1891, the entire faculty was colored, with Rev. D. 
J. Sanders, D. D., as president. At his death Dr. 
H. L. McCrorey was called to the presidency. 


271 
















VIEW OF CAMPUS. HENDERSON NORMAL AND INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTE—HENDERSON, N. C. 


N 1865, in Manchester, Kentucky, 
was born Rev. John Adams Cot¬ 
ton, A. B., of Henderson, North 
Carolina. Having spent some 
time in the public schools of his 
native town, he left Manchester, 
and entered Berea College, Berea, Ky., where he 
studied for four years doing preparatory work, 
later entering Knoxville College, Tennessee. Here 
he received his Bachelor’s degree. Long before 
this he had decided to enter the ministry. Having 
now finished his college course, he turned his at¬ 
tention to prepartion for his chosen life work, that 
of the Christian Ministry. He enrolled as a student 
of Divinity in the Pittsburg Theological Seminary, 
Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where he remained until 
he had finished his course. 

Finishing his course in Theo’ogy, Mr. Cotton de¬ 
cided that though he would preach, he would put 
decided emphasis on education and that if Provi¬ 
dence so directed, he would invest his energies in 
school work. He took his first charge at Cleveland, 
Tennessee. The charge was significant in that it 
represented'at the outset the very dual situation 
he had preferred—preaching and teaching. In 1899 
he took charge of a church and became principal 
of the Cleveland Academy in Cleveland, Tennessee. 
From Cleveland he was called to the head of the 
Henderson Normal and Industrial Institute, Hen¬ 
derson, North Carolina, where he is still laboring:. 

The Henderson Institute is one of those strong 
conservative Presbyterian'schools under the con¬ 
trol of the United Presbyterian Church. It is an 
example of the kind of work this church is trying 
to do. It provides buildings and grounds as com¬ 
fortable as possible, offers courses for the training 
of the hand and head, and seeks to mould at the 
bottom sound Christian character. Assuming and 


planning that every teacher shall be a Christian 
worker, the school has regular training classes for 
student teachers in Sunday teaching and Bible 
study. 

While planning definitely for the career of ser¬ 
vice for the teacher, the school does not forget the 
cl; racter and development of the every day stu¬ 
dent. It maintains a flourishing Y. M. C. A., and 
a flourishing Y. W. C. A. It has three literary 
societies, which give the members opportunity for 
debate and for general training in public speaking. 
Its “Things Required” show how persistent is the 
endeavor to provide men and women of clean 
character and lofty ideals. These things show how 
close and careful a watch is kept over the actions 
and health of the students. 

Of equal significance is the school’s “Things For¬ 
bidden.” 

THINGS FORBIDDEN. 

1. Unpermitted association of ladies and gen¬ 
tlemen, communication in writing between them 
or visiting to the halls or rooms of the other. 

2. Boisterousness, dancing, running in the build¬ 
ings, etc. 

3. Games of chance, profane or indecent lan¬ 
guage, the use or possession of tobacco, snuff, in¬ 
toxicating liquor or of weapons of any kind. 

4. Calling, conversing or /throwing from the 
windows. 

5. No light literature is allowed among the stu¬ 
dents. 

6. Visitors cannot be received during school or 
study hours, and gentlemen, unknown to the Ma¬ 
tron or Principal are not permitted to see lady stu¬ 
dents at any time, unless they bring letters of intro¬ 
duction from parents or guardians to the Matron 
or Principal, and then subject to the discretion of 
the Principal.” 

Such in brief is the school over which Reverend 



272 












4 



MAIN BUILDING—HENDERSON NORMAL & 
INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTE. 

Cotton presides and to which he gives character. 
It has an enrollment of 461 students, most of whom 
are boarders, but all of whom are subject to the 
regulations. Principal Cotton has been in charge 
here 15 years. Under him many new courses have 
been introduced and many reforms made. 

Reverend Cotton was married in 1900 to Miss 
Maud R. Brooks, of Oberlin, Ohio. They have 
one daughter, Carol Blanche, who is 12 years old. 

The following from the 1916 U. S. Bulletin No. 
39, gives a more complete account of its plans and 
equipment: 

The school was founded in 1891, by the Board of 
Freedmen’s Missions of the United Presbyterian 
Church, and is owned and supported by that board. 

-ATTENDANCE: Total, 375; elementary 334; 

secondary 41; male 152, female 223. Of those re¬ 
porting, 26 were from Henderson, 42 from other 
places in North Carolina, and eight from other 
States. There were 43 pupils above the seventh 
grade boarding at the school. 

TEACHERS AND WORKERS: Total 18; all col¬ 
ored; male 5, female, 13; academic 9, music 1; 
girls’ industries 3, boys’ industries 1, matrons 2, 
superintendent of broom factory and superinten¬ 
dent of hospital. 

INDUSTRIAL: The industrial course for boys 

are limited to instruction in printing, broommak¬ 
ing, and simple manual training. I he girls above 
the seventh grade receive good instruction in cook¬ 
ing and sewing under the direction of three teach¬ 
ers. 

NURSE TRAINING: Nurse training is provided 
in a well-equipped hospital built by the women’s 
board, with a training, nurse in charge. Students 
needing medical attention and patients from the 
community or surrounding counties are admitted 
The number of patients is comparatively small. 

The Financial department is well cared for. The 
accounts are carefully kept and the financial man¬ 
agement appears to be economical. 


SOURCES OF INCOME: United Presbyterian 

Board, $8,000; tuition and fees $500. The non edu¬ 
cational receipts amounted to $4,100, or which 
$4,000 was from boarding department and $100 
from the trade school. 

PLANT: Land: Estimated value, $2,000. The 
land comprises 13 acres just outside the corporate 
limits of the town. About half of the land is used 
for campus and recreation purposes. The remain¬ 
der is used for orchard, pasture, and a small farm. 

BUILDINGS: Estimated value, $41,500. The 

main building is a frame structure, two stories high 
and contains class-rooms and a chapel seating 500. 
Fulton Home is the girl’s dormitory, accommodat¬ 
ing 75. It contains the dining room, domestic 
science department, laundry, and matron’s office. 
The boys’ dormitory, a two-story frame building, 
accommodates 75, also houses the printing office. 
The teachers’ home is a neat two story building. 
Jubilee Hospital is a two-story brick building, with 
wards for men, women, and children, an operating 
room and several private rooms. There are also 
several small buildings, including the janitor’s cot¬ 
tage. The buildings are simple in construction, in 
good repair and neat in appearance. 

MOVABLE EQUIPMENT: Estimated value $6,900. 
$6,900. Of this $5,700 was in furniture and hospital 
equipment, $500 in farm implements, and live 
stock, $450 in library books, and $250 in shop tools. 



HOSPITAL BUILDING—HENDERSON NORMAL 
& INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTE 


273 































JAMES B. DUDLEY, A. M., LL. D. 


MERE are those who drift into the 
work of education; those who are 
pressed in by necessity, and those 
who enlist in the cause by choice. 
Dr. James B. Dudley, of Greens¬ 
boro, North Carolina, is one of 
those to enter and to remain by 
choice. Educated when learning 
was rare among American Negroes; he looked up¬ 
on school teaching as a calling, a mission. The 
idea of the Quaker and of the Puritan, that being 
taught you should go teach others, took possession 
of Dr. Dudley, long before his school career ended. 
Further there was inculcated into his education, 
thqt one should not go to Africa, South America, 
but back home, to lift those of your own kith and 
kin. 

Born in Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1859, 
Dr. Dudley received his first training through pri¬ 
vate instruction, public education for the colored 
youth being out of the question in North Caro¬ 
lina at that time. From Wilmington Dr. Dudley 
made his way to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where 
he studied at the Philadelphia Institute for Colored 
Youths. He later gained the degree of Master of 
Arts at Livingston College, Salisbury, North Caro¬ 
lina, and LL. D., from Wilberforce University. 

His early education completed, Dr. Dudley re¬ 
turned to his State and began his labor as a school 
teacher. He began in the rural school, where his 
help was most needed and where he gained the ex¬ 
perience which was to serve him most valuably in 



his work as college president. From the rural 
schools he was called to the principalship of the 
Peabody Graded School, of Wilmington. Here for 
sixteen years he labored, doing much toward put¬ 
ting the Negro public schools here on a solid foot¬ 
ing. Sixteen years principalship at Wilmington, 
with experience in the rural schools and among 
rural folks had seasoned him for larger service. 
Thus when the Agricultural and Technical College, 
formerly known as the A. & M. College, began to 
take form, choice quite readily settled upon Dr. 
Dudley; he who had been an educator all his ca¬ 
reer ; who had labored in city and in country ; who 
was a native of the soil came very rightfully to the 
best his native State had to offer for one of his 
race. 

The Negro Agricultural and Technical College 
was founded in 1891. It is one of the several col¬ 
leges established under the Morrill Act. To the 
funds authorized by the Morrill Act were added 
fourteen acres of land and eleven thousand dollars 
by the citizens of Greensboro. To this sum again 
was added ten thousand dollars by the General 
Assembly of North Carolina. Five years after the 
founding of this institution, Dr. Dudley was called 
to its presidency. This was in 1896. Thus for 
twenty-three years he has administered its work. 
Under him new buildings have been erected, old 
ones renovated, farms cultivated, courses added 
and adjusted to suit the demands of the day. True 
to its title the institution has courses leading to 
degrees in Agriculture in many branches, in Me¬ 
chanical Arts and Technical subjects. Yet has nev¬ 
er lost sight of the fact that the head is master of 
the hand, indeed of the whole body. To this end 
it has maintained very high standards in literary 
branches. 

In deportment, as well as in scholarship, A. & T. 
College has set for its students unusually high and 
rigid standards. Many of its rules are worth quot¬ 
ing and worthy of emulation. Thus it requires : 

1. Regular students must take a minimum of 
fifteen hours of credit work per week at least six 
of which shall be industrial work. 

2. Examinations for the removal of conditions 
will be held at no time than the regular term ex¬ 
amination periods. A minimum credit of 85 per 
cent must be made to remove conditions. 

3. Students making an average of 70 per cent 
or more will be passed; over 85 per cent passed 
honorably. 

4. Student candidates for graduation will be re¬ 
quired to pass a satisfactory examination in all the 
subjects in their respective courses. 

5. Any student failing to secure 50 per cent of 
the total marks obtainable during any term, will 
be required to take a lower class or sever his con¬ 
nection with the college and be allowed to return 
the following session. 

It is the aim of this institution to send forth men 
who are fit representatives. To this end, the fa¬ 
culty reserves the right to refuse to admit any 
student to the senior class or to graduate any one 
who though qualified by class record, may other¬ 
wise be unfit. 

Again to influence and to restrict, the institution 
rules that each student upon applying for admision 
will be required to sign a pledge, binding obedience 
to the rules of the college. Parents and guard- 

274 














Z Cwf .\."A 


i Jr fMt 

mmk 


J 


W: . 

* AAgff 

jTW - ( 

• 



MAIN BUILDING STATE AGRICULTURAL & TECHNICAL COLLEGE—GREENSBORO, N. C. 


ians are particularly requested to examine our rul¬ 
es and regulations, to be found on another page of 
this catalogue. 

It will be the purpose of the college to maintain 
a high moral tone and to develope a broad, tole¬ 
rant religious spirit among the students. In this 
connection there is a well-organized Y. M. C. A., 
which meets twice a week for song and praise. A 
special service will be conducted in the chapel each 
Sunday by pastors representing the different de¬ 
nominations of the city. Sunday School is con¬ 
ducted every Sunday during school year. All re¬ 
ligious services will be free from sectarianism. A 
flourishing Temperance Society is now in opera¬ 
tion. 

All this system has taken shape under the hand 
of Dr. Dudley, backed by the State Board of Trus¬ 
tees and by a sympathetic public. 

While putting his school on an up-to-date basis, 
Dr. Dudley did not forget the demands upon the 
present day college. He was one of the first Ne¬ 
gro educators to- see that an institution must go 
without its walls, must seek to educate the old as 
well as the young. He founded the Metropolitan 
Trust Company, of Wilmington, to stimulate and to 
combine Negro business and established the Pion¬ 
eer Building and Loan Association, of Greensboro, 
the oldest organization of its kind in Greensboro. 

Beyond local services he has taken active part in 
many educational and uplift undertakings in other 
States and before the nation and in so doing has 
been recipient of many honors. For neailv thiity 
years he was foreign correspondent foi the Ma¬ 
sonic Grand Lodge, of North Carolina. He was 
delegate to the Republican National Convention 
in St. Louis, in 1896. He is president of the North 
Carolina Teachers’ Association; trustee of the An¬ 
nual A. M. E. Conference; honorary member of 
the Board of Trustees- of Palmer Institute of Se- 


dalia, North Carolina; president of the North Car¬ 
olina Anti-Tuberculosis League; chairman of the 
Negro Railroad Commission; founder of the Rural 
Extension work and was the successful champion 
against lawful segregation in North Carolina. 

Dr. Dudley is a Mason, and a Pythian, and an ac¬ 
tive member of the National Association for Tea¬ 
chers in Colored Schools. He has traveled exten¬ 
sively in America and to some extent in Canada. 
He owns property in Wilmington and in Greens¬ 
boro. 

The Dudley family consists of three members, 
Dr. and Mrs. Dudley, and Miss Annie Vivian. Mrs. 
Dudley was Miss Sampson, of Wilmington. They 
were married in 1884. Miss Dudley has finished 
her education and was her father’s bookkeeper, un¬ 
til her marriage in 1917 to Dr. S. B. Jones, Vice- 
President and physician, of the A. and T. College. 



GREEN HOUSE, STATE A. & T. COLLEGE. 






























JOHN WAKEFIELD WALKER, A. B., M. D. 


F humble parentage, John Wake¬ 
field Walker was born Decem¬ 
ber 26, 1872. His mother, Mrs. 
Amanda Walker, was refugeed 
from eastern North Carolina, to 
Salisbury, during the Civil War. 
There were six children in the Walker family, of 
whom the subject of this sketch was the youngest. 
Mrs. Walker was a woman of ambition and she 
succeeded in firing her young son with a zeal to 
render Christian service when he was still but a 
lad. She died September 23, 1897. 

From his early childhood, Dr. Walker had the 
privilege of attending school. His first schooling 
was received in the city schools of Asheville. Hav¬ 
ing gotten from them all that he could he went to 
Livingston College. His sister, Mrs. Hester Lee, 
was largely responsible for his being able to at¬ 
tend Livingston College. From Livingston he was 
graduated in 1898, with the degree of A. B. Dr. 
Walker lost no time but matriculated at the Leon¬ 
ard 'Medical College, Shaw University, Raleigh, 
North Carolina. From Shaw he was graduated 
with the degree of M. D., in 1902. Not yet satis¬ 
fied with his preparation for his life work, the 


young doctor served an internship in the Freed¬ 
man’s Hospital at Washington, D. C., before he 
settled down to his work. 

* 

The path of Dr. Walker from his humble home 
to his present practice was not wholly strewn with 
roses. In fact he had to work a great deal and in 
many kinds of jobs in order to get the training he 
now enjoys. He served as footman, butler, bell¬ 
boy, waiter, office boy, sleeping-car porter. But 
his ambition had been fired by his mother and he 
used these jobs merely as means to an end and was 
never satisfied with them, and the easy money they 
brought in. 

Dr. Walker today is located in Asheville, North 
Carolina. Asheville is a resort for patinets suffer¬ 
ing with pulmonary troubles. Here from all parts 
of the south and the east persons suffering from 
this disease gather. Dr. Walker owns and runs 
his own sanatarium here for the treatment of such 
cases. In fact, Dr. Walker has made a specialty 
of this type of tuberculosis. Because of the cli¬ 
matic conditions of the city and the gathering of 
patients from other parts of the United States, Dr, 
Walker has a large field. He does not, however, 
confine himself solely to this work. He serves as 
City Inspector of the Colored Schools of Asheville. 
In this work he has the chance of preventing many 
a case of this sort by recognizing early symptoms 
and rendering aid before the real disease sets in. 

Dr. Walker finds time to take part in all the va¬ 
ried activities for the uplife of his people. He is 
a member of the A. M. E. Zion Church, serving as 
the Superintendent of the Sunday School. He is a 
member of the Free and Accepted Masons, “The 
Beauty of the West Lodge,” and of the Grand Un¬ 
ited Order of Odd Fellows. He served as Presi¬ 
dent of the North Carolina Medical Association, as 
President of the Y. M. C. A., of Asheville, trustee 
of the Livingston College, delegate to the General 
Conference at Charlotte in 1912, and at Louisville 
in 1916, and he is a member of the National Medi¬ 
cal Association. In all the lines of endeavor that 
are for the advancement of the Colored people 
there you will find Dr. J. W. Walker taking an ac¬ 
tive part. 

Dr. Walker was married to Miss Eleanor Curtis 
Mitchell, in Raleigh, North Carolina, on June 22, 
1904. From this union three children have been 
born. The oldest, John Wakefield Walker, Jr., is 
a lad of twelve years. Miss Amanda Lee Walker 
is in her tenth year and little Miss Anna Belle Wal¬ 
ker is still a baby, being but four years of age. This 
happy family lives in their own home on College 
Street. 

Dr. Walker is an inspiration to the young men 
of his acquaintance. He has risen to a point of 
prominence through his own efforts. 

Besides owning his own home and his sanitarium 
he owns several tenement houses. 



276 













JOSEPH LAWRENCE JONES 



OUNDER and President of the 
Central Regalia Company, Joseph 
Lawrence Jones, was born June 
12, 1868, at Mt. Healthy, Ohio, 
near Cincinnati. He attended the 
public schools of Cincinnati, and 
graduated from Gaines High School, in 1886, after 
which he taught school in Kentucky, lexas and 
Ohio. He is also a graduate of the Sheldon Busi¬ 
ness College. 

In 1902, Mr. Jones established the business which 
has made his name well known wherever colored 
lodges exist. The Central Regalia Company is 
strictly a Negro enterprise, giving employment 
to our own men and women. We find Mr. Jones 
active in other fields. He is Vice Supreme Chan¬ 
cellor of the Knights of Pythias, Supreme Worthy 
Counsellor of the Order of Calanthe, Vice-Presi¬ 
dent of the Civic Welfare Committee of the Coun¬ 
cil of Social Agencies of Cincinnati, Chairman of 
the Executive Committee of the National Negro 
Press Association, a Director of the Fireside Mu¬ 
tual Aid Insurance Co., Secretary of the African 
Union Co., Trustee of Colored Industrial School of 
Cincinnati, Secretary of the 1 rustee Board of the 


New Orphan Asylum, for Colored Youth and Pres¬ 
ident of the National Congress of Negro Frater¬ 
nities. In all these the business ability of Mr. 
Jones is very apparent. The African E T nion Com¬ 
pany imports mahogany direct from Africa. Mr. 
Jones is also editor in chief of the Fraternal Mon¬ 
itor. a monthly fraternal paper. Mr. Jones exe¬ 
cutes his varied duties with singular grace and 
ease, which is an evidence of his business acumen 
and rare poise. He is a member of the A. M. E. 
Church, and belongs to the leading fraternities of 
the county. In the interest of business or for 
pleasure, Mr. Jones has traveled all over the United 
States and consequently is well known nationally. 

Mr. Jones is happily married. Mrs. Jos. L. 
Jones, (nee Helena Caffrey,) is the proud mother 
of five children, four girls and one boy. Myra, 
the eldest daughter, being the wife of Dr. Henry 
C. Bryant, of Birmingham, Ala., Joseph Lawrence 
Jr., is the active Manager of the Central Regalia 
Co., Helen, is a teacher of Music in the Colored 
Industrial School; Ida and Martha are attending 
High School. Mr. Jones lives in a well appointed 
home in one of the best sections of the city and 
has entertained there many of the leading men and 
women of the race. For a man of good advice and 
sound business ability, we would have to go a long 
way to find a more successful man than Mr. Jones. 
He is worthy of emulation by any young man who 
is looking forward to business as his career. For 
many years Mr. Jones was very active in local Re¬ 
publican politics and served several years as Dep¬ 
uty County Recorder and Deputy County Clerk. He 
has served also as a member of the National Negro 
Advisory Committee of the National Republican 
Campaign Committee. 



WORK-ROOM OF THE CENTRAL REGALIA 
COMPANY—CINCINNATI, OHIO 


277 

















....... 



GEORGE A. MYERS 













George A. Myers 


N 1859, on March 5th, George 
A. Myers was born in Baltimore, 
Maryland, being the eldest of the 
three children of Isaac and Emma 
V. Myers. In May, 1868, he had 
the misfortune to lose his mother 
and consequently never had the 
full advantage of a loving moth¬ 
er’s care. He was sent to Providence, R. I., and en¬ 
tered the public schools ; from there to Washing 
ton, D. C. where he also attended the public schools 
and then to Preparatory Department of Lincoln 
University, Chester County, Pa. His father, in the 
meantime married Miss Sarah E. Deaver, and he 
returned to Baltimore that he might he near his 
father, and entered the First Grammar School for 
Colored Children, graduating therefrom; he at¬ 
tempted to gain admission to the Baltimore City 
College, but was refused by reason of his color. 

In 1875 he was apprenticed to the Veteran Paint¬ 
er of Washington, S. C., Mr. Thomas James but the 
trade not being to his liking, he returned to Bal¬ 
timore and took up the barber trade with Messrs. 
George S. Ridgeway and Thomas Gamble. 

In 1879, he settled in'Cleveland and was for nine 
years foreman for Mr. James E. Benson, at the 
Weddell House. Being of an affable nature, he 
made many friends and in 1888 opened the now 
famous Hollenden Hotel Barber Shop, which was 
styled by his friend, Elbert Hubbard, as “the best 
barber shop in America,” and at present numbers 
27 employees. 

Growing up as he did with the City of Cleveland 
and having the benefit of a large acquaintance he 
became very active in politics and matters of race 
advancement. In 1892, he was elected as an al¬ 
ternate delegate from the 21st District of Ohio, 
to the Republican National Convention, at Minnea¬ 
polis. His vote in the delegation elected William 
M. Hahn, national committeeman from Ohio, and 
it was largely instrumental in assisting the Mc- 
Kinley-Hanna organizaton into being, and made 
M. A' Hanna and William McKinley his life-long 
friends. 

During the McKinley pre-convention campaign 
of 1896 he materially assisted Mr. Hanna and his 
home was always open to those of our people who 
came to Cleveland to consult with Mr. Hanna. 

At St. Louis he had charge of the Ohio delega¬ 
tion that so ably looked after and cared for those 
of our people who were delegates. After the con¬ 
vention Mr. McKinley personally thanked him for 
his efforts in assisting Mr. Hanna, and tendeied 
him whatever place within reason he desired. Ht 
declined to accept any office. 1 hrough his in¬ 
stigation and recommendation, the now Majoi W. 
T. Anderson, was appointed Chaplain of the 10th 
U S Cavalry, Hon. John R. Lynch, Paymaster m 
the U. S. Army, and Hon. B. K. Bruce, Registrar 
of the U. S. Treasury. In later years he secured 
the appointmet of Hon. Chas. A. Cottrell as Col¬ 
lector of Internal Revenues at Honolulu. He was 
Senator M. A. Hanna’s personal representative on 
the Republican State Executive Committee (of 
seven) for 1897-1898, which eventually proved to 


be the most important State Committee in the 
history of the Republican Party, of Ohio. In the 
bitter Senatorial campaign that followed, Mr. My¬ 
ers was in the thickest of the fray. It was he who 
settled the doubt when anxiety had settled on ev¬ 
ery countenance by bringing in the 72nd vote and 
thereby asured Senator Hanna’s return to the U. 

S. Senate. 

In 1900 he was elected by the Republican State 
Convention as an Alternate-Delegate-at Large to 
the Republican National Convention at Philadel¬ 
phia, and through his instrumentality the resolu¬ 
tion of Senator Quay reducing southern represen¬ 
tation was defeated. After serving three terms 
as a member of the Rpublican State Executive 
Committee, and following the death of President 
McKinley'and Senator M. A. Hanna, Mr. Myers 
voluntarily retired from active politics and is now 
devoting his whole time to business. 

In 1912, through the instigaton of Dr. Booker 

T. Washington, Mr. Myers was tendered the 
management of the entire organization among the 
Negro voters of the country, by Mr. Charles D. 
Hides, Chairman of the Republican National Com¬ 
mittee, having in charge President Taft’s cam¬ 
paign. For business reasons only he declined. This 
was the first and only time that the full conduct 
of this work among the Negroes for a national 
campaign was ever tendered to a single individual. 
A fitting recognition of his politcal worth and abil¬ 
ity. 

It was Mr. Myers, at St. Louis, who referred to 
Mr. Hanna, as “Uncle Mark.” This was taken up 
by the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and Columbus Dis¬ 
patch and stuck to Mr. Hanna so long as he lived, 

Mr. Myers, though not identified with the active, 
management, is a member of St. John A. M. E. 
Church, and has done much to promote its inter¬ 
est. He is a Past Master of Masons and Past Ex¬ 
alted Ruler, Cuyahoga Lodge No. 95. of the I. B. 
P., of Elks of the World At present he is act¬ 
ively identified with The Caterers’ Association, the 
leading and best Club of its kind among our people 
in this country. He is also a member of the City 
Club of Cleveland, and actively identified with ev¬ 
ery civic movement of importance to his people. 
He has a beautiful and well-furnished home on one 
of the best avenues and a wife and two children. 

In 1896 he married Miss Maude E. Stewart. His 
son, Herbert D. Myers, is a mechanic with The 
White Automobile and Truck Company, and his 
daughter, Dorothy Virginia Myers, is a teacher in 
the public schools of Cleveland. 

Mr. Myers attributes much of his success to the 
tireless teachings of his stepmother and the friends 
acquired through the same. There is no man of 
his race that can boast of more intimate and per¬ 
sonal friendships among both races and no man 
who more unselfishly loves to serve his people. 



279 • 






WILLIAM R. GREEN 


I L L I A M R. Green, is a man 
who was born educated and made 
good in his profession in the same 
place. He was born in Cleveland, 
Ohio, on November 10th, 1872. 
Here in Cleveland he attended 
the Public Schools, the High School and later the 
Law School. In all of these distinct steps in his 
training he applied himself most diligently to his 
tasks. He was always ambitious and it was this 
that carried him on through the law school in spite 
of the fact that the colored man as a usual thing 
has a hard time in this profession. 

June 8, 1895, Mr. Green was admitted to the 
Practice of Law and since that time he has prac¬ 
ticed continually in Cleveland, Ohio. That he has 
made a good living from his practice and been able 
to save something out of it for the proverbial 
rainy day is seen from the fact that he owns his 
own home and two other houses and lots, all of 
which are in the city of Cleveland. There is a 
tendency on the part of some to try to starve out 
the colored lawyer. The sense of justice makes 
them admit one to the practice of law but then the 
prejudice steps in. It is all this that Mr. Green 
has succeeded in overcoming. To him and to oth¬ 


er young colored men of his time who have had the 
courage to face the situation as it was and still is 
in some places, great credit is due, for they are in 
the true meaning of the word “pioneers.” 

Mr. Green is a member of the Republican Party, 
and on two different occasions he was nominat¬ 
ed by the Republicans of Cuyahoga County, 
Ohio. On both of these occasions the entire Re¬ 
publican ticket was defeated by the Democratic 
Party. Mr. Green was not defeated by another 
man on the same ticket, but because the whole 
party was unable to swing things. Mr. Green has 
long interested in military affairs, and is regarded 
as a well equipped military man. He has also 
been a Captain in the Llnited States Army. For 
twelve years he was Captain in the Ohio National 
Guard, and was highly regarded by the men of 
his command, as is shown by his long services as 
their Captain. On July 15th, 1917 he was mustered 
into the Federal Service. He served as Captain 
of 372 Infantry in the United States National 
Guard until January 12, 1918. At this time he was 
honorably discharged for physical disibility. 

In Religious belief, Mr. Green is a Catholic. Like 
all men of this faith he is an earnest and faithful 
worker in the interest of his church. He is a mem¬ 
ber of the Catholic Mutual Benefit Association, 
and also of the Knights of St. John. In all the 
things pertaining to the members of his race, Mr. 
Green is deeply interested, showing his interest in 
the welfare of his people by giving to them his 
best and continuous service. He is willing to spend 
and be spent in their behalf, if thereby, he can raise 
them to a higher standard of living. There is in 
the City of Cleveland an Association of Colored 
men. Of this organization, Mr. Green is an in¬ 
teresting member, always doing all that is in his 
power for the organization and the people for 
whose help it was organized. For two terms he 
served this organization in the capacity of Pres¬ 
ident. 

Mr. Green has been an extensive traveler, his 
travels covering the greater part of America and 
Europe. He has been abroad three times. His 
first trip to Europe was in 1893, when he visited 
England and Scotland. He next crossed the ocean 
in 1907, when he again traveled in England and 
visited Ireland. His last trip was made in 1908, 
and this time he revisited England and extended 
his travels to France, visited Paris and other points 
of interest. His travels have not only been to him 
excursions of pleasure, but have broadened his 
mind, and have given him a larger view of life. 

Mr. Green was married to Miss Agnes C. Bold¬ 
en, September 19, 1900, at Niagra Falls, New York. 
Mrs. Green presides over the home with charm, 
and with her husband helps make life pleasant for 
their many friends. 



280 

















GEORGE W. CRAWFORD, A. B., LL. B. 

R. George W. Crawford is a good 
example of the man born in the 
South, reared there, and become 
thoroughly acquainted with its 
views, who has gone North and 
made a place for himself. Born 
in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, October 21, 1877, he spent 
his earliest years in the public schools of this place. 
Tuscaloosa is one of the best of the Southern 
towns as regards the harmonious relations of the 
races. Many of the young sons of Tuscaloosa go 
out to prominence. In 1886 Mr. Crawford moved 
to Birmingham. Here he had another influence 
enter his life. It was almost the reverse of that of 
Tuscaloosa. Birmingham is a city of bustle and 
progress. To keep abreast of things in Birming¬ 
ham one has to think and move quickly. 1 his had 
its influence on the growing young lad. 

When he first left home for study in boaiding 
school, the school of his choice was Tuskegee In¬ 
stitute. From this school he was graduated in the 
class of 1896. The learning received here but 
whetted the appetite of Mr. Crawford for moie. 
And so we find him at school in Talladega Co.le b e, 
Talladega, Alabama shortly after finishing at 1 us- 
kegee. From Talladega he was graduated in the 


class of 1900. Talladega is one of the oldest of 
the A. M. A. Schools and is one of the most thor¬ 
ough in its preparation of students. Mr. Crawford 
was a good student while at Talladega, where he 
made a good record. He was elected to the Board 
of Trustees of this Institution, in 1905, and is at 
present Chairman of its Executive Committee. 

After graduating at the Talladega College, in 
1900, Mr. Crawford decided to enter the profession 
of law, and in order to secure as good a prepara¬ 
tion for his work as possible, he entered the Yale 
Law School. Here he applied himself with great 
diligence, and won distinction. From this course he 
was graduated with high honors, in the class of 
1903. The same year he was appointed clerk of the 
Probate Court for the District of New Haven Con- 
neticut, and formed many warm friendships and 
strong Connections among the people of that city. 
In this position he served until 1907. During 
the time he served as clerk, he had the opportunity 
to get the confidence of the New Haven public. 
When he gave up the work of clerk he had already 
acquired a substantial clientele, which has been 
greatly extended under demonstrated proofs of his 
eminent abilities to serve it. Since that time 
Mr. Crawford has been engaged in the successful 
practice of the law in New Haven, where he has 
been a conspicious figure in the public life, serving 
on many of its important commissions, and active 
generally in the affairs of the City. 

Mr. Crawford has found leisure from his many 
and varied activities, to indulge his taste for lit¬ 
erature and in its pursuit has achieved distinction, 
having one excellent book to his credit. He is the 
author of “Prince Hall and his Followers.” His 
interest in altruistic and benevolent work is evi¬ 
denced in his connection with numerous organic 
bodies of that nature and the prominent part he 
takes in their affairs. He is a Thirty-third degree 
Mason, an active member of the Odd Fellows, and 
of the Ancient Order of Forresters. He is also a 
member of Sigma Psi Phi. 

The interest of Mr. Crawford in his people is 
genuine. He serves as a director of the National 
Association for the Advancement of the Colored 
People. This organization has done a great deal 
for the Negro by taking up the various questions 
that come before them. The subject of lynch Law, 
employment of colored people in cities, etc. 

Mr. Crawford was married to Miss Sedella M. 
Donalson, of Aberdeen, Mississippi, in 1911. Mrs. 
Crawford, like her husband, has a prideful record 
in educational training, being a graduate of Teach¬ 
er’s College of Columbia University, and before her 
marriage was a teacher of English at Tuskegee 
Institute. The Crawford’s have one child, Char- 
lotte Elizabeth, a beautiful little girl of six. 


281 










HENRY M. MINTON, PH. G„ M. D. 

R. Henry M. Minton, one of 
Philadelphia’s most prominent 
physician, was born in Colum¬ 
bia, South Carolina, December 
25, 1871. His father, Thophiluy J. 
Minton, and his mother, Mrs. 
Minton, were both natives of Phil¬ 
adelphia. It has been in the native city of his pa¬ 
rents that Dr. Minton has lived and made his suc¬ 
cess. He was educated in the Grammar schools of 
Washington. Here he laid a foundation and form¬ 
ed habits of study that have helped him in all his 
later life. Leaving school Dr. Minton entered the 
Preparatory Department of Howard University, 
and later the Phillips Exeter Academy, in New 
Hampshire. From the latter institution he was 

graduated in 1891. The record for good scholar¬ 

ship which had been his in the schools of Washing¬ 
ton was kept up throughout his career in Exeter. 
He was the Orator of the class at graduation, man¬ 
aging editor of the Literary Monthly, and Assis¬ 
tant Managing Editor of the Exonian. The Exon- 
ian was the semi-weekly paper of the school. Ev¬ 
en with all these outside duties, his scholarship ne¬ 
ver was in any way lowered. 



Dr. Minton’s first venture in the world of med¬ 
icine was in the capacity of Pharmacist. He stu¬ 
died at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, fin¬ 
ishing the prescribed course in 1895, with the de¬ 
gree of Graduate in Pharmacy, (Ph G.). Having 
obtained his degree Dr. Minton opened a drug 
store. This was the first venture of the young 
man in the business world and his venture was the 
first of any colored man in the state of Pennsyl¬ 
vania in drugs. In this respect Dr. Minton was 
a pioneer. He made a success of his undertaking 
and continued therein till 1903. 

Dr. Minton gave up the drug business to enter 
the medical profession as a practicing physician. In 
1906 he was graduated from the Jefferson Medical 
College, Philadelphia. He began the practice of 
medicine in Philadelphia the same year and has 
continued there. To him have come many oppor¬ 
tunities for service. And through service has 
come honor. He is physician to Mercy Hospital, 
and at the present time he is acting Superinten¬ 
dent ; he is also a member of the Board of Direc¬ 
tors of this institution. 

Dr. Minton has given a great deal of his time 
to the study of Tuberculosis. He is an authority 
on the subject and is Dispensary Physician to Hen¬ 
ry Phipps Institute for study and treatment of 
Tuberculosis, (University of Pennsylvania.) He 
is author of Causes and Prevention of Tuberculo¬ 
sis, having published the volume in 1915. 

Dr. Minton does not confine his interest's to 
purely medical matters, but is interested in all 
things that look toward the uplift of the colored 
man. He is Treasurer of Downington Industrial 
School; a member of the Board of Directors of 
Whittier Center. He is a member of the Sigma 
Pi Phi; of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows ; 
and of the Free and Accepted Masons. He has 
made an exhaustive study of the conditions sur¬ 
rounding the Negroes in Philadelphia and is auth¬ 
or of “Early History of Negroes in Business in 
Philadelphia.” 

Dr. Minton is still studying the subject of Tuber¬ 
culosis as it pertains to the Negro in Philadelphia. 
He is chairman of a committee of representative 
colored persons who are working under the auspic¬ 
es of the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention 
of Tuberculosis. This Society has for its aim an 
extensive survey of this problem in Philadelphia. 

Dr. Minton was married in 1902, to Miss Edith 
G. Wormley, of Washington, D. C. They live at 
1130 S. 18 St., Philadelphia. 

Dr. Minton has accumulated several pieces of 
valuable real estate in Philadelphia. 


282 












El SHOP GEORGE LINCOLN BLACKWELL. A. B., 

S. T. B., A. M., D. D., LL. D. 

EORGE Lincoln Blackwell was 
born at Henderson, N. C., July 3, 
1861. His father was Hailey and 
his mother was Catherine (Wy- 
che) Blackwell. Young Blackwell 
was reared on Tar river, in Gran¬ 
ville County, and about the plantation known as 
“Squire William Blackwell’s.” School facilities 
were very poor, the terms were three and four 
months in the year and the quality of teachers was 
mediocre, hence young Blackwell’s opportunities 
for an elementary education was very meagre. 
When he was seventeen he became a night pupil of 
Joseph Blackwell, who would have been his young 
master had slavery held on, and thus piepaied him¬ 
self to acquire a third grade teacher s certificate. 
The examiner frankly told him that it was not his 
literary qualifications that caused him to grant the 
certificate but the recommendation of good charac¬ 
ter by Squire William Blackwell. Obtaining the 
certificate, young Blackwell taught four months, 
and studying hard himself during the same time he 
returned and made a good second grade. Deeply 
impressed of his call to preach (having professed 
faith in God and joined the church at the age of 


fifteen) he connected himself with the North Caro¬ 
lina Conference of the A. M. E. Zion Church in 
1881 at Beaufort, N. C. After one year’s success¬ 
ful service he realized the need of further prepara¬ 
tion, so he was relieved of regular pastoral duty 
and entered Livingston College, from which after 
six years, he graduated (1888) with the degree of 
Bachelor of Arts. After one year’s intermission, he 
entered Boston University School of Theology, 
from which he graduated in 1892 with the degree of 
Bachelor of Sacred Theology in class with Edwin 
H. Hughes and F. F. Hamilton, both of whom are 
now bishops in the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

Young Blackwell (who had already married Miss 
Annie E. Walker, daughter of the late D. I. Walk¬ 
er, Chester, S. C.) was called to Livingston Col¬ 
lege, his alma mater, to teach theology, and enter¬ 
ed upon that duty Oct. 1893, just three weeks after 
the lamented president Dr. J. C. Price, passed away, 
so that Rev. W. H. Goler, D. D., succeeded to the 
presidency and young Blackwell was made dean of 
the Theological Department which position he held 
for three years. His church called him in 1896 to be¬ 
come manager of the publication house, Charlotte, 
N. C., and the editor of the Sunday School litera¬ 
ture. This dual office he held for four years. He 
then became the pastor of the foremost church of 
the connection, Wesley, Philadelphia, for four years 
following which he was made the Secretary of 
Missions and Editor of the Missionary Seer, a 
monthly magazine. After four years service, satis¬ 
factory to the whole church, George Lincoln Black- 
well, was elected and consecrated bishop of the Af¬ 
rican Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in 1908 in 
his own home town. Since being elevated to this 
high and important post of duty, the Bishop has 
given good account of himself. In the west where 
he served for eight years, he and his men erected 
forty seven churches and he organized two new 
annual conferences and three new presiding elder 
districts. His district now takes in a.part of the 
State of New York, Michigan and a part of Illinois 
including Chicago; it also includes Virginia and 
two conferences in North Carolina. 

Bishop Blackwell is known in his church both as 
the Editor of the Book of Discipline and as authori¬ 
ty on ecclesiastical law. He is an aggressive and 
tireless worker and wherever he presides the men 
quicken their pace and do a third more work and 
yet he never scolds nor quarrels with his men ; his 
stock in trade is to make each man feel that he is a 
man and that he can do a man’s part. 

Bishop Blackwell has received the following lit¬ 
erary degrees: A. M., Livingston College 1894; 
D. D., Kansas Wesleyan University 1896; LL. D., 
Campbell College 1913. 

He and his estimable wife live happily in their 
own well appointed home 624 South Sixteenth 
Street, Philadelphia. 


283 
























JOHN MILLER MARQUESS, A. B., F. A. G. S. 




OHN Miller Marques s— 
President of the Colored Agri¬ 
cultural and Normal University, 
at Langston, Oklahoma, has had 
a very thorough preparation for 
his work. In his life as a student 
and in his first years out of school, while he serv¬ 


ed as teacher in various institutions, he was un¬ 
consciously getting just the training that he need¬ 
ed to make him an all-round man for the Presi¬ 
dency of some institution. 

He was born in Helena, Arkansas, February 23, 
1882, and here he received his early school train¬ 
ing, and enjoyed the privilege of attending school 
regularly, a privilege denied many. So well did 
young Marquess apply himself while in Helena, 
that we find him at the tender age of thirteen leav¬ 
ing home and entering the preparatory department 
of Fisk University, Nashville. Tennessee. Here 
he remained from 1895 till 1902, when he was 
graduated from the college department of Fisk, 
with the degree of A. B. At this time President 
Marquess was only twenty years of age. 

While in Fisk, although he spent a great deal of 
his time on his books and kept himself up with his 
class in every respect, he still found time to take 


a very active part in all the life of the institution. 
He won his letters in football and was captain*of 
the team for two years. He was also one of the star 
players on the base ball team. He was a member 
of the Glee Club, Jubilee Club, and Bass soloist for 
four years. In 1902, he traveled with the Fisk 
Ouartett during the summer. 

Still not satisfied with his preparation and be¬ 
ing just a young man, we find President Marquess 
leaving Fisk and matriculating at Dartsmouth. 
Here he remained for two years, receiving the de¬ 
gree of Bachelor of Arts, from the University when 
he Lit. In Dartmouth we find him as active as 
he was in Fisk. He was a member of the track 
team, football squad and of the Glee Club. He 
won his letters on the track team. Again we find 
him a soloist, this time in the Dartmouth Choral 
Club. 

On leaving school President Marquess served first 
as Instructor in Mathematics and Languages in 
Shorter College, Argenta, Arkansas, for two years ; 
then he held the same work in Kittrell Col¬ 
lege, North Carolina, for two years. The next 
change gave him a chance to develop his executive 
ability. This opportunity came to him—as prin¬ 
cipal of the Summer High School, Kansas City, 
Kansas. Here for eight years, Mr. Marquess 
worked, training the young people who came un¬ 
der his care directly and so directing the teachers 
in his school that each child in the school was ben- 
efitted by the presence of the principal. In 1916, he 
was placed at the head of the State University for 
Colored People, in Oklahoma. Mr. Marquess 
served one year as President of the Citizen’s 
Forum, of Kansas City. He is a member of the 
Knights and Daughters of Tabor, of the Knights of 
Pythias—in this last named he is the present Chan¬ 
cellor Commander, of the Ancient Free and Accept¬ 
ed Masons, of which organization he is serving as 
Past Grand Secretary for the State of Kansas, of 
the United Brothers of Friendship and of the Royal 
Circle of Friends of the World. He is also Past 
Potentate in Shrine, a member of Royal Arch 
Chapter Commandery, (Knight Templar), and 
Scottish Rite consistory, with 32nd degree. In re¬ 
ligious belief and church affiliation, Mr. Marquess 
is African Methodist Episcopal. At present Mr. 
Marquess is Vice-President, a director and mem¬ 
ber of the executive committee of the Oklahoma 
Negro State Fair Association. This is a char¬ 
tered organization. He is also a Fellow in Amer¬ 
ican Geographical Society. He has traveled ex¬ 
tensively in the United States and has been also in 
Canada and Mexico. 

August 28, 1908, President Marquess was mar¬ 
ried to Miss Anna Edna Dickson, of Springfield, O. 
Three children have come to bless their home. 


284 














MAIN BUILDING, COLORED AGRICULTURAL AND NORMAL UNIVERSITY--LANGSTON, OKLA. 



HE Colored A. &. N. University, 
of Oklahoma, is situated in the 
town of Langston. No better 
site could have been chosen for 
the establishment of this insti¬ 
tution, — for here in Langston, 
the Negroes have the whole town 
to themselves and get all the les¬ 
sons in self-government that come with the man¬ 
agement of a town. The University has in all 
thirteen buildings. There is the Main Building, 
which is the largest and most important of the 
group. The other buildings are dormitories, trades 
buildings, etc. All the buildings are heated and 
lighted from a central plant. To make the Col¬ 
ored Agricultural and Normal L niversity even 
more sustaining they have their own water and 
sewerage system. 

The University was established at Langston by 
an act of the Territorial Legislature in 1897. The 
purpose of the University is to give the colored 
people of Oklahoma an opportunity to get within 
the State a very thorough training for life’s work. 
Here they may receive Collegiate, Mechanical and 
Agricultural training without the expense of tiav- 
eling to distant States for the purpose, and at a 
minimum cost per month for board, lodging, etc. 
Lorty acres of land were donated by the Negroes 
of Langston and its immediate vicinity. As the 
school grew, they became pressed for space for 
farm demonstration, actual farm land, etc, and so 
the acreage was increased. Today they have 
three hundred and twenty acres of land. 

The support of the University is derived from 
three distinct sources. Yearly they have appro¬ 
priated for their support a sum from the Hate 
Treasury. Then they receive one third of one 
tenth of the proceeds from the rental of Section 
Thirteen which was reserved by Congress foi the 
benefit of institutions of higher learning hey 
also get one tenth of the Morrill Lund, a fund ap¬ 


propriated by the United States government for the 
teaching of trades to its citizens. This one tenth 
received by the Colored Agricultural and Normal 
University represents the amount due the Colored 
people in the State of Oklahoma ; the division be¬ 
ing made according to the population. 

The plant of J:he University is now valued at 
about $225,000.00. 

The Laculty of A. & N. University is composed 
of thirty-two individuals. All of these teachers 
have had very thorough preparation for their 
tasks. All are graduates of some standard College 
or Normal and several have their masters degrees 
from institutions like Yale and Columbia Univer¬ 
sity of New York City. Among the schools repres¬ 
ented on the faculty of the University are Lisk, Ho¬ 
ward. Tuskegee, Hampton, Oberlin, Pratt, Touga- 
loo, Bennett, Wilberforce, Walden, University of 
California, Spelman Seminary, Wiley, and Tillot- 
son. 

In addition to the College work leading the de¬ 
gree of Bachelor of Arts, the Teacher Training 
Course and Agricultural Course, the school ofifers 
training in all the mechanical trades. The equip¬ 
ment for the work is complete. The school has 
not forgotten to develop the asthetical side of its 
students. There is a musical department that in¬ 
cludes instrumental and vocal music. It has its 
Glee Club, Jubilee Clubs, Band and Orchestra. Spe¬ 
cial emphasis is laid on the training of Sunday 
School workers. The development of the physi¬ 
cal side of the students is looked after in the ath¬ 
letics which are endorsed and encouraged. 

No tuition is charged students who reside 
in the the State of Oklahoma. Eleven dollars 
mental music lessons there is placed an extra 
charge of one dollar per month. 

The graduates, for the most part, are engaged 
in teaching. The demand for them is much larger 
than the supply. 


285 























JAMES ROYAL JOHNSON 

R. Johnson, Superintendent of Ok¬ 
lahoma State Institute for Deaf, 
Blind and Orphan Colored Chil¬ 
dren, was born in Washington, 
Wilkes County, Georgia, Sep¬ 
tember, 1870. He is the son of 
Johanna and Amos Johnson, who were slaves of 
Senator Robert Toombs, Secretary of State in Jeff 
Davis’ Cabinet. 

His early life as a boy was like that of other Ne¬ 
gro boys of his time and section, only distinguished 
by his intense, longing for an education. H. H. Wil¬ 
liams, prosperous business man, of Atlanta, Geor¬ 
gia, and R. R. Wright, President of the Georgia 
State Industrial College, Savannah, were among 
his teachers. Completing his education, Mr. John¬ 
son taught school in Georgia for a number of years 
and then went west. After teaching in Mississippi 
Arkansas and Texas, he landed in Oklahoma City, 
April, 1905. His first and only public school work 
was near Edmond, a town then and now without 
a single Colored inhabitant. Here Mr. Johnson 
lived for two years. During his sojourn here the 
citizens united in a monster petition to the Re¬ 
gents of Langston University, that he be given a 
place on the faculty of that Institution. Where¬ 
upon he was elected Assistant Professor of Math¬ 
ematics, and two years later Vice-President of the 
University. In this capacity he was in absolute 
control of the Langston Literary activities. Lang¬ 
ston University reached its highest place as a use¬ 
ful factor in race life while Mr. Johnson was its 
Vice-President. 


Thus it was that when Oklahoma came into 
Statehood, and founded an Institute for the deaf, 
blind and orphan, her officials elected Mr. Johnson 
to preside over the institute. What he is doing at 
this post can be seen from two excerpts from the 
Muskogee Times-Democrat, a white daily paper. 

MANAGEMENT OF TAFT INSTITUTION 

“It is very gratifying to learn that the State 
Board of Education and the Legislative Committee 
on Appropriations, after having gone over the re¬ 
ports of the various educational and elemosyn- 
ary institutions of the State, unite in saying that 
the Institution that makes the best showing, as to 
business management, is the institution for col¬ 
ored, at Taft, of which J. R. Johnson is Superin¬ 
tendent. Johnson’s management of this Institu¬ 
tion deserves the highest commendation and his 
record ought to be a matter of very great pride to 
the members of his race.” 

INVITE BAPTISTS TO TAFT SCHOOL 
ON A BUSINESS BASIS 

“President Johnson has the unique distinction of 
conducting his institution on what is admitted by 
all to be the best business basis of any institution 
in the State. Johnson not only looks after the ed¬ 
ucational features of the school, but keeps the 
school absolutely free from criticism and scandal; 
but he teaches the students to work, and produce 
on the farm owned by the State and on land which 
he personally rents, crops which go far toward 
paying the living expenses of 200 pupils.” 

“President Johnson is a most remarkable man. 
It is not generally known that early in this year, 
feeling the positive necessity of having a large 
sanitary barn, he undertook to build the barn out 
of savings from his appropriation for maintenance. 
The cost exceeded the estimate and in order not 
to have a deficit, Johnson waived three months 
salary. This does not mean that he passed it up 
for future payment, but it means that he just gave 
the State three months of his salary in order to 
have the barn. 

PAYS FROM OWN POCKET 

“Appropriation has been made for more land 
but the land has not been purchased. Johnson 
rented 160 acres, paid the rent, bought the seed 
and fertilizer out of his own pocket and has 141 
acres of as fine cotton as is in the State. The State 
will realize after reimbursing Johnson for the rent, 
a net profit of twice the value of the land. Not 
many State officials would do this. If the crop 
had been a failure Johnson would have lost what 
he put into it. The State stood to win but not to 
lose. Many people believe that President John¬ 
son of the Taft Institute, measured by results of 
his work, is the biggest Afro-American in Okla¬ 
homa.” 

The size of the institute and what it is doing can 
be best judged by two reports, one from the State 
Superintendent of Education, the other from Su¬ 
perintendent Johnson: 



286 














STATE INSTITUTE FOR DEAF, BLIND AND ORPHAN COLORED CHILDREN—TAFT, OKLAHOMA. 


INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTE FOR DEAF, BLIND AND 
ORPHANS—S. DOUGLASS RUSSELL PRES¬ 
IDENT—TAFT, OKLAOHMA. 


Land _$ 5.000.00 

One frame building- _$ 1.000.00 

One brick building-_$35,000.00 

One power house and boiler_$ 3.000.00 


Furniture and equipment in two buildings $ 3,000.90 

STATE INSTITUTE FOR DEAF. BLIND AND COLO¬ 
RED ORPHANS—TAFT, OKLAHOMA— J. R. 
JOHNSON, SUPERINTENDENT. 

1. Property: 

1. Total acreage belonging to Institution 101, 


valued at _$ 5,000.00 

Buildings: 

Girl’s dormitory, brick -$35,000.00 

Boy’s dormitory, frame - 1,000.00 

Superintendent’s residence, frame- 1,800.00 

Light and heating plant - 3,000.00 

Modern barn, valued at- 3,100.00 


Total _$43,900.00 


As shown above, the farm consists of 101 acres 
and is entirely too small to give proper employ¬ 
ment to the large number of boys living at this in¬ 
stitution. The Superintendent, with the advice and 
consent of the State Board of Public Affairs and 
Dr. F. B. Fite, resident member of the State Board 


of Education, rented 180 acres of land which he 
planted in wheat and oats. We have harvested 
from this land 2,467 bushels of oats and 809 bushels 
of wheat, a plentiful supply for all our wants. 

In addition to wheat and oats we have raised 300 
bushels of Irish potatoes, 400 bushels of sweet po¬ 
tatoes, 380 gallons of syrup, canned 452 gallons of 
tomatoes, and 10 barrels of kraut. We have 62 
hogs, and will kill 5000 pounds of meat this winter. 

Because of the abundance of our farm and gar¬ 
den produce, we have been able to furnish food for 
an average of 186 children at an average cost of 
three and six mills per day. 

While we are able to furnish healthful and prof¬ 
itable employment for our boys, the same condi¬ 
tion does not obtain with regard to the girls. We 
are doing something toward training them to be¬ 
come bread winners, but not enough. We need an 
Industrial building wherein our girls will receive 
practical training in every day house work; clean¬ 
ing, cooking, sewing, etc. This is not possible as 
we are now situated. 

To have invested his own money to make the 
farm feed his school, to have built up sources and 
increased the general usefulness of this Institute 
would seem a good life work for any one man. 
But to this Superintendent Johnson adds the re¬ 
sponsibility of caring for the State Reformatory of 
Negro Boys and the Home for incorrigible Girls. 
These he is shaping and giving character just as he 
is doing for the institute for the Deaf, Blind and 
the Orphans. 


28 7 

























SAMUEL I. MOONE, A. B, M. D. 



F we stop to note the list of great 
men who have been born on the 
farm and who spent their early 
life in tilling the soil, we are 
forced to conclude that there is 
something in such a life which 
lays a strong foundation for a successful career. 
It may be due to the discipline of early rising and 
hard physical labor which develops the body, or the 
opportunity for quiet contemplation which helps to 
develop the mind, but whatever the cause it is a 
fact that many of our great men come from the 
country. 

Dr. Samuel I. Moone was born on a farm and 
passed his early days working as a farm laborer. 
He was born in Spartanburg County, South Caro¬ 
lina, January 6th., 1874. He attended the County 
schools, when they were in session. 

School terms in the County were short; the 
hours of labor on the farm, even for a lad, were 
long. Tiring of this life, seeing that he made but 
little headway in gaining an education, the young 
man sought to try his fortune elsewhere. 

Leaving his native home at the age of fifteen, he 
went to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and found em¬ 


ployment as a day laborer in the rolling mills. The 
work was hard, too hard for one so young, but he 
kept in mind his goal, that of getting an education, 
of being a man of service and distinction among 
his fellowmen. 

Finally he was able to pursue his course. Leav¬ 
ing the rolling mills, he entered Biddle University, 
Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1890. Working at any 
task he could find both in vacations and at odd 
times, he completed the Normal and Collegiate 
Courses in 1898. 

After teaching through the winter of 1898 and 
the spring of 1899, he left the school room and 
sought harder but surer means of pursuing his 
course. Once more he resorted to the rolling mills, 
going to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, for the purpose. 
This hard and arduous labor provided him with 
sufficient money to take up the study of medicine. 
In 1899 he entered the Leonard Medical School, 
completing his course in 1904. He had worked 
hard, had suffered privations, but he could now 
see the horizon, and he went out to begin life as a 
professional man. 

Fixing upon Norfolk, Virginia, as a desirable 
place, he opened an office and put up his shingle. 
As is true of most doctors and professional men, he 
waited a short while before patronage became 
sufficiently large to insure a living. However, he 
had courage and the confidence to labor and wait. 
In due time the public found him out, and his suc¬ 
cess as a physician was assured. A practice of 
fourteen years has yielded him a comfortable liv¬ 
ing for himself and for his family, has enabled him 
to provide himself with a home and several valuable 
pieces of property in the city of Norfolk. 

Dr. Moone was wise enough at the beginning not 
to keep to himself. Experience in life had taught 
him how to mingle quite at ease with his fellows 
and his success was due largely to the fact that he 
had the welfare of his people at heart and be¬ 
ing willing to lift while rising. He joined the Pres¬ 
byterian Church of Norfolk and became an elder. 
He joined the Masonic Lodge and became one of 
the leading members of the body. He soon came 
to be sought out for all big undertakings among 
the colored people of Norfolk. He is a director and 
a stockholder in Brown Savings and Banking Com¬ 
pany, of __orfolk. He is a director and a stock¬ 
holder in the Seaside Building Association of Nor¬ 
folk, and a stockholder in the Bayshore Summer 
Resort, at Hampton. 

Dr .Moone has been twice married. The first 
Mrs. Moone was Miss Susie Fox, of Charlotte, 
North Carolina. She died in 1907. The present 
Mrs. Moone was Miss Jessie E. Stoney, who for 
several years was a teacher in Claflin University, 
Orangeburg, South Carolina. 


288 








GIRLS’ DORMITORY, STATE COLLEGE—ELIZABE TH CITY, N. C—PETER W. MOORE, PRESIDENT. 


ETER W. Moore, of Elizabeth 
City, North Carolina, was born 
near Clinton, Sampson County, 
North Carolina, June 1859. His 
early education was received in 
the rural school of this county. 

Here he applied himself, getting 

from his books all that the 
teacher could explain to him, and reading into 
them a great deal from his own mind. 

While in the rural schools he led the life of a farm 
boy. Here he had all the toil of the farmer, and 

he had also the joys that come to the farm lad. So 

although he had to hoe and plow and milk cows 
and catch the horses and feed them, the young lad 
also had time off here and there to enjoy a fishing 
trip and to go hunting, and look after his traps. It 
is this diversion that conies with the farm life that 
keeps it from breaking the ambition of those who 
are born to become leaders, although born in out- 
of-the-way places. 

Leaving the farm in 1879, Mr. Moore entered 
Shaw University. Here for eight years he re¬ 
mained, making for himself a record as a student 
and as a man at the same time. In order to re¬ 
main in school, each summer he returned to the 
farm and worked at all the odd jobs and hard labor 
as well, to which he had become so accustomed and 
which he had not as yet out-grown. Mr. Moore 
went to the North Carolina State Normal school, 
located at New Bern. Here he trained for the de¬ 
finite work of teaching. 

After his graduation in 1887, he was elected Vice 
Principal of the State Normal school, at Plymouth, 
North Carolina. Here he remained for foui yeai s, 
serving in this capacity. During these years he got 
the practical experience of an executive in the 
school world. These four years only helped fit 
him for the more responsible position which await¬ 


ed him. In 1892 Mr. Moore was elected principal of 
the State Normal and Industrial School, at Eliza¬ 
beth City, North Carolina. Here he has remained. 
When he took the work, January, 1892, he had an 
enrollment of 64 pupils and one assistant. In 1918 
he had an enrollment of 473 and a faculty of thir¬ 
teen. This growth has been due not only to the 
untiring efforts of Mr. Moore, in advertising his 
school, but to the good work done there. The 
fact of this good work has been told by the many 
pupils going out, and so the work has grown. 

Mr. Moore has not confined his efforts to the 
running of his school alone. In fact, he has had 
a conspicious place in the educational world in his 
State. He served as Teachers’ Institute Conduc¬ 
tor and as Assistant Superintendent of Public 
Schools. He has served as President of theNorth 
Carolina Teachers’ Association, and is at present 
serving that organization in the capacity of Secre¬ 
tary. Because of the prominent place he held in 
the educational circles of his state, when the Gov¬ 
ernor wanted a representative in the National Ed¬ 
ucational Congress on two occasions he chose Mr. 
Moore for the job. 

In 1889 Mr. Peter W. Moore was married to 
Miss S. T. Rayner, at Windsor, North Carolina. 
To them have been born two daughters. Miss 
Ruth S. Moore is married to Mr. Henry Games. 
Although married, she still teaches. Miss Bessie 
V. Moore is still a student. 

No better prepared man could be found to serve 
at the head of the institution over which Mr. Moore 
is now President. His training in early youth fits 
him to sympathize with the students from the rural 
districts of North Carolina. He knows their prob¬ 
lems and can help solve them. And then, going out 
from his school, his pupils carry with them the en¬ 
thusiasm, and high ideals of service which they 
have imbibed under the influence of Mr. Moore. 



239 










































CAPTAIN J. E. HAMLIN 


MONG the few men who passed 
through the schools and secured a 
thorough education and chose a 
business career instead of enter¬ 
ing the professions, is James Ed¬ 
ward Hamlin, of Raleigh, North 
Carolina. He not only chose a business career, but 
made a conspicious success of the business, which 
finally claimed his attention, die did not find the 
line of endeavor which gripped his interest and 
awakened his business talent and energies until af¬ 
ter he had tried several different ventures. 

He turned instinctively from talioring, and the 
pressing club, and all the other easier, self-running 
enterprises failed to attract him. The business in¬ 
stinct in him was strong and he sought an occupa¬ 
tion which would give free play to his gifts. For a 
time, on leaving school he worked in the Raleigh 
Post Office. This gave him time to cast about for 
a business of his own. He soon noticed that there 
was a good opening for a Negro fish market, a 
business in which but few Negroes are engaged in 
even today. The business did not suit him alto¬ 
gether so he yielded to the lure of travel, disposd 
of his stand, and went to New York, where he 
secured a position in the dining car service. Again 
his mind turned towards Raleigh, and a business 
career. This time he opened a restaurant which he 
conducted with marked success, but the call of his 
Government, just when his restaurant had reached 
a high point of prosperity, caused him to give it up 
and lay himself upon the altar of his country. The 


war with Spain was announced and Mr. Hamlin 
was quick to volunteer for service. He was made 
Captain of Company B., of the North Carolina 
Thirty-Second volunteers. 

He served through the Spanish-American war 
and won the respect of his commanding officers 
and love and confidence of the men of his company, 
and merited the gratitude of his country to which 
he gave his loyal support. After returning from 
the Spanish-American War, Captain Hamlin de¬ 
cided to remain in the army and enlisted for service 
in the Phillipines, and served in those Islands as 
Captain of the Forty-eighth Infantry Volunteers 
for two years. 

After remaining in the Phillipines for the term 
of his enlistment he received his honorable dis¬ 
charge from the army, and returned to the United 
States. For the time that he was in the army all 
thoughts of business were dismissed from his mind, 
but immediately after his retirement his mind 
again reverted to it, and his face was turned again 
towards Raleigh. This time he ventured into the 
drug business, and in that he found a business to 
his liking, although he still had a leaning to the res¬ 
taurant. He opened his first drug store in 1904. 

Today he owns two drug stores, and a lunch 
room in Raleigh, a large farm not far from 
the city, and has interest in a drug store in Blue- 
field, North Carolina. All of these business ven¬ 
tures have proved successful and very remunera¬ 
tive, the earnings from same he very wisely invest¬ 
ed in real estate, which in turn has added to his in¬ 
come. 

He is a member of the African Methodist Epis¬ 
copal Church. 

Though he has moved several times, Mr. Hamlin 
has been a very useful citizen. He was Secretary 
of the Negro State Fair of North Carolina for 
twelve years, during which period he lifted the or¬ 
ganization out of confusion and loss to one of the 
best Negro Fairs in the country. He is a notary 
public, the only Negro Notary in Raleigh. He is 
connected with the North Carolina Mutual Indus¬ 
trial Association. He is a thirty-second degree 
Mason, an Odd Fellow, a Knight of Pythias, 
Knight of Gideon, and a Good Samaritan. 

Mr. Hamlin has traveled very extensively, hav¬ 
ing gone all over the United States, in the Philli¬ 
pines and in Europe. For all his travel he has ac¬ 
cumulated a comfortable sum of money and large 
property holdings. He owns his home, a store 
building in the heart of the city, and fourteen rent 
houses, and a farm valued at $6,800. His wealth 
is estimated at from $65,000 to $78,000. 

Mr. Hamlin was married in 1885 to Miss Annie 
W. Foushee, of Raleigh. There are two children. 
Miss Annie Ethel, now Mrs. Rogers, and Dr. V. C. 
Hamlin, of Raleigh. 



290 










JONAH EMANUEL 


ANY a man has gone from the 
farm to carve his way to high po¬ 
sitions of honor and proficiency 
in his chosen profession. We find 
such an instance in the career of 
_ Dr. Jonah Emanuel. Dr. Eman¬ 
uel was born in Bible County, Georgia, September 
9th, 1858. He removed from Georgia with his pa¬ 
rents at the age of seven years and located in the 



State of Arkansas. He attended the public schools 
of Arkansas for three years. 


His father, Benjamin Emanuel, was a farmer, for 
some years, and in fact until he was twenty one 
years of age, Dr. Emanuel worked with his father 
on the farm. When he reached his majority he 
decided to shift for himself, and his eyes turned 
towards the city. 

He left the farm and came to the city of New 
York. When he reached Jersey City, he had ex¬ 
hausted his funds and found that he did not have 
sufficient money to pay his way from that city to 
the point of his destination. Nothing daunted he 
continued his way on foot and reached Bedford, 
New York, where he obtained work at one dollar 


and a half a day. 


Remaining a few months in Bedford he saved 
enough money to continue his way to New York 
City where he obtained employment at four dollars 
per week. For two years he labored hard during 
the day and attended school at night. He applied 
himself diligently to his studies and built largely 
upon the foundation he had received at the public 
schools. 

He chose Chiropody as his profession and set 
about preparing himself for his work. He served 
three years under a most proficient Chiropodist, 
and when he acquired sufficient skill he opened an 
office for himself in the Windsor Hotel, and then 
located at 46th Street and 5th Avenue. 

For the first two or three years he averaged 
about one hundred and fifty dollars per month; this 
was much below the amount he hoped to realize 
but his disappointment did not discourage him, it 
only made him more determined to succeed. He 
applied himself more diligently and worked hard 
day and night to improve his knowledge of his pro¬ 
fession, and to give perfect satisfaction to his pa¬ 
tients ; and in the course of time increased his in¬ 
come to more than five thousand dollars per an¬ 
num. 

Some of the richest and best families of New 
York and many other cities are to be found 
among his large and ever-increasing number of 
patients, about ninety-nine per cent of which are 
white. He has the reputation of having no super¬ 
ior in his profession, the character of his patients 
bearing testimony to the correctness of this esti¬ 
mate placed upon his ability. He has the distinc¬ 
tion of being the one Colored charter member of 
the New York State Pedic Society. 

Dr. Emanuel has been thrice married; the first 
time to Miss Susie Johnson, of Virginia, in 1888; 
in 1899 he married Miss Louise Dyer, of Virginia, 
by whom three children—Gussie, Blanch, and Viola 
were born. In 1909 he married Miss Bertha B. 
Harper, of South Carolina. 

Dr. Emanuel is a member of the St. Marks Me¬ 
thodist Episcopal Church, and is actively and offi¬ 
cially identified with its work. He is also a mem¬ 
ber of the Young Men’s Christian Association. He 
is connected with the Masonic fraternity, being a 
Master Mason. 

Dr. Emanuel is deeply interested in the develop¬ 
ment of his race, and in every way possible, accord¬ 
ing to his ability, contributes to their uplift, both 
in time, talent and money. 

Notwithstanding his most generous contribu¬ 
tions to the various enterprises of his people, and 
the making of investments to his own disadvantage 
in order to encourage them along business lines, 
he has succeeded in accumulating considerable 
wealth and is now well fixed financially, 


291 












GEORGE WASHINGTON GOODE, B. D., D. D. 


n O day, no month, no year is long- 
enough” to accomplish the tasks 
that devolve upon Dr. George 
Washington Goode, B. D., D. D., 
m of Danville, Virginia, so he states 
■ tv it himself, and so it is. Born in 
Patrick County, Virginia, March 14th, 1865, Di. 
Goode spent the larger part of the first seventeen 
years of his life on the farm. 



Completing the High School Course in Mai- 
ion, Virginia, at the age of eighteen, he taught 
school in his home County, in Smyth, in Bedford 
and Montgomery for seven years. Converted about 
the age of twenty one, he felt his call to the min¬ 
istry. His first charge was at Red Hill, Pulaski 
County, Va., a mining town. Here he organized a 
church and was the means of forty souls being con¬ 
verted. From Red Hill, where he gathered his 
strength and established his fame as a coming 
preacher, he entered the Richmond Theological 
Seminary. Here he spent six years; three in com¬ 
pleting the institute course and three in the theolo¬ 
gical, graduating from the full Greek and Hebrew 


course in 1895. 

For three years he was student teacher of arith¬ 
metic and beginnner’s Greek. Dr. Goode pastored 
the Salem Baptist Church, West Point, and the Mt. 


Zion Baptist Church, Churchview, Va. Four years 
labor in these churches, which he pastored jointly, 
gained him the call to the Calvary Baptist Church, 
Danville, Va. Here he has labored for twenty-two 
years, making the Calvary Baptist Church a pow¬ 
er in the state, making it also the center ..from 
which he radiated into other kinds of needed ser¬ 
vices. 

To pastor a big church as Dr. Goode has done is 
ample work for the average minister. To Dr. 
Goode, so thoroughly prepared, so rich in the com¬ 
mon man’s experience, it was an item in a big ca¬ 
reer. He founded the P. I. N. and C. Institute, and 
has been its president for fifteen years. He was 
president of the General Baptist Association of 
Virginia for seven years ; secretary of the Cherry 
Stone Baptist Association for eighteen years, mem¬ 
ber of the Executve Board of the State Sunday 
School Convention; treasurer and Board member 
of the B. Y. P. U.; member of the Lott Carey For¬ 
eign Missionary Convention; member of the Ne¬ 
gro Organization Society and of the State Teach¬ 
ers’ Association ; chairman of the Executive Board 
of the United Charity and Welfare League, an or¬ 
ganization which supports a sick nurse in the city 
of Danville. No wonder he bewails the days, 
months and years as being too short to do all the 
tasks before him. 

Dr. Goode was married to Miss Mary L. Gaines, 
who was formerly a school teacher of Richmond, 
Virginia, in 1896. To her he cheerfully owns that 
he is indebted for much of his success. There have 
been no children born to Dr. and Mrs. Goode, but 
they have turned this seeming misfortune into a 
blessing. They have taken into their home and 
educated five children: Miss Rosa B. Gaines they 
have educated in the public schools of Richmond, 
then at Hartshorn College; Caleb S. Mahlemgara, 
an African, they have had for ten years, taking him 
drectly from Africa. He has been graduated from 
the P. I. N. and C. Institute, from the Virginia 
Union LTniversity Academic Department, and is 
now studying agriculture in the State Agricultural 
College at Columbus, Ohio. Warner H. Gaines is 
the third child to receive parental care from Dr. 
and Mrs. Goode. This young man is now a finish¬ 
ed carpenter in Richmond, Virginia. George W. 
Goode, Jr., is now in their care. Margaret Smith, 
the fifth adopted child, is also with them. 

Along with all these responsibilities at home and 
abroad Dr. Goode has kept upon his heart one great 
task for mankind, that of bringing about Temper¬ 
ance. For twenty years he has labored in and out 
of season at this, taking active part in all meetings 
and campaigns in its behalf. He is an aggressive 
and fearless fighter, yet much loved for his gen¬ 
uineness and for his services throughout Virginia. 
He wears one of the finest gold medals available, 
given by the Baptist Association of his state. 

He owns a beautiful ten room residence in the 
residential section of Danville, a farm of one hun¬ 
dred acres, with other city and country property. 
He is, as has been said of him, “a busy man with a 
willing spirit, with hands and heart open to help 
everybody that he can.” 


292 








John P. Morris, A. B., B. D. 


N educator of no mean attainment 
and a church-man of deep conse¬ 
cration and abiding- faith. Reve¬ 
rend John P. Morris, of Greens¬ 
boro, North Carolina, has devoted 
a full quarter of a century in ac- 
his people, giving- especial attention 
to the advancement of the Negro along lines of ed¬ 
ucation and religion. His work has carried him 
into the remote districts of his native state, and he 
is tireless in his efforts to help uplift the Negro 
race. 

While he is more concerned about their religious 
and educational advance he is not unmindful of 
their physical welfare. 

Rev. Morris was born in Caswell County, North 
Carolina, January 23rd, 1861. His early school days 
were far from pleasant and were fraught with 
many discouragements, and indeed, he met with 
so many rebuffs and deep privations that a spirit 
less courageous than his would have lost his am¬ 
bition. He would not have been human had he not 
felt the pressure of these trials, which at times al¬ 
most suppressed his ambition to be a scholar, but 
grit and determination won out, and the flame 
while it flickered at times, continued to burn and 
never went out. 

Overcoming all obstacles and pressing forward 
towards his goal, perseverance at last rewarded 
him and he was enabled to attend Bennett College, 
it was at this college that he secured his prepara¬ 
tory work which enabled him to move with greater 
freedom in the accomplishment of his fixed purpose 
to obtain an education. It may be said that here 
the shackles fell from him and he progressed rap¬ 
idly in completing his education. 

He remained at Bennett College until he had fin¬ 
ished his preparatory course, when he left that in¬ 
stitution and entered Clark University, Atlanta, 
Ga. He continued at Clark University until he 
received his degree of Bachelor of Arts, and then 
enrolled in Gammon Theological Seminary, an in- 
stituton with a large endowment devoted entirely 
to the training of ministers, and with an equipment 
and teaching force capable of standard theological 
work. He remained in this institution for three 
years, where he applied himself diligently to his du¬ 
ties and where he gained some practical expei ience 
as a preacher. This Institution bestowed upon him 
the degree of Bachelor of Divinity. During his pre¬ 
paration in other schools, the Bennett C ollege had 
never lost trace of him, for his personality had 
been deeply impressed upon this school, and it 
was not long after his graduation before he was 


called to a post on the faculty. He accepted the 
call and for twenty-three years served the college 
with distinction. His teaching and executive abil¬ 
ity was recognized by the college and he was pro¬ 
moted to the office of Vice-President. 

Mr. Morris felt that the finger of Providence 
pointed him to educational work and impressed 
upon his mind this as a great field of endeavor for 
the development of his people, at the same time 
keeping before him their spiritual needs, so while 
he devoted the best of his life to the college work, 
he never neglected his church work, but made them 
work together for the one purpose of his life to 
help his people. His labors in the interest of his 
denomination have been marked by long and effi¬ 
cient s-ervice. For four years he served as Secre¬ 
tary for the North Carolina Conference and for 
sixteen years he was the Conference statistical!. 
While he is an earnest believer in Methodism, and 
adheres strictly to its principals, he is big enough 
to work for the good of all people regardless 
of creed. As the years went by the church be¬ 
gan to lay heavier duties upon him which finally 
claimed all of his time. It was not an easy thing 
for him to give up the school room and especially 
the college which had sheltered his struggling 
youth and fostered his maturer dreams, and to 
which he had devoted so many years of his life, but 
the call of duty was stronger with him than perso¬ 
nal desires, so he gave up the school and devoted 
his entire time to the work of the church. Rev. 
Morris was married to Miss Mary E. Waugh, of 
Salem, North Carolina, September fifteenth, 1889. 
They have seven children of which they are very 
proud. There is Robert Gammon, who is a gra¬ 
duate of Bennett College, of Gammon Theological 
Seminary, and of the North Western College; Miss 
Lucy L. Tillman, who holds a diploma from Ben¬ 
nett College, and from the Musical department of 
Fisk University; Mrs. Agnes P. Whiteman, who 
graduated at the Bennett College and then finish¬ 
ed a course in the Pharmaceutical Department of 
Meharry Medical College, of Nashville, Tennessee, 
and then the younger children, John P. Jr., Elsie 
Gladys, Mary Esther and Frank Bristol, are still 
doing college preparatory work. 

It is too often the case where men are so much 
engaged in work outside of the family that they 
neglect the training of their children, but not so 
with Mr. Morris, he wishes his children, like him¬ 
self, to find some useful occupation in life, and he 
wishes them well equipped for their work, and 
to this end he has wisely directed and prepared 
them for their life work. 



293 






JOHN THOMAS WILSON, M. D. 

^ J| T is no mean satisfaction to the 
J^5l S AsirAftl Rl ac k Race that it has men in the 
Vnfj jnfllW medical profession who can be 
I ir£^[ d asse( i with Verchow, Pasteur, 

J or the Mayo Brothers. Such a 
man is Dr. J. T. Wilson, of Nash¬ 
ville, Tennessee. 

Dr. Wilson was born in Atlanta, Georgia. His 
mother died when he was but a year old and his 
father survived but a few years, leaving young Wil¬ 
son an orphan. 

d he first fourteen years of his life were spent on 
a farm ten miles outside of Atlanta. Here he 
knew no luxury. The bare necessities of life were 
all he coveted. Out in this hard life the young lad 
learned three lessons: industry, obedience, and 
punctuality. On this farm he toiled early and late, 
yet he found time to attend the short term summer 
school. This was his only opportunity to learn to 
read and write. Coupled with this he found time 
to attend the rude log church. Here he listened 
most attentively to the preacher expound the gos¬ 
pel, and having given himself to God he lifted up 
his heart in hymns of praise. Here he laid the firm 
foundation for the kind, sympathetic doctor he was 
to become. 


After having eked out a common school educa¬ 
tion, he entered Atlanta University, where he stu¬ 
died not only books, but also his teachers and his 
fellow students. He learned that his life affected 
theirs and and their lives affected his. This made 
him sure that there was a real place in the 
universe for him. 

From Atlanta University he went to Roger Wil¬ 
liams University, in Nashville, Tennesse, and it 
was here that he decided to study medicine. In 
1889 he went to Meharry Medical College. He 
kept up his expenses by running a grocery and 
huckster. He put as much effort in his work as in 
his study. In 1895 he was graduated and after 
having practiced three years he was elected a 
member of Meharry’s staff. 

He realized his own deficiencies when he began 
to teacb. So to broaden his store of knowledge he 
entered the Post Course in the Chicago Medical 
College. Here he remained two years and finished 
two courses. He was then elected Head of the 
Hospital of Hydrotheropy at Nashville, Tennessee, 
which is a branch of the Battle Creek Hospital. 
This position he resigned after a year to go to 
Philadelphia. In this city he made a study of the 
work of three hospitals, Poly-Clinic, Jefferson 
Hospital and Medicochirugical. From Philadel¬ 
phia he went to Canada to study, and he then spent 
eleven years at St. Mary’s Hospital, under the su¬ 
pervision of the Mayo Brothers. Dr. Wilson next 
went to Clyde at Cleveland, Ohio, to do research 
work and to make an exhaustive study of the 
nerves. 

The next five years Dr. Wilson served as Chief 
Surgeon at Collins Chapel, Home and Hospital, 
Memphis, Tennessee. He left this in March of 
1917, to establish a hospital of his own. This is 
known as the Wilson Surgical Hospital and Nurse 
Training School. The hospital is a large, well 
equipped one, sanitary throughout and located in a 
quiet, healthful district. 

Many and varied are the operations that have 
established the reputation of Dr. Wilson. One is 
truly remarkable. A man was dead from a shot 
near the heart. Dr. Wilson cut a window through 
the man’s fourth rib, cleansed the heart of the clot 
of blood, started the heart to moving, and this man 
now moves among his fellow men. 

Dr. Wilson was naturally endowed with the ten¬ 
dencies to heal the ills of the body. Not content 
with this gift of nature he has spent years and 
years in study as we have already pointed out. 
And his mind is still open and ready to receive in¬ 
formation about the human body. Then his un¬ 
bounded faith in God has played a great part in the 
work of this great and good man. 


294 













W. Curtis Reid 


CURTIS Reid, of Muskogee, Okla¬ 
homa, is by birth a Texan. Some 
of the sterling qualities that are 
the birthright of most of the sons 
of this broad, liberal state are to 
be found in Mr. Reid. The abil¬ 
ity to go ahead and get for himself the things de¬ 
sired is not the least developed of these traits in 
the character of this young man. Mr. Reid is from 
one of the best families in the State of Texas. In 
his native state he received his education in the 
common schools, arid later at the Prairie View 
State Normal School. Throughout his school ca¬ 
reer he was looked upon as one of the brightest 
students. This was particularly true of his work 
in the State Normal School. 

He went to Muskogee, Oklahoma in 1909, for the 
purpose of attending school and completing his 
education. Here he met Miss Sallie Hodges, 
whom he later made his wife. They were mar¬ 
ried in July 1912, Mr. Reid thereby securing a com¬ 
panion for his home and a helper in his business. 
In both spheres she has proved a help-meet indeed 
and her husband praises her. Mrs. Reid was born 
in Taft, Oklahoma, and received her education in 
her native state. She has received a thorough 
training and because of this she has been enabled 
to render her husband great assistance in his bus¬ 
iness affairs. Mr. and Mrs. Reid are very con¬ 
genial in their ideas of life and consequently have 
made their home an ideal one. They have two lit¬ 
tle girls who add sunshine to their home, and ce¬ 
ment more strongly the bond which binds their pa¬ 
rents to each other. The names of these little 
girls are Velma, five years of age, and baby Jack. 

While attending school at Muskogee, Mr. Reid 
noticed that the city was growing at a rate which 
made real estate investments very profitable and 
this suggested to him the idea of establishing a 
ral astate business. He had already formed a 
great liking for the place, so it was not hard for 
him to make up his mind to locate here. He ma¬ 
tured his plans so there was no delay in starting his 
business after he had finished his school com se. 
Pie opened his real estate and loan office imme¬ 
diately and went to work. 

With a good mental equipment, and energy born 
of a fine physical condition he set out to win his 
way which he did by giving close and faithful at¬ 
tention to his business. It was not long befoi e his 
business began to grow and it continued to develop 
until it soon was a large and lucrative affaiu His 
clientile grew with his business for Ins fidelity to 
their interest made them his friends and through 
them added others to his list. In selecting an of¬ 


fice he chose one in the heart of the city, where he 
would be in the midst of business activities, at 115 
Court Square. Here he delights to receive friends 
hut they know his rule not to neglect his business 
interests, so they are not offended when he excuses 
himself from time to time to look after his affairs. 

Mr. Reid, so ably assisted by his good wife, has 
succeeded far beyond his most sanguine expecta¬ 
tions, and is now classed among the wealthy citi¬ 
zens of his community, and is one of the wealthiest 
colored men in his State. He and his wife hold 
their possessions jointly and are pleased to point to 
them as their’s rather than his. Their realty and 
other holdings are valued at about three hundred 
and fifty thousand dollars. In the list of their as¬ 
sets may be found eleven hundred acres of farm 
lands, oil lands and city property. 

They own a beautiful home containing all the 
modern conveniences, with surroundings conducive 
to a pleasant home life. The home is only valued 
at $5600.00, their plan being to make it home-like 
rather than expensive. 

His personal interests do not claim all of the 
time and energy of Mr. Reid; he is one of those 
men who recognizes the right of a community to 
require tribute from its citizens, not alone in taxes, 
hut in the support of all its interests ; and though 
he is yet a young man, he is conspicious for his 
public spirited activities. His activities are es¬ 
pecially notable when the enterprises look to the 
advancement of his race. He is deeply interested 
in the Negro State Fair Corporation and is among 
its most ardent supporters. The Automobile dis¬ 
play at the Fair is under his control and direction. 

Mr. Reid, like so many men has become an auto 
enthusiast, and is the owner of three of these fast 
moving vehicles. He owns a Ford runabout, a Hud¬ 
son Super-Six, and a 1917 model Morman. 

In their religious belief, Mr. and Mrs. Reid are 
united as they are in every department of their 
lives, and are ardent supporters of the First Bap¬ 
tist Church, of which they are members. They not 
only contribute their money to its support, but 
qive to it their time and talent, and are numbered 
among its most active members. 

Mr. Reid is a Mason (thirty-second degree), Odd 
Fellow, U. B. F. and K. of P. 

With a growing real estate business, income 
bearing property and oil wells spouting thousands 
of dollars in the much-sought-for liquid gold, Mr. 
Reid has the prospect of becoming a very rich man, 
but he considers that the greatest blessing that 
Fortune has bestowed upon him is his wife and 
children. 



295 







JOHN HARRIS HENDERSON, B. D. 



HE life of John Harris Henderson 
has been one of action and of de¬ 
cision. He has been able to ac¬ 
complish things and to accomplish 
them with dispatch. Born on a 
plantation near Bayou, Sara, 
Louisiana, December 23rd, 1872, he had the start of 
the average boy with his environment. When nine 
years old he entered the public school and re¬ 
mained there for ten years getting what he could 
from the poor teaching which was to be had at that 
time in that section. In 1891 he entered Howe In¬ 
stitute, New Iberia, Louisiana, and remained in 
this institution for three years. 

After leaving Howe Institute he entered Leland 
University, and spent four years in study there. 
Rev. Henderson was still not satisfied with his pre¬ 
paration for his life work, and so we find him once 
more entering a new school. The one of his choice 
was this time Virginia Union University, at Rich¬ 
mond. Here he remained for three years and re¬ 
ceived the degree of B. D. 

To read about the school life of Rev. Henderson 
one would suppose that he had nothing to do but 
attend the various schools of his choice. This how¬ 
ever was not the case. During his early school 


days, in fact all through his school career, he was 
a young man who worked with his hands in order 
that he might have the privilege of studying. The 
one form of work that Rev. Henderson remembers 
most distinctly is that of rail splitter. At this 
task he became quite accomplished. In fact he 
could split as many as 410 rails per day. 

Having received his degree in 1902 and having 
been ordained the year previous, Rev. Henderson 
went out into life well equipped, able to hold his po¬ 
sition and make good at any place. Thus we find 
him in 1902 teaching theology in Coleman College, 
Gibsland, La., from 1903 to 1906 President of the 
Thirteenth District Normal and Collegiate Insti¬ 
tute, Shreveport, La. Here in this institution he 
did such effective work that for the first time the 
school became self supporting. He bought and 
paid for 120 acres of farm land for the school while 
serving at its head. 

At the same time that Rev. Henderson was serv¬ 
ing as President of the Institute in Shreveport, he 
was pastoring the Trinity Baptist Church of that 
city. Here he added $8000 to its property and 200 
members to its roll. In 1908 Rev. Henderson 
Founded the Henderson Chapel Baptist Church, to 
which he was elected Pastor for life, and the same 
year organized the Baptist Ministers Union in 
Shreveport. In 1910 he was called to pastor the 
First Baptist Church, Minden, Louisiana, where he 
erected a new house of worship at a cost of $4000. 
In the year 1911 the state of Louisiana honored 
him by electing him Vice-President of the Baptist 
Convention of that State. In 1913 Rev. Henderson 
answered a call which came to him from Hot 
Springs, Arkansas. He resigned his important 
posts in the State of Louisiana and went to Arkan¬ 
sas where he pastored the Roanoke Baptist Church. 
While pastoring this charge he erected a new edi¬ 
fice at a cost of $35,000.00. Of this amount in a 
single effort he raised with the strong support of 
all his people, the sum of $4,619.11. 

In the year 1917 Rev. Henderson was appointed 
General Field Secretary by the Educational Board 
of the National Baptist Convention of the United 
States; he is also a member of the Federal Alliance 
of the Church as of Christ in America. This or¬ 
ganization had honored him before by giving him 
very responsible work to do. The same year he 
was made field Secretary; he was called to the pas¬ 
torate of Mt. Zion Baptist Church of Knoxville, 
Tennessee. Already he has canceled the debt on 
the church, and the Baptists of the State have 
made him Vice-President of the State Convention. 

December 30, 1902, Rev. Henderson was married 
to Miss Rainey F. Butler, of Arnandville, Louis¬ 
iana. There are four children who have come to 
bless the home—Leona B., Joseph L., Harvey A., 
and John H. Jr. 


296 












JOSEPH SAMUEL CLARK, A. B. 



OSEPH Samuel Clark, President 
of Southern University, and Ag¬ 
ricultural and Mechanical Col¬ 
lege , was born on a cotton farm 
in Bienville Parish, near Sparta, 
La., in 1871. His early educa¬ 
tion consisted of three months in 
a private school and from two 
to three months during the year in the little pub¬ 
lic schools of that time. Fortunately his parents 
were of that sterling stock from which have sprung 
so many of our best men. They taught him many 
good lessons of thrift and industry during the day, 
and many lessons in character before the fire at 
night. 

At the age of twenty-one he entered Colemen 
College, at Gibsland, Louisiana, where he remained 
three years. During this time he filled every po¬ 
sition from janitor to student teacher. The in¬ 
dustrious habits he had acquired in his home train¬ 
ing never forsook him and stood him well when he 
entered the Coleman College. These coupled with 
grace of manners and sterling character made co - 
lege life easy and pleasant for him. He won .the 
confidence, respect and admiration of schoolmates 
and teachers and added them to his long list of 
friends. 

j n the fall of 1896 his ambition was gratifiec by 
entering Leland University. In the first session 
there he graduated from the normal and prepara¬ 


tory courses. Immediately he entered the four- 
year college course, taking his A. B. degree in 1901. 

Closely following his graduation he was elected 
President of Baton Rouge College, where his re¬ 
putation as an educator and an administrator was 
soon established. For thirteen years he presided 
oyer this college and gave to it the service of a 
wise and intelligent head. His administration was 
such as to win the approval of his people who were 
quick to realize that they had made no mistake in 
calling him to the presidential chair. It was his 
service in this institution that led to his election to 
the position he now occupies. He did not rest upon 
his laurels when called to preside over this college, 
but took advantage of every opportunity to im¬ 
prove his mind and add to his fund of information. 
He studied in summer at Harvard and other great 
Universities, and especially made a close study of 
human nature. 

So. when there was to be a col red man chosen 
for Southern University, there was but one man in 
the minds of all concerned—and that was Dr. Clark. 
His election was appreciated by both races, and 
while he has been at the head of the school but 
four years, the wisdom of the selection is amply 
shown by the wonderful progress the institution 
is making. 

Dr. Clark is a big-hearted, big-brained man. 
Both as a speaker and writer he has done much in 
the State to encourage his people in making for 
themselves names worthy of consideration. 

In addition to being the leading educator in his 
State he may be considered among the leading pro¬ 
perty holders among the pedagogues. He owns 
valuable property in Baton Rouge and New Orleans 
—Outside of a small heritage through his grand¬ 
mother he has accumulated most of this property 
since being out of school. He is a stockholder in 
one of the leading banks of Baton Rouge. Be¬ 
sides, he has shares in the Building Loan Associa¬ 
tion and other firms of financial standing. • 

For eight years he was president of the Louis¬ 
iana Colored State Teachers Association. He led 
the movement for the establishment of a State 
school; served six years as registrar of the Nation¬ 
al Association of Teachers in Colored Schools and 
is at present president of that organization. 

While he is a staunch member of tlie Baptist 
Church, he is broad enough to worship freely with 
all denominations. He is loved and admired by all 
of the denominations in the State. 

He has been initiated as a Pythian and a Mason. 

At present he is a member of the Council of the 
American Georgraphical Society. He is an hon¬ 
orary member of the State Medical Association, 
and enjoys the distinction of being chairin' i of the 
Louisiana Council of Defense for Colored People. 
No man in the State is asked to serve m more ca¬ 
pacities than the subject of this sketch. 

Dr. Clark has traveled extensively, though his 
travels have been confined to the United States. 
He is following the injunction to ‘see your own 
country before going abroad.’ 

He married Miss Octavia Head, December 29, 
1901, West Monroe, La. Miss Head is the daugh¬ 
ter of Rev. W. G. Head, a prominent Baptist min¬ 
ister of Louisiana. He has a son of fifteen, a very 
promising young man. He is a devoted father and 
an ideal companion. 

















WILLIAM THOMAS FULLER, M. D. 

R. William Thomas Fuller was 
born in Caswell County, North 
Carolina, on January the twenty- 
fourth, 1886. Although a native 
of North Carolina, at an early age 
he went to Virginia. Here in the 
city of Danville he got his early training. He was 
a pupil in the public schools of the city for a num¬ 
ber of years. He applied himself diligently to his 
tasks, and even as a boy gave promise of becoming 
a man of power. When he had completed the work 
of the public schools of Danville young Fuller went 
to Hampton Institute. Here he studied long 
enough to get the real spirit of the school. In 
all his after life the real spirit of service, of help¬ 
fulness to others, of making the most of opportun¬ 
ities, of improving ones self and ones surroundings, 
has been with him to spur him on to good deeds. 

Having completed the work of Hampton Insti¬ 
tute, Mr. Fuller returned to his native State and 
matriculated in the Leonard Medical College, at 
Raleigh, North Carolina. Here he remained to com¬ 
plete the work of his profession. In 1895 Dr. Ful¬ 
ler opened office for practice in Reedville, North 
Carolina. Finding the place not altogether to his 


liking he moved the next year to Winston-Salem, 
North Carolina. Here he remained for five years. 
Still Dr. Fuller was not satisfied with his location, 
and the opportunity offered him for service and 
progress. So for a third time we find him remov¬ 
ing his sign and journeying to another town. This 
time he left his native State altogether and return¬ 
ed to the State of his early adoption. Here in Suf¬ 
folk, Virginia, Dr. Fuller started out anew, and 
here he has remained. 

For the past seventeen years the practice and 
business of the subject of the sketch has grown 
steadily. In 1903 he opened a Drug Store. This 
he has maintained since that date with the help of 
his wife. Mrs. Fuller is a woman of unusual abil¬ 
ity and she has done her part toward making the 
life of Dr. Fuller in Suffolk a success. Although 
Dr. Fuller is not affiliated with any church in parti¬ 
cular he is a thorough believer in Christianty and 
gives of his means to the support of all denomina¬ 
tions. He also gives liberally to all the move¬ 
ments for the uplift of his people. He is a public 
spirited man, according to the testimony of the 
local white bankers and is a credit to any commun¬ 
ity. 

Dr. Fuller was among the men who made it pos¬ 
sible for the late Dr. Booker T. Washington to go 
to Suffolk. This Dr. Fuller did in the interests of 
his own race, and in the interest of the people of 
Suffolk in general. The visit left a lasting feeling 
of good will and better understanding between the 
white and the colored people of that section. While 
Dr. Fuller will not take the credit of this to him¬ 
self, he is in a large measure responsible for it. 

Dr. Fuller has been twice married. His first 
wife was Miss Alberta F. Boyd, of Asheville, North 
Carolina. They were married May 25, 1895. She 
died September 13, 1896. Eleven years later he 
was again married; this time to Miss Lavonia A. 
Carter, of Petersburg, Virgina. It is she who so 
ably administers the business of the drug store 
when Dr. Fuller is out making calls. There are two 
daughters in the family, Cory L. and Goler Mae. 
Both are young misses in school. 

Dr. Fuller, with his family lives in one of the 
most beautiful homes in the country. Nor does 
the beauty of this home stop with the beauty of 
the structure. The home life is also beautiful. 
Mrs. Fuller makes a very charming hostess on all 
occasions and manages the home, along with the 
Drug Store and at the same time in no way ne¬ 
glects the young girls. 

During the years Dr. Fuller has spent in Suffolk 
he has managed to save from his practice and from 
the business conducted in his Drug Store, enough 
money to invest in and around the city. He is 
rated as one of the very substantial citizens of the 
place. A conservative estimate of the value of his 
holdings is placed at $50,000.00. 



298 











REVEREND JOHN EDMUND WOOD 




ORN in Kentucky shortly after 
slavery, Reverend John Edmund 
Wood has clung tenaciously to his 
native soil, attending school there, 
working there, and becoming a 
power there. He was born in Ba- 
ren County, May 21, 1867. He was educated in the 
common schools and in the state schools. Finish¬ 
ing at the State Normal and Industrial Institute, 
he decided at first upon a life work in the class 
room. As the harvest was ripe in the rural com¬ 
munities he went out into the country schools and 
began his labors. Here for sixteen years he put 
his life into instructing the country youth of his 
state; teaching in Baren, his native County; in 
Metcalf and in Hardin Counties. Meantime he be¬ 


gan to find himself as a speaker, leader and organ¬ 
izer. More and more also he began to realize that 
his place was in the pulpit alone, directing the spir¬ 
its and minds of old and young rather than in the 
class room instructing only the young. Sometimes 
he preached and taught but he soon found that 
each task was likely to be half performed, owing to 
the energy expended on the other. He was called 
to Bardstown, Kentucky, in 1891. Leaving here he 


w en t in i espouse to a call to Elizabeth Town, 
where he spent seven years and where he estabish- 
ed his reputation state-wide as a speaker, thinker 
and presiding officer. 

His last charge is Danville. Here he has spent 
the last eighteen years of his life, pastoring, organ¬ 
izing, and for the last year, being elected in 1916, 
serving as state moderator of the Baptist denomin¬ 
ation of his state. 

Kevei end Wood is allied with many strong or¬ 
ganizations outside the church. He is a Mason ; an 
Odd Fellow; a Knight of Pythias, and a Good Sa- 
maiitan. He is National Chief Good Samaritan in 
the last named body. He has traveled all over the 
eastern part of the United States ; over the middle 
u est and south, mainly on business in connection 
with Lodg.e and Church duties. 

He owns his residence and several pieces of rent 
property in Danville, his home. Married in 1891 to 
Miss Ella B. Reid, he is the father of a large fam¬ 
ily. Miss Iola is a teacher in the public schools of 
Berryville; John Franklin is a student at Lincoln 
Institute of Simpsonville ; Miss Frances Ophelia is 
attending the National Training school for women 
at Washington, D. C.; Simon Elsworth, Margaret 
and \ irginia are pupils in the public schools of Dan¬ 
ville. 

Next perhaps to the Pullman service the Negro 
school room has been one of the strongest agencies 
m the advancement of our able men. Some might 
argue, “Yes, much to the detriment of the public.” 
Such, however, is most likely not the case. Our 
young men have come out of college and prepara¬ 
tory school full of enthusiasm, full of zeal to do. 
They were to our people like pilgrims from a far 
country, bringing fresh cargoes of rich lore. More¬ 
over, had they not taught our children and our pa¬ 
rents in the early days, there would very likely have 
been but little teaching - . 1 bus while these young 
teachers gained a few sheckles to advance their 
education they left behind them a precious heritage 
of enthusiasm and scholarship which more than 
paid for the mere pittance of a salary which they 
received. 

Moreover, such time and energy were a splendid 
investment for the race; for whereas these men af¬ 
terwards w mt to advanced schools, completed their 
courses and took their places in community life, 
they carried with them experiences that have tided 
many over its roughest seas. These Doctors and 
ministers were able from experience thus gained to 
direct school activities, to build new schools, to ad¬ 
vise in business, to save the community from no 
end of fatal disasters, in health, in business, in so¬ 
cial and racial affairs. 

Such was the help gained by John E. Wood, and 
such returns he has been able to give to his com¬ 
munity, church, and lodge wherever he has made 
his home. 


299 









SOLOMON HENRY THOMPSON, M. D. 


HEN a boy wishes an education 
and wants it bad enough to work 
for it he is certain to get that for 
which he seeks. Education does 
not come easy, even under the 
most favorable conditions, and is 
intensely hard when the student has to add to the 
mental labor necessary to pay his own way. This 
was the lot of Solomon Henry Thompson, M. D. 

He worked his way through school from the time 
he was thirteen years of age until he graduated in 
medicine. He first passed through the schools of 
his native town and then Storer College, Harpers 
Ferry. From Storer he went to Howard Univer¬ 
sity, D. C., and graduated in medicine in 1892. 

In all this time and in all the y- ^rs it took to 
obtain this education, for with the Doctor it was 
a case of work a while and study a while, he 
never once faltered or gave up hope of one day 
ranking with the best physicians and surgeons in 
the land. He, however, determined that if ever 
he was so fortunate as to be blessed with a fam¬ 
ily, his children should never have to suffer the 
hardships endured by their father. It was this 
spirit of pluck and perseverance of the men of 
a generation back in overcoming difficulties of a 
hundred fold greater than encountered at the pres¬ 


ent day, that should serve as an inspiration to fu¬ 
ture generations, and spur them on to greater 
achievements. 

Realizing that the greatest need of his people 
was highly skilled physicians with practical ex¬ 
perience, that would be qualified, not only to aid 
in sickness and distress, but to act as instructors 
and leaders in matters of home hygiene, and civic 
sanitation. Feeling the technical knowledge gleaned 
from the medical department of Howard, while un¬ 
surpassed an so far as it went was not all that was 
needed, he served a full internship in the Freed¬ 
man’s Hospital at Washinyton, D. C. Then tak¬ 
ing Horace Greely’s advice he “went West,” and 
settled in Kansas City, Kansas. 

So highly had his sense of Racial and Civic 
Pride been developed that he attracted the atten¬ 
tion of his fellow citizens from the start. Soon, 
no movement for social or public uplift was start¬ 
ed without Dr. S. H. Thompson being consulted. 
He was elected chief surgeon of Douglass Hos¬ 
pital ; The Masons, Odd Fellows, K. of P’s and 
Knights of Tabor, vied with each other in elect¬ 
ing him to honorary positions Today he ranks 
Pre-Eminently as one of the strongest charac¬ 
ters as well as the most brilliant Negro Sur- 
geans and Physicians in Kansas. 

He has held the position of Grand Commander of 
the Grand Commandery of Kansas, and Grand 
Chancellor of the K. of P.’s. Dr. Thompson has not 
been an extensive tralever, these having been con¬ 
fined to this country and from Colorado to the ex¬ 
treme East. He is following the advice to see the 
United States before visiting Europe. Dr. Thomp¬ 
son married June 1st, 1898, Miss Belle J. Arm¬ 
strong, og St. Louis, Missouri. Four children 
have been born to them, making their home 
life bright and happy beyond the companionship 
of their own congenial spirits. Always bearing in 
mind the difficulties he struggled under in obtain¬ 
ing his own education, the Doctor is determined to 
aid his children in fitting themselves to meet life’s 
battle by giving them the best education obtain¬ 
able. One, a girl of seventeen, is a student of Kan¬ 
sas University, two boys are in High School, and 
the baby, a girl of ten, is in the graded schools. 
Parents cannot do a better part for their children 
than to give them a good education. What they 
leave them in material wealth may be swept away 
but what they put into their minds is there for¬ 
ever. This is especially true when the religious 
training of children keeps pace with their mental 
development. In this home the value of both are 
recognized and encouraged. 

In Church affiliation, Dr. Thompson is a member 
of the African Methodist Episcopal. He and his 
family occupy a handsome residence in Kansas 
City, Kansas, where one is impressed that they are 
in a home of culture and refinement, where hospi¬ 
tality is a gift rather than a study. 



300 





Isaac Napoleon Porter, M. D. 


R. I. N. Porter, of New Haven, 
Connecticut, is a striking exam¬ 
ple of a man who has made good 
in his profession, regardless of 
color. The fact that he is a man 
of the Negro race has not militat¬ 
ed against his success and in fact is not to be con¬ 
sidered in connection with his achievement in his 
chosen line of work. In spite of his color he has 
risen to his high place because of merit alone, 
which is recognized by the white as well as the col¬ 
ored citizens of New Haven, the former constitut¬ 
ing the vastly larger number of his patrons. 

Dr. Porter was born October 15th, 1865, in Sum¬ 
mit Bridge, Delaware. He was born at a time 
when the attention of Negroes everywhere was di¬ 
rected to the subject of education. The Negro, 
having had but little or no opportunities to secure 
an education had learned considerable from obser¬ 
vation, and he was quick to see what education had 
done for the white race, and reasoned that it would 
also help to elevate the colored race so that the 
subject of mind development became one of the ut¬ 
most thoughts of his mind. Even in the ex¬ 
treme South men of color at this time were 
thinking in terms of books for their children. Di. 
Porter had the advantage over many in the place 
of birth. Here the question of his color was not 
one of such great importance after all. He had 
the opportunity to attend school with all the othei 
boys and girls of the town. This he did, getting 
from the public school system of Delawai e all that 
he could. Having finished the public schools at 
his home, he matriculated at Lincoln Univeisity. 
This was in the year 1886 and four years later he 
was graduated from this institution. Lincoln Uni¬ 
versity leaves its stamp of good scholarship and 
true manhood on all who go from her doors. Dr. 
Porter went from her with this stamp and also 
with the ambition to increase his store of learning. 
He went the fall of the same year to Yale, where 
he entered the medical department. From Yale 
he was graduated in 1903. 

Feeling that his student days were at last behind 
him, Dr. Porter immediately settled down to the 
practice of his profession in New Haven. Here he 
has made a place for himself. He enjoys a large 
and remunerative practice. The number of color¬ 
ed families in New Haven is not great when com¬ 
pared to the number of white families. But in spite 
of this fact, Dr. Porter has built up for himself a 
large practice, 90% of which is white.. He stands 
as a proof of the fact that a well trained colore 
physician can get and hold the trade of the white 


people by competence. The position of this young 
physician was very similar to that of a number of 
young colored men who found it necessary to look 
to the white race for support. Great merit in their 
line of endeavor overcame race prejudice and won 
their favor. But he has had the experience that has 
come to many others. When the white man finds 
cut that the colored man can do what he wants and 
needs done, the question of his color is entirely for¬ 
gotten and the quality of his work takes prece¬ 
dence over all other facts. Because of this fact, 
Dr. Porter has been enabled to build for himself a 
line practice. 

As evidence of his large and remunerative prac¬ 
tice no less than his thrifty habits, Dr. Porter has 
met all the demands of his various interests and 
has been able to invest in property to the amount 
of twenty thousand dollars. He has made all of 
his investments in the city of New Haven, where 
he could give them his personal attention. 

Dr. Porter while giving strict attention to his 
business has not been unmindful of the general in¬ 
terests of his people and works untiringly in their 
behalf. All organizations which have for their aim 
the uplift of the colored race receive his earnest 
cooperation. He is actively identified with the 
cause of religion and has found his place as a 
church worker in the Baptist Church of which he 
is a member. He is also a member of the Masonic 
Order, of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows, 
and of the Elks. Through these organizations he 
has had ample opportunity to touch the lives of 
men along lines other than those strictly held to 
by physicians. 

His home city has not been slow to recognize Dr. 
Porter’s ability and sterling worth and on a num¬ 
ber of occasions has called him to positions of hon¬ 
or and trust, in the various city organizations. 
He is a member of the Historical Society. He is a 
member of the Chamber of Commerce. He is a 
member of the New Haven Medical Society, and 
he is also a member of the American Medical So¬ 
ciety. Membership in these organizations indi¬ 
cate the interest he takes in civic matters and his 
desire to contribute to his city’s advance in its 
higher ideals of service, and is also a tribute to his 
thorough training for service and recognition c f 
his obligations as a citizen. 

In 1908 Dr. Porter was married to Miss Gertrude 
C. Ward, of St. Joseph, Michigan. There are no 
children in the Porter family. Dr. Porter has trav¬ 
eled through Canada and in some parts of the Un¬ 
ited States. The record of this man’s life since 
leaving school speaks for itself. 








ALBERT BRYSON SINGFIELD 


OR all the scoffs hurled at her, 
Georgia, as far as the Negro is 
concerned, is making her mark in 
some praiseworthy things. Geor¬ 
gia is distinguished for a large 
number of very g'ood Negro 
schools, there being a cluster of colleges in Atlanta, 
and good colleges and secondary schools in every 
city and town of any considerable size. If she ex¬ 
cels in good schools, she goes a step further in Ne¬ 
gro Insurance. The Standard Life weathered the 
storm and kept its mooring in Atlanta. The North 
Carolina Mutual has in Atlanta a branch office that 
competes for distinction with the home office in 
Durham. 

If Atlanta surpasses in the old line companies, 
Savannah takes the lead in Benefit Insurance. Of 
these the Pilgrim Health and Life Insurance Com¬ 
pany is one of the best and most substantial. To 
use its own wording is, “The oldest, ablest and 
safest of all.” 

Mr. Albert B. Singfield is General Superinten¬ 
dent of this company for the State, and is manager 
of the Savannah District. Mr. Singfield was born in 
Harlem, Georgia, March 15, 1876. Mr. Singfield 
went to school in Columbia County, at a very 


early age, and received a Normal education. After 
taking a Normal course he entered the insurance 
business. 

Augusta is twenty-five miles from Mr. Sing- 
field’s birthplace. There was difficulty in getting 
in touch with the city life and city opportunities 
from Mr. Singfield’s native home. In 1903 he be¬ 
gan business in Augusta for the Pilgrim Health 
and Life Insurance Company. For six years he 
was the Augusta local agent. From the first Mr. 
Singfield and the company grew hand in hand, as 
it were. Taking over the business in Savannah he 
found but few agents and few members. He stu¬ 
died the field and how to handle soliciters, becom¬ 
ing himself an active worker. 

He began in 1903; and traveled for years thru 
the State; in 1909 he was called to Savannah to be¬ 
come Manager of that District. Immediately the 
business took on new life. Its reputation spread 
its force rapidly increased. He knew the field 
back there in Augusta; and though he had left it 
himself, he worked it over harder than when he 
was there. The result was that wheareas Savan¬ 
nah was supporting but five agents in 1909, when 
Mr. Singfield took the Superintendency of the Pil¬ 
grim, as it is called, it now supports twenty-one 
agents. Again, in 1909, one person constituted the 
office force of Savannah, today five persons are 
necessary to do all the office work entailed in the 
employment of twenty one agents. 

There are several reasons for the wonderful 
strides of the Pilgrim Health and Life, under Su¬ 
perintendency of Mr. Singfield. In the first place 
Mr. Singfield knew the game of soliciting at first 
hand. His own knowledge gained in the field 
taught him how to handle agents ; but more impor¬ 
tant still it gave him an intimate knowledge of the 
situations which would confront the agents. He 
knew the weakness of the agents demands. He 
knew their inspirations. He knew the weak points 
and the strong points in a prospective member’s 
argument. When therefore he talked with his 
men he did not have to read theory; he knew, and 
his men knew that he knew all the highways and 
byways of the territory. It is this that enabled 
him to add so quickly four to an office force of one, 
and eighteen agents to an agent’s force of five. 

Mr. Singfield made Savannah his home. He un¬ 
ited with the First Baptist Church, and he and Mrs. 
Singfield began immediately to take an active part 
in church work. He bought a home for his family 
in Savannah, and then he became a tax payer and 
a promoter of civil life; he is a Deacon of his 
church, and he joined all worthy local lodges. He 
is a Mason, Odd Fellow and Knight of Pythias. 

Mr. Singfield was married in 1894 to Miss Anna 
Wilson, of Harlem Georgia. They have two daugh¬ 
ters, Misses Mary Bertha and Nellie Louise. 



302 












Reverend Archibald James Carey 


EV. Archibald James Carey, was 
the son of the Rev. Jefferson and 
Anna B. Carey, both members of 
the African Methodist Episcopal 
Church. He was born in Atlanta, 
Georgia, August 25th, 1868, and 
was one of three children. 

Mis educational training began when he was 
quite young, having entered school at the early 
age of four years. From the beginning and end¬ 
ing of his school days he made continuous pro¬ 
gress and upon the completion of his course of 
training he was thoroughly equipped for his life 
work. In the course of his educational career he 
has attended Atlanta University, Chicago Theolo¬ 
gical Seminary, and the University of Chicago, and 
is a graduate of Chicago Theological Seminary and 
has received the honorary degrees of A. M., D. D., 
and Ph. D. 

Like his school days, his religious life began 
when he was a mere child. He was converted when 
nine years of age and joined the African Metho¬ 
dist Episcopal Church, and at once became incor¬ 
porated in its activities. He has held nearly every 
office in the local church to which he belongs, and 
made his influence felt in its work and life. 

He received his license to preach in Atlanta, 
Georgia in 1888, when he was twenty years of age, 
and the following year was ordained a deacon at 
Washington, Georgia. In 1890, he was made an 
Elder at Monticello, Georgia. Bishop Gaines offi¬ 
ciated at all of these services. 

In 1888 he joined the North Georgia Annual Con¬ 
ference, under Bishop Gaines, and has held the fol¬ 
lowing appointments: Bethel, Athens, Georgia, 
1891-1895; Mt. Zion, Jacksonville, 1895-1898; Quinn 
Chapel, Chicago, 1898-1904; Bethel, Chicago, 1904- 
1909; Institutional, Chicago, 1909 to 1918, when he 
was appointed Presiding Elder of the Chicago dis¬ 
trict. 

He built Bethel, Athens, Georgia, at a cost of 
twenty-five hundred dollars ($2500), in 1892; lifted 
a mortgage on Quinn Chapel, to the amounty of 
twenty-three thousand dollars ($23,000.), in 1898- 
1904; on Bethel, Chicago, to the amount of twelve 
thousand five hundred dollars ($12,500), in 1904- 
1909, and has taken about five thousand people in¬ 
to the church. 

He was a delegate to the General Conference of 
1904, 1908, 1912, and 1916. He was a member of 
the Financial Board from 1904 to 1912; member of 
the Commission on Federation of Methodist chin¬ 
ches, 1915; and was voted for for Financial Secre¬ 
tary in 1912, and for Bishop in 1916. 


Dr. Carey is as gifted with his pen as he is on the 
platform, which he uses for the good of his people; 
he is a frequent contributor to newspapers and his 
articles command attention and are read with much 
interest; as a platform speaker his ability is recog¬ 
nized by all who have enjoyed his appealing elo¬ 
quence and he is in great demand for public ad¬ 
dresses. 

Being a man of friendly disposition and a sym¬ 
pathetic spirit he found pleasure in mingling with 
his fellows not only in their church life, but in their 
social activities. 

He is a member of the Odd Fellows, Knights of 
Pythias, Foresters, Elks, and Tabor, and is prom¬ 
inently connected with these orders. In politics 
he is a Republican and stands high in the councils 
of his party in his city. 

In 1890 he married Miss Elizabeth Davis, of Ath¬ 
ens, Georgia, who has borne him five children—- 
Eloise, 22 years; Annabell, 21; Madison, 19; Dor¬ 
othy, 10; and Archibald, Jr., 7 years. Eloise and 
Anabel are graduates -of Chicago University, and 
received degrees of A. B. and Ph. B. respectively. 

This sketch would be incomplete without re¬ 
cording additional honors conferred upon Dr. 
Carey, which show that his rare gifts were known 
and appreciated outside of his church and local 
community. 

On the occasion of the contennial celebration of 
Perry’s victory on the Lakes, he was chosen by the 
International Commission to deliver the oration for 
the Negroes, which he did with great credit to 
himself and the race he represented. 

All states participating in the War of 1812, made 
appropriations and were represented on the pro¬ 
gram. Other speakers were: President Wilson. 
Ex-Preside!ntj Taft, Dr. McDonald, of Montreal, 
and Governor Cox, of Ohio. To sit on the plat¬ 
form with such distinguished characters is an hon¬ 
or which any man might covet and which comes to 
but few. 

Dr. Carey was appointed by Governor Dunn as 
Commissioner of Half-Century Negro Freedom 
Celebration held in Chicago; he was appointed by 
Mayor Harrison, member of the Chicago Board of 
Moving Picture Censors, and appointed by Mayor 
Thompson, Chief Examiner of Law Claims. 

Besides his rich mental endowment and magnetic 
manner, Dr. Carey possesses a good physique 
which added to the impressiveness of his pulpit 
work has made him conspicuous among men. 

A life consecrated to religion and elevation of 
his people, his influence is felt in every circle in 
which he moves. 



303 









ISAIAH MONTGOMERY 


R. Montgomery was born a slave 
His name will ever inspire a cer¬ 
tain degree of romance because 
of his close association with Jef¬ 
ferson Davis, the President of the 
Confederacy. He was the prop¬ 
erty of Joseph E. Davis, Jefferson 
Davis’ elder brother, being born 
on the Hurricane Plantation, in 1847. His father 
came from Virginia, where through his young mas¬ 
ter he picked up a knowledge of the alphabet and 
the rudiments of spelling and writing; his fondness 
for education was encouraged by Mr. Davis until 
be obtained a good knowledge of English, and be¬ 
came a fair accountant, mechanical engineer, and 
architect. The son, Isaiah, and an elder brother, 
William Thornton, and two sisters were carefully 
instructed by their father during his spare time. 

At the age of nine years the slave lad became the 
master’s office boy, carried the mails for New Or¬ 
leans and Vicksburg steamers. 

Shortly after Admiral Porter ran part of his 
Fleet past the Vicksburg batteries, he came into 
contact with Isaiah through making inquiries in re¬ 
gard to the Gunboat Indianola, which had been 
sunk at the Hurricane landing. The Admiral per¬ 
suaded Isaiah’s parents to let him go as his cab¬ 
in boy, and also advised them to leave the south 
for a time, predicting that times would be very 
rough for a period. The Admiral supplied trans¬ 
portation to Cincinnati. 


Isaiah participated in the battle of Grand Gulf, 
went with the Gunboat expedition up Red River as 
far as Fort De-Russey, and took part in the bom¬ 
bardment of Vicksburg on several occasions, and 
was at the capitulation of that famous city in July, 
1863. 

After the war, Isaiah, and his brother with their 
father, agreed to purchase the plantation of Jo¬ 
seph Davis and that of his Brother Jefferson Davis, 
altogether some four thousand acres, for $300,000 
in gold. Mr. Montgomery signed the purchase 
notes before he had reached his majority. Gen. 
Grant had been using tbe places for headquarters 
of refugees. The Government accounted for the 
rents amounting to $26,000.00. Ben Montgomery 
acted as Mr. Davis’ auditor and approved the set¬ 
tlement. The Montgomerys occupied the Davis 
properties for thirteen years, part of the time rank¬ 
ing third among the largest cotton raisers of the 
south. 

It was the dream of Joseph that the Negroes of 
his plantation be kept together making the old 
plantation their permanent home. Catching the 
vision of the Master the young ex-save book-keep¬ 
er went into the wilderness of the great Y r azoo, 
Miss., Delta in Bolivar County, and began a Negro 
Colony. On reaching the chosen spot, Isaiah Mont¬ 
gomery said to the few men who followed him: 
“You see this is a pretty wild place. But this whole 
country was like this once. You have seen it 
change. You and your fathers for the most part 
performed the work that has made it what it is. 
You and your fathers did this for some one else. 
Can’t you do the same for yourselves?” 

This was the way he went forth to found a town. 
Here Mr. Montgomery has worked ever since. In 
1872 he had married Miss Martha Robb, whose 
mother was a favorite servant in the family of Mrs. 
Sallie Bridges. Mrs. Bridges was very much at¬ 
tached to Miss Robb and gave her careful training. 
Mr. Montgomery brought his young wife and 
growing family to Mound Bayou in the early spring 
of 1888. Out of a number of children born to them, 
only four are now living, Mrs. Mary C. Booze, 
Misses Estella and Lillie Belle and Mrs. Eva Pearl 
Canton, the latter is her father’s private secretary. 

Mr. Montgomery was the only colored member 
of the Mississippi Constitutional Convention of 
1890 and delivered a noted speech on the adoption 
of the new Constitution. The same year he head¬ 
ed a committee of Negroes, who called on Presi¬ 
dent Harrison and Speaker Reed; also appeared be¬ 
fore the Senate Committee on Rivers and Harbors, 
where he summed up the evidence and quoted 
authorities in behalf of levee building to withstand 
the floods of the Mississippi River. And during 
the early fall he was called to New York to appear 
before the U. S. River Commission to assist in se¬ 
curing the largest possible allotment for levees in 
the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta. He assisted in found¬ 
ing the National Negro Business League at Boston, 
and became one of its earliest life members. He 
is considerably interested in planting, operates a 
Gin and Saw Mill, is President of the Farmers Co¬ 
operative Mercantile Co., the largest business 
house in Mound Bayou, is one of the leading Di¬ 
rectors in the Mound Bayou State Bank, and gives 
much time to Church and School work. 



304 










William J. Tompkins, M. 

HEN a magnificent new building 
was erected in Kansas City, Mo., 
in 1906, for a general Hospital, 
and the white patients transfer¬ 
red there, the old building was 
thrown open to Negro patients, 
where they had formerly only 
been allowed in the basement. 
But the institution remained under white manage¬ 
ment with white doctors, nurses and employees. 

Some of the Negro physicians saw how, since this 
segregation could not be avoided, it might be used 
to the advantage of their race. They saw that not 
only would the Negroes receive more considerate 
treatment at the hands of their own people, but 
also vast opportunities would be open to the Negro 
physicians in the forum of hospital experience and 
the direct association with white surgeons who 
had had greater advantages, and also that great 
facilities would be afforded Negro girls for becom¬ 
ing proficient nurses. They worked perservering- 
ly toward the accomplishment of this hope, but it 
was not until 1911, that the first tangible results 
of these efforts became evident. In October of 
that year Negro nurses and internes entered the 
Old City Hospital (as it was now called) to care 
for their own people, and four Negro physicians 
and surgeons were appointed as assistants to the 
various chiefs on the visiting staff. 

Dr. Thompkins succeeded in convincing a broad¬ 
minded President of the Hospital and Health 
Board, and a sympathetic Mayor of the city that 
it would be best for all concerned to place the in¬ 
stitution entirely in the hands of the Negroes. 

Consequently, in November, 1914, whites were 
removed, and all positions filled by Negroes. So 
that now the Institution affords thirty-five (35) 
pupil nurses, a Superintendent of Nurses, and five 
assistants, a Superintendent, Matron, Pathologist 
and assistant, three clerks, eight internes and 
twenty-five employees. 

This hospital is in A Class, and is the largest Ne¬ 
gro hospital in the country. It consists of four 
buildings, including a main brick building that ac¬ 
comodates two hundred and twenty-five (225) pa¬ 
tients, a tuberculosis pavilion of forty (40) beds, an 
isolation cottage of forty (40) beds, and a two- 
story Nurses House. To this was added this year 
(1918), a beautiful stone building, accomodating 
one hundred and eighty-five (185) patients, that 
is used for United State Government detention pa¬ 
tients, which department has three nurses, a visit¬ 
ing physician, clinic, and clinician, a Matron and 
twelve employees, all under the same administra¬ 
tion. 

The training school of this hospital offers a three 
vear course of instruction, graduates from which 
are eligible to State registration and enrollment 
in the National Red Cross organization. In i e- 
cognition of the needs of the government for moi e 
nurses in time of war, the hospital instituted an 
auxiliary school for nurses assistants which gives 
an eight week course in Elementary Hygiene and 
Home Care of the sick. _ 

Dr. Wm. Thompkins was born in Jefferson City, 


D. and Old City Hospital 

Missouri, July 6, 1878. He finished the course giv¬ 
en in the public school; and then completed the 
Academic and Normal course at Lincoln Institute, 
in 1901. After spending two years of study in the 
College of Medicine at the University of Colorado, 
he went to Howard University, in Washington, D. 
C., where he received the degree of M. D., in 1905. 
After a year’s internship at the Freedmen’s Hos¬ 
pital, in Washington, he located in Kansas City, 
Missouri, in 1906, where he is still engaged in the 
practice of medicine. 

Dr. Thompkins was the first Negro Medical In¬ 
spector of schools in the State of Missouri, at that 
time being city physician for Negroes, all of which 
work was later divided among three men, he re¬ 
taining one-third of the work at the same salary 
for which he had done it all. 

Through his efforts the St. Simon Nursery v as 
established, an institution which cared for between 
four and five hundred children annually. There 
he established the first Child Hygiene Department 
among Negroes in Kansas City, a work that was 
later taken over and maintained by the city. He 
was also for seven years physician to the Old Folks 
and Orphans Home. 

He was President of the Kansas City Medical 
Society, is Secretary of the Pan-Missouri State 
Medical Association, a charter member of the Tri- 
State Medical Society, of Missouri, Kansas and 
Oklahoma and an honorary member of the Okla¬ 
homa State Medical Asociation. So, when a Gity 
Hospital was given to the Negroes of Kansas City, 
for their own, Dr. Thompkins was naturally the 
logical one decided upon to manage the institu¬ 
tion, which he took charge of in November, 1914. 

He is a member of the Allen Chapel A. M. E. 
Church, a thirty-third degree Mason, a FT. B. F., 
an Odd Fellow, and a Knight of Pythias. In the 
last named organization he was for seven consecu¬ 
tive years Grand Medical Registrar of Missouri. He 
is a member of the Educational and Industrial 
Commission of Missouri, and was recently appoint¬ 
ed by the Governor of Missouri, a delegate to the 
National Educational Congress, to meet in New 
York City. He has been a member of all State 
delegations appearing before the Governor or Leg¬ 
islature of his State for the past ten years in the 
interest of his people. He has also been interested 
in all civic movements for his people, being instru¬ 
mental in securing for them the Garrison Square 
Field House and Play Ground. 

At one time he was endorsed for the position of 
Surgeon-in-chief at the Freedmen’s Hospital bv 
the State Medical Association of Missouri, Speak¬ 
er Champ Clark, of the House of Representatives, 
and both United States Senators from the State of 
Missouri, and the Missouri State Legislature for 
the first time in its history gave him unanimous 
endorsement. 

He owns a beautiful residence, valuable property 
in Spring Valley Park of Kansas City and oil land 
in Oklahoma and land in Mexico. 

In 1913 Dr. Thompkins was married to Miss Jes¬ 
sie Embry, of Columbus, Ohio. They have one 
daughter, three years old. 



305 







CLINTON METROPOLITAN A. M. E. ZION CHURCH. CHARLOTTE, N. C. 


This church has had a long and glorious history. 
It was organized fifty one years ago, and has num¬ 
bered among its pastors some of the most promi¬ 
nent ministers of the denomination. Several of 
them have advanced to the office of Bishop. Bish¬ 
op James Walker Hood; Bishop Andrew Jackson 
Warner; Bishop Lomax. This beautiful church 
edifice was erected during the pastorate of Dr. 


Warner, (now Bishop). It has a large member¬ 
ship ; pays a salary of $1800, and has a splendid par¬ 
sonage. The present Board of Trustees are: W. P. 
Robinson, President; Col. C. S. L. A. Taylor, Secre¬ 
tary-Treasurer; W. R. Moore, J. R. Funderburk, 
John Gray, Thomas Davis, James Taylor, W. M. 
Peoples, and Walter Fronabarger. M. D. Smith, 
D. D., is Pastor. 


306 



























Dinwiddie Normal and Industrial Institute 


N 1898 the Dinwiddie Agricultural 
and Industrial School was organi¬ 
sed. It was incorporated in 
March, 1899, as the John A. Dix 
Industrial School. Under this 
name the school continued to 
grow and develop till 1907, when the name was 
changed to the Dinwiddie Agricultural and Indus¬ 
trial School. The first purchase of land for the 
school was a tract of 114 acres. On this land they 
erected a building 40x50 with six large rooms in 
which school was opened in 1900. Later the 
Board purchased and increased the farm tract to 
250 acres. 

One man who played a large part in the develop¬ 
ment of the school was Mr. Alexander Van Rans- 
sellaer, a philanthropist of Philadelphia, Pennsvl- 
vania. He was a staunch friend of the colored peo¬ 
ple and assisted in the development of the Dinwid- 
die School till he brought it up to a high degree of 
efficiency. When the school was fully established 
and running smoothly, Mr. Ranssallaer decided to 
place the school in the custody of the colored peo¬ 
ple. With this in view he conveyed it to the Board 
of Education of the African Methodist Episcopal 
Zion Church, in 1908. 

PROPERTY AND LOCATION 

The property of the school consists of two hun¬ 
dred and fifty acres of land, the Southern part of 
which borders on a creek. There is also a stream 
running through the farm from which, with the 
use of a reservoir, the grounds and buildings are 
supplied with water. There is a large two-story 
dormitory with an airy basement. This is in real¬ 
ity the Boys’ Building, but the girls are using it at 
present, their own building having been destroyed 
by fire. The boys are using a two-story cottage 
for dormitory. There is a cottage used as the home 
for the farm manager, and the Principals’ Home. 
Aside from these buildings there are several wagon 
sheds, barns, two industrial shops and the poultry 
houses. The property is valued at $18,750. The 
school owns a number of hogs, chickens, cattle, 
two mules, and a horse. 

The property is situated on the Seaboard Ail 
Line Railway, fifteen miles South of Petersbuig, 
in a most healthful and appropriate locality, and 
is accessible to a large Negro population. 

GENERAL AIM 

The general aim of the school is to develop men 
and women. It offers Negro youth an opportunity 
to build a foundation for useful life. This is done 
through moral, literary and manual training. 1 he 


Normal Training is given to all who are preparing 
to teach. The Preparatory Training is given those 
who expect to go to college and the Comprehen¬ 
sive High School Course is designed especially for 
those who plan to leave school early for business 
careers. 

With Agriculture as a central thought such in¬ 
dustries are taught as are closely related to agri¬ 
culture. Carpentry and blacksmithing are given, 
not only for their training values, but also because 
they are closely related to the work of the farmer. 
Gardening, dairying, poultry raising, cooking, sew¬ 
ing and laundrying. The school seeks to teach boys 
and girls, not only books and trades, but how to 
live and become a vital part of the community life. 

ADVANTAGES 

Some of the advantages of the school are the 
healthfulness of the location and the wholesome 
rural surroundings, the literary and industrial 
courses offered; the personal attention given each 
student; and the earnest, conscientious, Christian 
teachers. The pupils while in the school live in the 
dormitories and take up the regular life of the well 
regluated Christian home. Another homelike fea¬ 
ture of the school plan is that every student bears 
a portion of the -burden of the household. 

In the development of Christian character the 
schools puts great emphasis. There are distinct¬ 
ive religious services, attendance upon which is 
required. There is the Sunday School, preaching- 
services and the Sunday evening services as well 
as the regular student’s Prayer Meeting. In this 
way the students are trained to do active work in 
the religious life of their communities when they 
leave school. 

The Present Principal of the Dinwiddie Normal 
School is Mr. W. E. Woodyard. Under his effi¬ 
cient management the school has developed great- 

!y- 

ORGANIZATION 

Elementary—The elementary work covers the 
three upper elementary grades, with liberal time 
for physiology and hygiene. 

Secondary — The preparatory course of three 
years includes the usual secondary subjects with 
three years of Latin and two years of Greek or 
German. The teachers’ course differs from the 
preparatory course in the omission of languages 
and the institution of science, animal husbandry, 
and principles of teaching. 

Industrial—Four hours a week of industrial work 
is required of all pupils. A little training in carpen¬ 
try and blacksmithing is provided for the boys and 
cooking and sewing for the girls. The farm is 
maintained on a commercial basis. 



307 









HENRY FLOYD GAMBLE, M. D. 


HOUGH born in 1862, when edu¬ 
cation was almost impossible for 
the Negro, Dr. Henry F. Gamble, 
of Charleston, West Virginia, 
managed to gain the best of both 
literary and professional training. 
He was born on the farm at North Garden, Alber- 
marle County, Virginia, January 16th, 1862. For a 
good while the road to learning and attainment 
seemed as dark and impossible as it was to the 
millions of other colored people. 

Working and hoping and trying, working on the 
farm in the day and making what headway he could 
at night, he at length found someone to teach him 
at night. He now began to master his books and 
was soon able to enter Lincoln University in Penn¬ 
sylvania. His drawbacks of early days appeared 
now to have been a spur rather than a hindrance; 
for though his early education had been irregular, 
he was able to graduate with honors in 1888, and 
this, even though he had to earn his way. From 
Lincoln University he entered the Medical Depart¬ 
ment of Yale University, where, in 1891, he gained 
his doctors’ degree. 

He began to practice at Charlottsville, Virginia. 


Here he remained but one year, moving at the close 
of the year, 1892 to Charleston, West Virginia, 
where for a little more than a quarter of a century 
he has been practicing, to use his own modest 
words, “with a reasonable amount of success.” 

Dr. Gamble has been according to professional 
men who know and honor him, an intensely hard 
worker and a close student in his profession, study¬ 
ing not only books and treatises, but everyday 
cases that come under his observation. 

His work engages almost his exclusive time and 
attention and has kept him from entering the mys¬ 
tic doors of the secret orders. His ear is ever at¬ 
tuned to the cry.of distress and the call of the suf¬ 
fering and he holds himself in readiness to quickly 
respond when the summons comes. 

When Dr. Gamble in 1911-12 was elected Pres¬ 
ident of the National Medical Association, the daily 
papers of his home city showed how very much 
the laity agreed with the medical profession. The 
Charleston Gazette said: “The Gazette desires to 
extend to Dr. Gamble its heartiest congratulations 
upon his election to the presidency of the National 
Medical Association. 

“Dr. Gamble, alone, however, should not be con¬ 
gratulated. The Medical Association should come 
in for its share of felicitations. To the people of 
Charleston the choice seems to have been a fitting 
and a splendid one. Dr. Gamble is a man who has 
reflected credit upon his race and profession. He is 
an educated man, who, by his ability and personal¬ 
ity has earned many friends and much admiration 
here. It is in men of the stamp and character of 
Dr. Gamble that the Negro race will find its real 
salvation. Charleston is glad that Dr. Gamble has 
been honored.” 

To win such an endorsement from his home peo¬ 
ple is an honor that any man may covet and is a 
reward worth striving for. The Doctor accepts 
the honor with commendable pride but with a 
modesty which itself is an evidence of greatness 
coming from such a source. 

Dr. Gamble was married in 1894, to Miss Gilmer 
of Charleston, West Virginia. Miss Gilmer was a 
graduate of Storer College. She died in 1901. Dr. 
Gamble was again married in 1917, to Miss Nina 
H. Clinton of Zanesville, Ohio. Mrs. Gamble is a 
graduate of Wilberforce University. Dr. Gamble’s 
two children, Catherine Lee and Henry Floyd, Jr., 
are both in school. The former is a Freshman in 
Oberlin College; the latter attending school in 
Charleston. 

Dr. Gamble owns his home, office and office 
equipment. He is a Baptist in his religious beliefs, 
being a faithful member of the First Baptist 
Church of Charleston. 



308 













John C. Asbury, 

T is worthy of note that the edu¬ 
cated Negro, as a rule, has aspi¬ 
rations looking to the betterment 
and elevation of his race, and 
wherever the interests of the race 
are concerned you will find him 

His operations are not confined to the church, 
the school and the medical profession, but reach 
out and touch the home life of their people, and 
has regard to their social comforts and recreation¬ 
al diversions. 

I hey have learned in their own experience that 
education not only enlightens the mind but broad¬ 
ens the concept of life, and excites the ambition to' 
rise to higher attainments in the higher ideals of 
life. Feeling these impulses in their own souls they 
wish the same for their people and almost as a 
natural instinct they are led to work for race ele¬ 
vation. 

John C. Asbury is among this class, and his in¬ 
tensive habits of mind have caused him to consider 
the interests of the Colored citizens of his com¬ 
munity from every aspect of their lives. This was 
carried beyond the bounds of the living to con¬ 
template the resting place of the dead. The out¬ 
come of this investigation is told elsewhere in this 
sketch. 

Mr. Asbury is a native of Washington County, 
Pennsylvania, in which State he received in large 
part his education. He got the ground work of his 
education from the public schools of Washington 
County, and after finishing at these schools he en¬ 
tered the Washington and Jefferson College, lo¬ 
cated at Washington, Pennsylvania. 

Choosing Law as his profession, he next enrolled 
at Howard University, Washington ,D. C. and took 
the law course. Here he won the degress of LL. 
B. and LL. M. In June, 1885, he was admitted to 
the Bar of the district of Columbia, but began his 
practice in the State of Virginia. He opened his 
office in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1885, and soon won 
recognition which brought him into prominent no¬ 
tice. 

In May, 1887, he was elected Commonwealth 
(District) Attorney, of Norfolk County, in which 
office he served four years. During his term of 
office he had no assistant but conducted the busi¬ 
ness of the Court alone. 

Among the many cases prosecuted by him there 
were eleven murder cases which he handled with 
consummate skill. Mr. Asbury takes a deep in¬ 
terest in the political questions which stir the coun- 
try and true to his nature he lets his interest take 


LL. B., LL. M. 

active form. In politics he is a staunch Republi¬ 
can, and he gives to his party the best that is in 
him. 

In January, 1892 he was a delegate to the Nat¬ 
ional Republican Convention, at Minneapolis, rep¬ 
resenting the Second Congressional District of 
Virginia. 

In January, 1897, Mr. Asbury left Virginia, and 
located in Philadelphia, since which time he has 
been an active practitioner at the Philadelphia Bar. 

While investigating the conditions of his people 
Mr. Asbury made a note of the very inadequate 
provision made for their burial, and set about to 
work a change to give them pleasanter surround¬ 
ings for their dead. 

It is one thing to see a need but quite another 
thing to undertake the task of supplying it. Mr. 
Asbury did both and succeeded beyond his expec¬ 
tation in the effort. He organized the Eden Cem¬ 
etery Company, of which he is the President and 
directing head, and it has the reputation of being 
the most beautiful and best managed Negro cem¬ 
etery in America. It comprises fifty-three acres 
(53), and it is estimated that it will furnish graves 
for the colored population of Philadelphia for the 
next -hundred years. While the enterprise was 
born of a desire to help the colored race to find an 
attractive place to bury their dead, it has proved a 
fine investment for the stockholders. They have 
already received a dividend upon their stock ex¬ 
ceeding the cost of the shares and the great bulk 
of the property yet remains to be disposed of. 

The cemetery was established in 1902. This 
Company is not the extent of his activities for his 
people. He is connected with other institutions 
which seek their good. He is President of the 
Keystone Beneficial Society, the largest institution 
of its kind among colored people in the North. He 
is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Union 
Baptist Church, among the largest of Baptist 
Churches, having a membership of thirty-five hun¬ 
dred (3500). 

He is a member of the Masonic Fraternity, the 
Odd Fellows, and the Elks. 

Notwithstanding the demands upon his time 
which his connection with these various institu¬ 
tions call for, he never neglects his business as an 
Attorney. His large and lucrative practice attest 
it. He has made a good record in the trial of the 
cases assigned him, being many times compliment¬ 
ed by the trial judge in open Court. 

In February 1916, he was appointed Court as¬ 
sistant in the Municipal Court by City Solicitor 
Connelly. 



309 






VIRGINIA NORMAL AND INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTE, UPPER VIEW — TEACHERS’ COTTAGES MAIN 
BUILDING, VAWTER BUILDING, PRESIDENT’S RESIDENCE, AND THE IAMES HUGO JOHN¬ 
STON BUILDING. LOWER VIEW-SECTION OF FARM AND BARN YARD 

















The Virginia Normal and Industrial Institute 




HE Virginia Normal and Indus¬ 
trial Institute owns seventy-two 
acres of land, forty-two are un¬ 
der cultivation and twenty-six 
make up the Campus and Athele- 
Field. There are twelve per- 
I^Vl manent buildings — five cottages 
for married teachers, a residence 
for the President, the main building, three smaller 
buildings, a boiler house, and a laundry. The In¬ 
stitution is beautifully located on the top of a high 
hill over-looking the surrounding country. The 
land has a natural drainage and the health condi¬ 
tions are excellent. 

The Institute is primarily a Normal School, pre¬ 
paring teachers for the Colored public schools of 
Virginia. It has graduated 1477 men and women. 
These graduates are engaged in practically all the 
pursuits of life. Some of them are physicians, law¬ 
yers, preachers, farmers, business men, home- 
keepers and the like. Most of them however are 
engaged as teachers in the public schools of the 
State and as social workers in various centers. 


The program of studies of the Institute compris¬ 
es a High School, a Normal School, a Normal In¬ 
dustrial School, and departments in Agriculture, 
Domestic Science, Manual Training, business, and 
music. The high school comprises four years of 
high school work above the eighth grade. The 
Normal School, two years of professional work 
above the four year high school, and the Normal 
Industrial, two years of industrial work and teach¬ 
er training above the first two years of the high 
school. This last course is to train teachers for the 
rural public schools. The High school and Normal 
School are accredited by the State in their respect¬ 
ive classes. 

Industrial work in conducted with a view to the 
training of young people to teach the subject in the 
schools of the State. Particularly strong courses 
in household arts and agriculture are given. The 
agricultural department has the distinction of be¬ 
ing run on a “paying basis.” The Manual 4 rain¬ 
ing Work leads to practical skill in handling situa¬ 
tions around the home and on the farm. 1 he do¬ 
mestic science is correlated with the student s and 
teachers’ kitchen and dining rooms. 

Physical training receives special attention. 
There is a coach for the athletic interest of the 
boys and a physical director for the girls. Military 
drill is given the boys under the direction of a com¬ 
petent drill master. 

The religious life receives emphasis in the acti¬ 
vities of the Christian Associations, Bible Classes, 
weekly prayer meetings, daily devotional exer¬ 
cises, and annual week of prayer and Sunday af¬ 
ternoon preaching services. 

The faculty is composed of thirty-seven officers, 
teachers and workers. Of this number twelve are 


men and twenty-five are women. Most of these 
men and women were trained in the best Negro 
Colleges of the South; some of them come from 
the larger institutions of the North. Practically 
all of them have studied in the Summer Schools of 
the large institutions of the North. 

For the session 1916-1917 nine hundred and nine¬ 
teen students were enrolled in the regular session 
and three hundred and fifty in the summer ses¬ 
sion, making a total of one thousand two hundred 
and sixty-nine instructed in the Institute during 
the year. Of the nine hundred and nineteen in the 
regular session two hundred and twenty-six were 
boys and six hundred and ninty-three were girls. 
The enrollment was distributed as follows; pro¬ 
fessional department 146; Senior High School 388; 
Junior High School 198; and training school 117. 

JOHN MANUEL GANDY, A. B. 

John Manuel Gandy, President of the Virginia 
State Normal School, was born near Starkesville, 
Mississippi. He began his educational career early 
in life in the rural public schools of Oktibba County, 
Mississippi, where the strong intellect which char¬ 
acterized his later life, thus early began to unfold. 

In 1889 he left his rural home and went to the 
Capitol of the State, where he entered Jackson Col¬ 
lege, remained there two years, graduating from 
the Normal Department in 1892. Due to the 
shortage of money, he left Oberlin and entered 
Fisk University in 1894, and was graduated with 
the degree of A. B. in 1898. Before graduation he 
was offered a position as instructor of Latin and 
Greek in the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Insti¬ 
tute, and also the secretaryship of the Y. M. C. A., 
in New Haven, Conn. He accepted the latter. After 
serving for a couple of months he discovered that 
it was hardly possible to develop a work in New 
Haven. He then accepted the first position offered 
him as it was at that time open. 

President Gandy went to Virginia and put his 
life into his work. He allied himself with the so¬ 
cial uplift movements of the State, attending most 
of the State meetings. His value became gradual- 
lv known and when the Negro Organization So¬ 
ciety looked around for an Executive Secretary 
the mantle fell on him. This position took him 
into practically every County of the State. He 
gave himself freely in helping the people into new 
ideas and practices of health, education, and farm¬ 
ing. He introduced the Negro Organization So¬ 
ciety to the people. 

When the President of the State Normal School 
died Mr. Gandy was elected his successor. He has 
had phenomenal success as an administrator and 
educator. Practically every feature of the school 
has been reorganized. The courses of study have 
been raised; the equipment and plant greatly im¬ 
proved; the student body and teaching force nearly 
doubled. 


311 











MISS EMMA J. WILSON 

AYESVILLE Educational and In¬ 
dustrial Institute is Miss Emma 
Wilson’s monument, her life 
story. Born in the days border¬ 
ing on slavery, Miss Wilson early 
grew eager for an education. In 
making known her desire to her 
slave mother, the latter replied, 
“Why you are crazy child, you can’t go to school. 
Only white children go to school.” Since this was 
so the child did the next best thing. She got three 
little white children to teach her. Having learned 
her alphabet, she got hold of a speller and began to 
master the big words. Later she attended a Mis¬ 
sion School taught by Northern women. From 
here she enrolled at Scotia Seminary, at Concord, 
North Carolina. 

When she was planning and praying that she 
might go to Scotia, she promised the Lord that she 
would go to Africa as a Missionary, if that was his 
vvill. Finishing her course at Scotia, she returned 
to Mayesville, her birth place, and found her Afri¬ 
ca at her own door.” That is she found her home 
village without a Negro school building or any one 
to teach. Securing the use of an old abandoned 
cotton gin house, she opened school with ten pu¬ 
pils. Books were donated, children paid tuition in 
eggs, chickens and provisions. However, Miss 
Wilson did not accept these as her pay. She had 
her mother cook these and sell them. The pro¬ 
ceeds she turned in to the work of her cotton gin 
'thool house. 

In a short time the school outgrew the gin house. 
Believing in her work, Dr. Mayes, for whom the 
little town was named influenced the County Board 
of Education to grant her forty-five dollars a year 
to aid in her work. This she invested in an Assis¬ 
tant Teacher, and then used for a school house any 
building she could secure free of rent charges. Pu¬ 
pils now began to pour in from the surrounding 
country. To meet the increasing demand, Dr. 
Mayes advised her to go north and solicit funds. 

She started her journey North by asking the 
minister in her church for the Sunday night col¬ 


lection. This he granted. The sum amounted to 
fifty cents. With this she rode to the next town 
where she found a camp meeting. Given the col¬ 
lection here, she raised seventy-five cents. In this 
way she made her way North, where she often suf¬ 
fered rebuffs and extreme hunger. Sometimes she 
washed and ironed by the day to earn her food. 
Finally, however, she got the ear of Lloyd Garri¬ 
son and Richard H. Dana, who investigated her 
work and pronounced it sound and deserving. She 
remained in the North three years, sending back 
funds to keep the school going. When she re¬ 
turned she had money enough to put up a new 
school building. 

This marked the formal beginning of the Mayes¬ 
ville Institute. From this point it grew in num¬ 
ber, in standing, in building, in land, in friends, in 
money. In 1896 it obtained a charter from the 
State of South Carolina. Its trustee Board is com¬ 
posed of Northern white men, Southern white men 
and Southern colored men. Mr. Richard H. Dana 
subsequently became the school’s Treasurer, other 
representative people of the North, Reverend Ho¬ 
ward Brown, Mrs. Quincy Shaw, Mrs. Paul Revere 
Frothington, Mrs. R. R. Booker, joined the Board 
of Trustees. 

The school is now well equipped and has sub¬ 
stantial courses for teachers, and for industrial 
students. It has an enrollment of 500 students, 
150 of whom are boarders; 40 are orphans. It 
teaches Agriculture in all its forms, giving theory 
and practice on the school’s farm, in the Truck 
Garden, Orchard, and in Diary. Among the Me¬ 
chanical and Domestic Arts are taught Carpentry, 
Shoe-making, Brick-making, Tailoring, Sewing, 
Cooking, Nursing and House Work. Miss Wilson 
herself is the founder of the course in brick-mak¬ 
ing. Having found clay on her farm, she went to 
Pittsburg and learned brick-making first hand. 
The institution’s running expenses are $9000, $200 
of which is given by the State of South Carolina. 
The rest, save the proceeds from the truck garden 
and from a few rented cottages, is raised by Miss 
Wilson. She has an annual Farmers’ Conference, 
of which she is President. The United States Gov- 
ernmeht has established an Experiment Station 
here. 



JOSLYN HALL AND HARRIET JOSLYN HALL 


312 




















Will Henry Bennett Vodery 


S a musical prodigy, Will Henry 
Bennett Vodery, the subject of 
this sketch, may be properly 
classed, for he wrote music and 
played upon musical instruments 
at a very early age. He played 
the piano in the Sunday School when only nine 
years of age, and at the age of thirteen he was the 
church organist. He wrote the song, “My Country 
I Love 4 hee,” when he was twelve years old. 

His musical talent showing itself thus early in 
life, being developed by Master instructors, has 
brought him much fame in his later years and has 
made him a notable character. 

Mr. Vodery is a native of Pensylvania. He was 
born in Philadelphia, October 8, 1885, and received 
his education in the public schools of that city, 
graduating from the Central High School in 1902. 

Unlike a great many men, he was quick to dis¬ 
cern his talent and to determine upon his life ca¬ 
reer. He was a born musician and with a soul 
fully attuned to music’s melody, it was natural that 
he should surrender to the compelling call of the 
Divine Muse. 

After graduating from the Central High School, 
he immediately entered upon the study of music at 
the Hugh A. Clark University, Pennsylvania, and 
was under the instruction of Louis Koemmenick, 
Grand Director of the L T niversity of Leipsic. 

He commenced his professional career in 1904, 
in the City of New York, arranged for M. Whit- 
mark & Sons their play, “A Trip To Africa,” and 
accompanied the show on its tour through the mid¬ 
dle West and the South. He wrote the music for the 
plays, “South Africa,” and “Time, Place and Girl.” 
The music was inspiring and fun-provoking. 

Leaving New York in 1905, he went to Chicago, 
and was made custodian for theTheodore 1 homas 
Orchestra. While serving in this capacity he stu¬ 
died symphony under the concert manager. 

In addition to his duties in connection with the 
Theodore Thomas Orchestra, he managed the Pro¬ 
fessional Department of Charles K. Harris. 

While in Chicago he wrote the song, “After J he 
Ball Was Over,” which made a decided ‘hit’ with 
the public and became very popular. It was sung 
in every part of the country, in the theatres, in 
the homes and upon the streets. Ihe street ur¬ 
chins whistled it and young men and maidens danc¬ 
ed to its catchy music. 

He left Chicago in 1907, and returned to New 
York City, where he wrote “Oyster Man,” and 
many other popular songs. He also arranged the 
music for Williams and Walker’s “Bandanna 


Land,” and traveled with the show as musical di¬ 
rector, going with it to Europe. It gave an exhi¬ 
bition in Shaftes Bury Theatre, London. 

In 1908 he managed a show in which the famous 
comedian, Hogan, featured and scored so great a 
success that the next season he secured control of 
the show for himself, making an eighteen weeks 
tour which added to its popularity. 

After this he wrote a number of songs, among 
which were “Too Much Isaacs,” “Girls From Hap¬ 
py Land,” “Saucy Maid,” and “Me Hun And I.” 

From New York he went to Washington, D. C., 
to take charge of the Vaudeville show of Rosen- 
thald & Benedict, which was afterwards changed 
to a stock company. The first play of the new 
company was “My Friend From Dixie.” The play 
was well received and proved a great financial suc¬ 
cess. His satisfactory management of this ven¬ 
ture added to his reputation and brought about a 
business connection between him and J. Lubrie 
Hull, who formed a partnership and traveled to¬ 
gether during the season 1910-1911. Their itine¬ 
rary covered the entire country—their show was 
highly pleasing, as was its financial outcome. Mr. 
Vodery was in constant demand and his talent as 
a song writer generally recognized. He wrote the 
music for “Dr. Beans From Boston,” a show in 
which S. H. Dudley was the commedian. 

For the season of 1912-1913, he took charge of 
the Overton & Walker enterprise, a Vaudeville 
show, and wrote the music for “Porto Rico Girls,” 
and “Happy Girls.” The show proved a drawing 
card and was so well received on the coast that a 
second trip was made there. He also did special 
work in 1913 for Florence Ziegfield, writing seve¬ 
ral successes for Bert A. Williams, among them, 
“Can’t Get Away From It,” “Dark Town Poker 
Club,” and “Land Lady.” 

Mr. Vodery’s ability as a song writer is recog¬ 
nized by all of the big Broadway producers, such 
as Klaw & Erlanger, Schubert, Ziegfield and oth¬ 
ers, and he is often engaged by them to arrange 
and construct the music of their plays. He is a pro¬ 
lific writer of songs and music, some of his most 
popular pieces being—“Dearest Memories,” “West 
Virginia Dance,” and “Carolina Fox Trot,” this lat¬ 
ter being a musical innovocation, being the first 
fox trot ever written. It was published by Joseph 
Stern & Co. 

Mr. Vodery has traveled extensively, both in this 
country and in Europe. 

Mr. Vodery is a member of the Presbyterian 
Church, a member of the Masons, the Odd Fellows, 
the Knights of Pythias and of the Elks. 



313 




RT. REV. WILLIAM DAVID CHAPPELLE, A. P, , 
A. M., D. D.. LL. D. 


1LLIAM David Chappelle was born 
a slave in or about the year 1857, 
November 16th, and began school 
m the Fairfield Normal school in 
1869. His parents Henry and Pat- 
sey Chappelle, were slaves and 
belonged to one Henry McCrorey. 
They had thirteen children, Wil¬ 
liam being the sixth child and as a child was feeble; 
but was keen in intellect and always eager to go 
to school. 

He finished his Normal or English course under 
the Rev. Willard Richardson and began teaching in 
a country school near Winnsboro. To secure his 
first book, he dug up a stump of kindling wood 
from his father’s field and carried, in turns of ten 
cent bunches to town a mile away at night and 
sold it, this was done for four nights to secure 
forty cents with which to buy a book that he might 
have something to study from to get his lessons. 

After this struggle he secured a certificate, sec¬ 
ond grade, but it was the highest marked second 
grade in the county white or black, so said the 
school supervisor. His school was five miles in 
the country to which he walked daily that he might 
save his money and enter college. 

In 1875 he was converted and finding that he was 
not prepared to preach he joined the Columbia An¬ 
nual Conference and was sent to the Pine Grove 
Mission, at the same time he entered Allen Univer¬ 
sity and kept up his studies while preaching at this 
Mission ; but it was not long before his money gave 
out and he had to stop and go to teaching that he 
might better support his wife and child, having 
married in December 1875 and had at this time one 
child. 

After three months he re-entered school and 
made his classes and continued until 1887, at which 
time he graduated from the college Department, 
with the degree of A. B. He led his class. He was 
ordained Deacon in 1883, Bethel A. M. E. Church, 


Columbia, S. C, by Bishop W. E. Dickerson. Or¬ 
dained Elder by Bishop James A. Shorter, Green¬ 
ville, S. C., in 1885. He served in the Pastorate 
eight years, pastoring the following places: Pine 
Grove Mission, two years, 1882-83 ; Lexington Cir¬ 
cuit, 1884; Rockhill Circuit, 1885-87; Pendleton 
Station, 1889-1900. He served as P. E. eleven 
years; Manning District, 1889-93; Orangeburg Dis¬ 
trict, 1893-98; Sumter District, 1899-1900. 

At the General Conference which met in Colum¬ 
bus, Ohio, in 1900, he was elected Secretary and 
Treasurer of the Sunday School Union with Head¬ 
quarters at Nashville, Tenn., where he prepared 
and Edited the Sunday School literature for eight 
years. When he took charge of the S. S. Union of 
the A. M. E. Church, the Methodist Episcopal 
Church South, was doing the printing. Dr. Chap¬ 
pelle after figuring out the cost of printing the lit¬ 
erature himself and also the income of the circu¬ 
lation of his periodicals, ventured to do the work 
himself, which was a successful venture. Thus, 
he built for the A. M. E. Church, one of the best 
Negro Printing Houses in the country. Leav¬ 
ing there, when he left, about fifty thousand dol¬ 
lars worth of assets consisting of a complete outfit, 
machinery, type and fixtures and the plant out of 
debt. 

In June 1908 he was re-elected President of Al¬ 
len University, a position which he occupied for 
two years, 1898-99, before he was elected General 
Officer. He served Allen University as President 
for four years, 1908-12. At the General Conference 
in 1912 he was elected Bishop with 406 votes, the 
largest amount of ballots ever cast for a bishop in 
the A. M. E. Church. As Bishop he was assigned to 
Arkansas and Oklahoma, the twelfth Episcopal 
District of the A. M. E. Church. In 1916 at the Gen¬ 
eral Conference which met in Philadelphia, he was 
assigned by that body to his home State, South 
Carolina, the seventh Episcopal District of the A. 
1VI. E. Church. He received the degrees of A. M., D. 
D., from Allen University and the degree LL. D. 
from Campbell College, Miss. He was elected 
President of Allen University twice, elected Trus¬ 
tee of A. U. 1887, and elected to the General Con¬ 
ference the same year, to which position he has 
been elected for thirty consecutive years. He is 
now President of the Educational Board of the A. 
M. E. Church, and President of the Trustee Board 
of Allen LIniversity. 

ALLEN UNIVERSITY 

Allen University, a Co-educational Institution, 
under the auspices of the African Methodist Epis¬ 
copal Church, was founded in 1881. 

Departments: College, Normal Grammar School, 
Music, Sewing, Theological, and Printing. 

During the thirty seven years existence of this 
institution over two thousand graduates have gone 
forth into public service from the various depart¬ 
ments, reflecting credit, upon themselves, the race, 
and the institution. 

The yearly enrollment is approximately six hun¬ 
dred and fifty. 

The denomination, in this State, raises, yearly, 
between twenty-five and thirty thousand dollars 
for the maintenance of the school. 



314 









ROBERT WESTON MANSE. A. B., A. M, D. D. 


EV. Robert Weston Manse was 
born at Coksbury, S. C., Sep¬ 
tember 27th, 1876, in the Old 
Paine Institute, an institution op¬ 
erated under the auspices of the 
African Methodist Episcopal 
Church, in South Carolina. 

His father was the station pas¬ 
tor of the A. M. E. Church at Coksbury during the 
operation of the Paine Institute and was a charter 
member of Allen University that grew out of the 
Paine Institute. 

The mother of this subject was Charity Ann 
Nash, the youngest daughter of the historic Nash 
family of Coksbury, Abbeville County, who, alone, 
struggled, after the death of her husband to se¬ 
cure funds with which to educate Robert, her 
eldest son. 


His early training was had in the Public School 
at Newberry, S. C., subsequently entering Claflin 
University, Orangeburg, S. C., and graduating 
from the Collegiate Department, with the degree 
of Bachelor of Arts, in the year 1899. 

Shoitly after his graduation, he was elected 
Principal of the Newberry High School, which po¬ 
sition he held for eight consecutive years. 

He was converted in 1889, joined Miller Chapel 
A. M. E. Church, Newberry, S. C., joined the min¬ 
istry at Greenville, S. C., December 1902 and served 
the following charges: 

New Miller Mission, Sulada Old Town, S. C., 
1904; Jalapa Mission, Jalapa, S. C, 1904, six 
months; Enoree Mission, 1905; St. Paul Circuit, 
Chapin, S. C., 1906; South Carolina Conference; 
Georgetown Station, Georgetown, S. C., 1907-9; 
Presiding Elder, Beaufort District, 1910-15; Pastor 
Mt. Zion Station, Charleston, S. C., 1915-16; Pres¬ 
ident Allen University, S. C., 1916-18. 

Dr. Manse was elected Chairman of the South 
Carolina Conference delegation to the General 
Conference at Kansas City, Mo., 1912, a delega¬ 
tion to the Centennial General Conference at Phil¬ 
adelphia, Pa., 1912, and Chairman of the State del¬ 
egation. 

He is now President of the A. M. E. Connection- 
al Council, which position he has held for the past 
two years. 

He married Miss Elizabeth Clara Grimes, of 
Newberry, S. C., April 12th, 1902, and to'them have 
been born five children; Evelyn Frederica, Robert 
Weston, Jr., Charity Marguerite, Nerissa Terrell, 
and Mercer Montgomery, the first four of them 
being under fifteen years of age and now in school. 

Other positions which he has held are Past Chan¬ 
cellor Meridian Lodge Masonry, Grand Prelate K. 
of P.. Jurisdiction of South Carolina. 








































J. W. WILLIAMS 



ULY third, 1884, in Pittsburg, 
Pennsylvania, there was born a 
little boy who was destined to 
use all three sections of this great 
country in getting his training 
for life. This lad was J. W. Wil¬ 
liams. While he was born as far 
North as Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, 
it was in the extreme south, Plolly Springs, Miss¬ 
issippi, that he received his education. Plere in 
Mississippi he took his chances at education with 
the other colored boys of Holly Springs. While the 
school lasted he received pretty good instruction, 
but it was soon closed and the boy was thrown up¬ 
on his own resources, and received a great portion 
of his education in the school of experience. 

At an early age he developed an aptness with 
mechanical tools. But he was unable to enter a 
trade for his training. This did mot restrain him 
from following the bent of his inclination and de¬ 
veloping the talent he felt that he possessed. Be¬ 
ing denied the privilege of obtaining it in the in¬ 
dustrial schools, he sought it in the various work 
shops where he served as a laborer. He made the 
best of his opportunities and in time received a 
pretty thorough education in mechanism. 

He lost his parents while quite young. His father 
died when he was only two years of age, and his 
mother followed his father to the grave when he 
reached his thirteenth year. Thus early in life he 
was left to shift for himself, so his training in the 
practical school of the every day work shop was 
rather an advantage than otherwise as it provided 
for his sustenance while he learned his trade. His 
mother had trained him to stick to his task until he 
had mastered it, and the memory of .this training to¬ 
gether with his natural ability caused him to hold 
to his work with great tenacity until he became 
proficient in the line in which he was engaged. The 
exhibition of these qualities in either man or boy 
■ usually bring a sure reward and it was so with 


young Williams for today he is highly regarded as 
a very thorough and reliable mechanic. 

Having in mind the desire to learn the art of 
mechanism rather than earning a livelihood, Mr. 
Williams did not confine himself to one city or to 
any section of the country, but went from place to 
place as his judgement and opportunity dictated, 
finally locating in the far West, not as a laborer, 
but as the owner of a large Auto shop, where he 
is putting into practical use the information he 
learned in the various shops where he had worked. 
It is now his turn to employ labor and to direct it 
which he does with a master hand, but with a con¬ 
sideration he did not always enjoy. He keeps in 
his employ six men as master mechanics. But re¬ 
membering his own boyhood and young manhood, 
he gives employment to the unskilled and allows 
them to gather from watching the others as much 
as possible. In this manner, Mr. Williams endeav¬ 
ors to help others along, as his own experience had 
taught him that a kind and encouraging word is a 
help to any man who is trying to rise. 

I his auto shop of which Mr. Williams is the 
owner and manager is fifty feet by ninety feet. 
Here he has sufficient space to do a great deal of 
work. Besides being interested in his work at the 
shop and the work of the men under him, Mr. Wil¬ 
liams has taken time to do some real estate work. 
In 1914, he was appointed by the Town Site Com¬ 
pany to sell the Skidmore addition at Tulsa, Okla¬ 
homa. This he did at a great profit to himself. 

Mr. Williams is a member of the A. M. E. church. 
Here he gives of his time and of his means to the 
support of the Gospel. In all the undertakings of 
the denomination he is ever ready with his support. 
In fraternal orders he is a Mason. This- as else¬ 
where is in itself a recommendation for the worth 
of the man in the community. 

Ably assisted by Mrs. Williams, Mr. Williams 
has been successful in starting other business con¬ 
cerns that come more directly under the control of 
Mrs. Williams. There is the Dreamland Theatre 
and the Williams Confectionery. These are told 
of more fully in the sketch of Mrs. Williams. 

Mr. Williams was married to Miss Lula Cotton, 
March 10, 1901, at Tulsa, Oklahoma. There is one 
son who is now a high school student. He helps 
to make life happy for his parents and lends incen¬ 
tive to their working so hard in their various lines 
of business. 



WILLIAMS AUTO REPAIR SHOP 


316 
















MRS. J. W. WILLIAMS 



HAT back of every man who is 
succeeding, either in the business 
world, the literary world, or poli¬ 
tical world, there is an efficient 
woman, is one of the sayings that 
we hear a great deal. Whether 
this be true or not it is not for us 
to decide. But it does hold good 
in the case of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Williams, of Tul¬ 
sa, Oklahoma. Mrs. Williams was born February 
12, 1878, at Jackson, Tennessee, Madison County. 
Here, as Lola Thomas Cotton, she spent her child¬ 
hood and young womanhood. In Madison County 
she attended the public school till she had gotten 
from them all that they could give her. She then 
entered Lane College, where she remained to com¬ 
plete the course of study offered there. June 2nd, 
1898, she was graduated from this institution. 

Not entirely satisfied with her training, Mrs. 
Williams went to the Agricultural and Mechanical 
College, at Normal, Alabama. Here she took her 
industrial training. She entered the classes offer¬ 
ed in dressmaking and in millinery. From these 
she received her certificate in 1903. 

For a number of years Mrs. William taught 
school in the rural districts of her native State. 
She had an abundant chance to develop her powers 
as an executive. Not only as an executive was she 
developed in the rural work, but as a close business 
woman as well. For the teacher in the luial dis¬ 
trict has to be all things to the people with whom 
she makes her home. After a number of years she 
left Tennessee and went out to Oklahoma. Here 
she taught for some time. But after working for 
a time in the school rooms of Oklahoma, she decid¬ 
ed that she could do more with her life m the mil¬ 
linery and dressmaking trade. To this end she 
worked in this line for three years. In the mean¬ 
time she had married Mr. Williams, and they weie 
anxious to go in business. From the proceeds of 
the millinery and dressmaking establishment she 


managed to save enough to open a large moving 
picture house. This they have run ever since. At 
present they own and operate the Dreamland The¬ 
atre. This is in a large two-story brick structure, 
at 127 N. Greenwood Avenue, Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

But the running of the Dreamland has not taken 
all the time of Mrs. Williams, nor all of their mon¬ 
ey and so she, with the aid of her husband have 
opened the Williams Confectionery Store, on one 
of the prominent streets of Tulsa. This store is 
housed in a three-story brick building, which is 
owned by the Wiliams’. In addition to the two 
businesses mentioned here in which Mrs. Williams 
is interested, there is the Auto business that be¬ 
longs strictly to her husband and seven lots in the 
city which have not as yet been improved. 

To the church of her choice, Mrs. Williams 
brings her business ability and her strong perso¬ 
nality. She is a member of the C. M. E. Church, 
and is ever ready to do for it. She gives her time, 
her money and her influence to the betterment of 
this church. She is Captain of the Lane College 
Club. In this organization she is able to render 
aid, both directly and indirectly to the College, 
which is in a large measure responsible for her 
training. Not to cut herself off from her people, 
in any line of endeavor, we find Mrs. Williams 
working as a member of the Eastern Star Lodge. 
She is also a member of the S. M. T. Lodge. In 
both of these lodges she has held positions of honor 
and trust. And in them she has proven herself 
worthy of the trust put in her. 

For her health and on business trips, Mrs. Will¬ 
iams has traveled over the greater portion of the 
United States. This travel has served to broaden 
her and render her of greater service to her people 
wherever she has worked. 

She was married to Mr. J. W. Williams, in Tulsa, 
Oklahoma, March 10, 1909. To them has been 
born one son. He is now a young man in the High 
School. To her husband, Mrs. Williams has always 
been a very great help. In all matters of business 
she has been able to give advice. 

Though still a young woman, Mrs. Williams has 
spent a great number of years serving in the inter¬ 
est of her race. She, through her teaching has been 
able to reach hundreds of young people, who are 
better off for having come in contact with one of 
so positive a character. 



WILLIAMS’ DREAMLAND THEATRE 


317 














WILLIAM H .CROGMAN, A. M., LITT. D. 


R. Crogman was graduated from 
Atlanta University in 1876, hav¬ 
ing made an enviable record for 
industry and thorough scholar¬ 
ship. He has since been honored 
by the degree of Doctor of Let¬ 
ters, the only degree of the kind 
ever bestowed by Atlanta Univer¬ 
sity. About the time of his graduation there was 
established in South Atlanta Clark University, 
which was destined to become one of the strongest 
and most influential of the schools of the Metho¬ 
dist Church for the Negro race. He was immedia¬ 
tely called to a position on the facu’ty of this insti¬ 
tution, where he has remained working quietly and 
faithfully until this day. For seven years, 1903- 
10, he was President of Clark L T niversity, and un¬ 
der his wise and careful administration the work 
grew continually in numbers and strength. 

Affiliated with Clark University and located 
nearby is Gammon Theological Seminary of the 
Methodist Church. Dr. Crogman is a charter mem¬ 
ber and the Secretary of the Boards of Trustees of 
both these institutions, the only Secretary they 
have ever had. The records have been kept with 
great accuracy and in a marvelously regular and 
beautiful hand. For twenty-nine years he was also 
Superintendent of the Sunday School of Clark Uni¬ 
versity and during all that time was not once tardy. 
His work brought him into relationship with the 
larger field of the Methodist Church. He was 


three times a member of the General Conference. 
He was also for eight years a member of the Uni¬ 
versity Senate of this church, and afterwards a 
member of the commission for the Unification of 
the Book Concern. 

In 1878 he married Lavinia C. Mott, a graduate of 
the Normal School of Atlanta LTniversity of the 
class of 1877. They have a family of eight chil¬ 
dren, for all of whom their parents have provided 
a good education. Their family life has had a 
beautiful influence upon the institution in which 
their life work has centered. 

As a teacher Dr. Crogman has been remarkably 
successful. He is a born teacher, loving his work, 
and his power rests not only in his thorough fami¬ 
liarity with the subjects but in his strong personal¬ 
ity. During the past thirty-five years thousands 
of students have come under his influence, and 
many lives have been strengthened for useful ser¬ 
vice. 

As a public speaker. Dr. Crogman’s power rests 
in his quiet dignity, the beauty of his diction and 
the clear and forceful treatment of his subject. He 
has a dee]) and musical voice and an irresistible 
sense of quiet humor. His addresses have been 
collected into hook form under the title of “Talks 
for the Times.” When a new edition was brought 
out in 1897, many favorable book notices appeared 
in the press. The Atlanta Journal for ebruary 13, 
1897, comments as follows : 

“All the subjects of these talks relate to the Ne¬ 
gro race. They show marked ability, research, ex¬ 
cellent literary finish and have the ring of sincer¬ 
ity from end to end.” 

Perhaps no stronger evidence of the force of Dr. 
Crogman’s character can be found than the high 
esteem in which the citizens of Atlanta of both 
races hold him. There is absolutely nothing un¬ 
dignified or servile in his speech or bearing. He is 
fearless in his denunciation of all unfairness to the 
Negro race and yet seems never to have aroused 
the antagonism of the white South. 

Who can measure the good which a man of 
this stamp accomplishes ? In him are combined 
the qualities of courage and of faith. In the pre¬ 
face of his volume of addresses as well as its dedi¬ 
cation to his children, he has given utterance to the 
principles which have characterized his life work 
and which make him so powerful an influence for 
good. In the preface he says: “All the subjects 
treated are such as relate to the race with which I 
am identified. In the discussion of these subjects 
I have endeavored, whatever may have been my 
success, to use candor and moderation, to condemn 
the wrong where I have seen the wrong, and com¬ 
mend the right where I have seen the right, re¬ 
gardless of the section of country in which the one 
or the other has appeared.” 



318 














T. GILLIS NUTTER 


Gillis Nutter was born at Princess 
Anne, Md., June 15, 1876. His pa¬ 
rents were William and Emma 
Nutter, ex-slaves, who were high¬ 
ly respected for their strength of 
character and industry. While 
uneducated themselves they were 
great lovers of education and 
made many sacrifices in order to give their child¬ 



ren an education. 

T. Gillis Nutter attended the public schools of 
Princess Anne and graduated from the high school 
thereof, in 1892. Being one of eight children, he 
was put to work at the early age of nine yeai s, 
splitting wood with his father, who had a monop } 
on sawing fire-wood in his native town. Young 
Nutter soon became the champion wood-sawyer m 
his town, sawing a cord of wood a day and attend- 
ino- school. He would go to work at five in the 
morning and saw until 8:35, run all the way to 
school, about a mile from his home, eating break¬ 
fast as he ran, and return to his saw-horse, immed¬ 
iately after school was out. He decided to give up 
“Old Pomp ” as he called his old saw-horse, and 
left for Philadelphia, June 4, 1896, and worked at 
Old Gerard Hotel until the fall of 1897, when he 
entered Howard University Law School, having 
been inspired to take up the study of law by the 
eloquent apeals of Judge Walter L. Dixon and Jos¬ 
hua W. Miles, to hear whom argue a case, he would 
steal away from school. He was graduated from 


Howard in the class of 1899, being one of the big 
four of his class. 

His father having died a few months after his 
graduation, he was forced to return to Princess 
Anne to look after his mother, to whom he was 
greatly devoted. He was principal of one of the 
graded schools of Fairmont, Md., for two years, 
declining the third appointment in order to enter 
upon his profession. He was admitted to the 
Marion County (Ind.) Bar Nov. 13, 1901, but being 
without sufficient means to carry him through the 
starvation period, he was forced to return to the 
hotels for a short time. On March 12, 1903, he re¬ 
ceived a telegram from his boyhood friend and 
classmate, R. S. King, to come to Charleston, W. 
Va., to assist in the trial of the famous Guice mur¬ 
der case. Guice’s friends felt confident that he 
would go to the gallows, but the brilliant defense 
of his young attorneys, reduced his offense to vol¬ 
untary man-slaughter. The eloquent and forceful 
plea of' Nutter attracted wide attention and 
brought him quite a clientele. His rise dates from 
the Guice case and today he enjoys a lucrative 
practice. 

His greatest criminal triumph was the skillful 
handling of the Campbell Clark rape case. For 
four days he faced a seething-blood-thirsty mob, 
but with unfailing courtesy and a fearlessness that 
challenged admiration, he calmed the mob and got 
his client off with conviction of attempted assault. 

Only one poor white man in the entire town 
dared face the mob, aside from Nutter. 

It is generally believed that Gov. Samuel W. Mc¬ 
Call, of Massachusetts was greatly influenced in 
reaching his decision in the Johnny Johnson ex¬ 
tradition case by the State of public mind in the 
Clark case. 

He has appeared as Chief Counsel in the three 
most noted murder cases tried in Kanawha County 
in the last fourteen years. 

His work has not been confined to the criminal 
side of the court as he has appeared as advocate in 
numbers of chancery and land cases involving thou¬ 
sands of dollars and has been generally successful. 
He is Grand Attorney of the Knights of Pythias 
and numbers of other corporations, including the 
Peoples Exchange Bank, white, for which institu¬ 
tion he has made a number of investments. 

He is a Mason, Knight of Pythias and an Elk. 
For three years he was Grand Exalted Ruler of the 
Elks of the World, and the Order witnessed a won¬ 
derful growth under his administration. He is 
quite active in civic matters, having led the fight 
against the Birth of a Nation, taking the case to 
the Supreme Court of Appeals, which court, by an 
evenly divided vote, over-ruled his motion to dis¬ 
solve the injunction granted by the Circuit Court, 
prohibiting the Mayor and Chief of Police of Char¬ 
leston from interferring with the exhibtion of the 
photo-play. 

He edited the Mountain Leader, of Charleston, 
W. Va., for several years and gave the paper a 
standing in the journalistic field. 

He is a Methodist and founded the first colored 
Y. M. C. A., in the city of Charleston and was its 
president for several years. 

Mr. Nutter owns a beautiful home on one of the 
aristocratic streets of his home city, as well as 
other valuable property in Kanawha County. 


319 




















Payne University, Selma, Alabama 


AYNE University, Selma, Ala¬ 
bama, is owned by the six Ala¬ 
bama Conferences of the African 
Methodist Church. It is a State 
Institution to the extent that it is 
supported wholly by the Colored 
the State in which it is situated. 
Governing this school there is a Board of Trustees 
that numbers 125 members. Each Trustee is ex¬ 
pected to contribute at least ten dollars a year 
toward the support of this institution. This 
yearly donation from the Trustees, the support 
of the A. M. M. Conference and Sunday Schools 
and the tuition fees represent the total income of 
the school. This amounts to about $6,500.00 yearly. 

The school was founded in 1888, and has grown 
to be such a large and notable institution that it 
stands today as a monument to the Self-Help of 
the Colored people. It originated with them—they 
built it and they have maintained it, and they may 
be excused for pointing to it with a commendable 
pride at what they have achieved. 

The courses offered to the people are ele¬ 
mentary and secondary. The elementary work is 
done in the sixth grades and in two additional 
years. Of the attendance the greater portion of 
the pupils are in the elementary classes. These 
students are for the most part children of public 
school age who live in Selma. In the Higher class¬ 
es are about sixty pupils. There are seventy-five 
boarding pupils in the dormitories of the school. 
The pupils above the eighth year are designated as 
“Normal” or “College” students. The course in¬ 
cludes : Latin, 4 years; Greek, 1 year; German, 1 
year; English, 4 years; Mathematics, 7 years; His¬ 
tory, 2 years; Economics, 1 year; Psychology, 1 
year; Education, 1 year; Physiology, 1 year; Ele- 
mentar Science, 3 years. 

The land owned by the school comprises a city 
block conveniently located for school purposes. 
There are two large buildings and several small 
cottages on the grounds. They have a total val¬ 
uation of $24,000.00. The academic building is a 
twvj-story brick structure and contains classrooms, 
chapel and offices. The girls’ dormitory is a three- 
story frame building. The smaller cottages are 

used for teachers’ homes and for dormitories for 
the boys. The school is managed by the President 

and seven teachers. This represents a great deal 
of work on the part of all the people connected 


with the institution. Each person is called upon 
to do more than one distinct thing in the running 
of this organization. 

Being a church school, Payne is also a school in 
which young men aspiring to the ministry can go 
‘for training. The course offered to the young 
minister is such that while getting the theological 
training needed, he can at the same time get a 
more thorough preparation in the other branches 
of study that go to make up the well-rounded min¬ 
ister. Because of this fact, a man is not barred 
from the theological course because of lack of book 
knowledge, but is taken in and trained in all the 
subjects at one and the same time. This makes 
the course of study more or less complicated, but 
even in spite of this the teaching in this branch of 
the school is effective. 

At the head of this institution and responsible 
for its development to his church and for its finan¬ 
ces to the trustees is Professor H. E. Archer. 
President Archer is a man well fitted to the duties 
that have been his since he took charge of this 
school. He is a graduate of Olivet College, Olivet, 
Michigan. From this College he took the degree 
of B. S. He later took a post graduate course and 
received the degree of M. S. Not satisfied with 
his preparation he then took special work in the 
University of Chicago. After leaving school he 
went to the Agricultural and Mechanical College, 
at Normal, Alabama. Here for a number of years 
he served as head of the Department of Science, 
and at the same time was special assistant to Dr. 
Council, the founder of that Institution. Under 
Dr. Council he got the training that fitted him for 
the duties of an Executive. At the death of Dr. 
Council, Professor Archer was considered for the 
Presidency of that school, but went instead to take 
the Presidency of Payne University, in Selma, Ala¬ 
bama. 

Mrs. Archer is a very capable woman. She has 
been of great service to her husband in his work in 
the Payne University. She is also connected with 
the National Colored Woman’s Association. To 
the school she brings the experience of years of 
teaching in the Agricultural and Normal College at 
Normal, Alabama. 

Payne University stands as a monument to the 
Colored people of Alabama, especially to the A. M. 
E. Church. They do a very effective work that is 
felt all over the State. 



Methodists 


320 









RESIDENCE OF JOHN BROWN BELL 



OHN Brown Bell, business man 
and public servant, was born in 
Tombabaro County, Georgia, De¬ 
cember 25, 1858. In his early 
youth he migrated to Houston, 
Texas,' and attended the public 
school for a while in that city. 
In 1881, after spending a few 
months in Tennison College, of Austin, Texas, he 
withdrew and entered business. 

His apprenticeship in business was spent be¬ 
hind the counters of the grocery store of Rubin 
and Thorton, in Houston. At the end of one year, 
Mr. Thornton, having died and his wife wishing 
to sell, Mr. Bell bought the business for $315.00. 
Now when Mr. Bell came to Houston he had work¬ 
ed for a man for $5.00 per month. From this em¬ 
ployer, Mr. Bell borrowed $250.00 to invest in the 
business. In three years and four months he had 
made enough from this undertaking to purchase 
property which brought him $200.00 a month, not 
counting a number of vacant lots, d his opened his 
eyes to the possibilities of real estate. Hence he 
sold his grocery business, geting $500.00 for it, and 
staked his future on dealing in real estate and in 
building and selling houses and stores. I oday he 
owns forty nine rent houses, which include the 
store in which he made his first business venture 
as a grocery clerk. These buildings are valued at 
$125,000, and yield him an income of $500.00 per 
month. 

Looming far above this is John B. Bell, the pub¬ 
lic servant. He appears to have taken a soit of 
an inspired view of his talents in business and of 
his wealth, looking upon it all as merely a fee in 


321 


trust. 1 his contact in business and the position 
gained by his wealth soon set him apart in Hous¬ 
ton, giving him a hearing and an entre, not accor¬ 
ding to the common run of men of either race. In 
this he was as quick to see the opportunity to serve 
his people as he had been to detect a good sale in 
real estate. 

Probably in no one part of his career does this 
appear clearer than in his dealing with the Emanci¬ 
pation Park, a Negro City Park, of Houston. For 
fourteen years he was member of the Board of 
1 rustees of this park. In 1915 Mr. Bell and others 
entered suit against the park Board, alleging that 
the ground was insolvent and would be sold for 
debt, thus being lost to the colored people. In the 
meantime, the Mayor of Houston, Ben Campbell, 
who is a close friend of Dr. Bell, appointed him 
manager of the park for two years. As soon as 
this appointment became effective, things at the 
colored park took on new life; At the solicitation 
of Mr. Bell, the Mayor authorized the building of 
a park house with cement floors and drop curtains 
all around to shield the people in case of bad wea¬ 
ther, also the building of three restaurants, the 
establishment of public sanitary toilets and the 
construction of gravel walks. Plans for all this 
have been drawn up awaiting the approval of the 
City before the work is begun. 

In 1910, E. J. Scott, of Tuskegee Institute in¬ 
formed certain citizens of Houston that Mr. Car¬ 
negie would give the city a $15,000 Colored Li¬ 
brary if the city would guarantee $1500 a year for 
up-keep. Once more Bell was called into service 
and delegated to see the Mayor of the City, then 
Mayor Rice. The Mayor agreed if the Negroes 
of Houston would buy the ground, the city would 
vote the up-keep fund. Mr. Bell was appointed 
chairman of the committee to raise the money to 
purchase the site. The colored people appointed 
him chairman of the committee to raise the money 
to buy the ground. In six months, Mr Bell had 
received $500.00. He loaned the $1000 necessary 
to hold the property. In six months he had raised 
the $1000 to repay the loan. On April fourth, 
1913, the library was dedicated. J. B. Bell was 
made treasurer of the Library Association. 

Houston now discovered another demand for this 
public servant. In 1915 the Mayor of the city ap¬ 
pealed to the colored people at the Carnegie Li¬ 
brary to aid the city in doing charity work. Im¬ 
mediately Bell was made chairman of the Negro 
branch of this undertaking. He leased the for¬ 
mer home of Emmett J. Scott, fitting it up as a 
modern hospital and established there a clinic for 
the colored people. In this way he divided his 
time and his energies, giving about one third to 
his own personal affairs and two-thirds to the 
public service. No wonder when Booker T. 
Washington was to tour Texas, J. B. Bell was 
chosen from among the able Negroes of the “lone 
star state” to manage the trip. 

Mr. Bell was married in 1900 to Miss V. Nora 
Allen, the daughter of Hon. Richard Allen. Since 
the above was written, Mr. Bell has passed away. 

















> 





JOHN T. GIBSON 






LOBBY ENTRANCE & TIIKET SELLER’S BOOTH 

WO cities of America will always 
be historic for the Negro; they 
were among the earliest places of 
refuge, they have fostered his 
welfare even to this day. One of 
these is Boston, the other Phila¬ 
delphia. The “Hub” early had Negroes within her 
precincts, and though the Puritan was a stickler 
for the letter as well as for the spirit of the law, 
he almost invariably gave in a bit when the Negro 
was involved. So true did this become in Boston 
that at times it appeared to one’s advantage to be 
colored. 

Philadelphia, however, proved a happier home 
for the Negroes. There they had a wider range of 
intellectual and social freedom. A great many re¬ 
mained there and established themselves as leading 
citizens, notwithstanding the fact that they were 
persons of color. 

Coming thus to the front they put up stores, es 
tablished businesses, took an active part in city 
government, built handsome churches, hospitals 
and schools; with this result, the Negroes of the 
Quaker City usually get a representative not only 




in the city, but in the State government. Here in 
Philadelphia he stands upon his merit alone. 

A product of this environment, one who stands 
as an example of the type of business men possi 
ble to the race we have John T. Gibson, who is one 
of the remarkable men of modern times, who with¬ 
in a very short time and with a small capital has 
made for himself a fortune that is rated at $600,- 
000.00. This is indeed a very great achievement. 
Born in Maryland in 1878, he received his education 
in Baltimore. He finished the courses ofit'ered by 
the public schools of that city after which he en¬ 
tered Morgan College. While there he applied 
himself diligently to his studies, and even then was 
a young man of great promise. Well may Mor¬ 
gan be proud of this son who received his inspira¬ 
tion within her walls. 

After leaving Morgan College, Mr. Gibson en¬ 
gaged in a number of business enterprises before 
he decided upon his present career. He was al¬ 
ways successful in whatever he undertook, and 
when one day it came his chance to purchase a 
small theatre he grasped the opportunity, for he 
saw far in the future, and right from the first, be¬ 
gan to lay plans that meant the development of the 
finest theatre in the country owned and managed 
by a colored man. 

Mr. Gibson has one trait of character which 
served him well in the development of his scheme. 
He is a patient man. So step by step he develop¬ 
ed his idea, never hurrying things but always di¬ 
recting the course they took, so to-day, after his 
first venture he has invested in the Gibson New 
Standard Theatre half a million dollars! The 
building in which this sagacious man invested his 
money and is making 100 per cent on the invest¬ 
ment has helped make a world-wide reputation for 
him. It is located on South street at twelfth, the 
third greatest business street in the city, and this 
great big structure can be seen glowing with its 
myriad of lights, throwing into bold relief the 



WEST PROMENADE 


EAST PROMENADE 


323 






























































GIBSON’S -NEW STANDARD THEATRE—EXTERIO R FRONT VIEW—INTERIOR VIEW FROM STAGE- 

INTERIOR VIEW FROM ORCHESTRA 



















































































LADIES’ ROOM—SECOND FLOOR 


JOHN T. GIBSON’S PRIVATE OFFICE 

beautiful design of the exterior while the interior 
with its beauty of gold, purple, marble, and tints 
of rose, looks like fairy land. Out of all the thea¬ 
tres in the city, of which there are 59, Gibson’s 
New Standard Theatre is the only one owned and 
run by a single person, and he is also the first col¬ 
ored business man in the history of the city to 
make so great an investment in property. The 
theatre has an ideal location as it is accessible to 
all lines of cars which radiate in every direction. 

Mr. Gibson in his social hours is a good compan¬ 
ion and a humorous one. Tie is very clever in ap¬ 
plying his jests to illustrate a point. His shrewd¬ 
ness, sagacity and promptness have won for him 
an enviable reputation and many seek his counsel. 

Mr. Gibson married Miss Ella Lewis, of Ches¬ 
ter County, Pennsylvania, a highly cultured wo¬ 
man, coming from one of the oldest families in 
the state, and with her tender, lovable disposition 
and business acumen she makes an ideal help-mate, 
she surrounds her husband with ties that aie the 
truest and most tender that a noble woman can 
create about a home. Indeed the home of the 


TREASURER’S OFFICE 

Gibsons is one of the most beautiful in the north¬ 
ern part of the city. Its beauty of architecture is 
not surpassed by the beautiful home life within. 

Mr. Gibson is a public spirited citizen. Every¬ 
thing for the betterment of his people always in¬ 
terest him. As his means grow so he continues 
to grow and shares his fortune with others. His 
hand is open and his heart is warm. 

What a difference a few years makes in the ca¬ 
reer of an ambitious and energetic man. A few 
short years ago John T. Gibson was practically 
unknown, to-day he is known all over the world 
having reached the top round of his managerial 
career. It is not often it can be said with genuine 
verity that an event marks an epoch. The peo¬ 
ple of Philadelphia bow at the shrine of the man 
who has made it possible for them to have the fin¬ 
est play-house in the country to witness the best 
that the amusement world affords and out of which 
he has made a name and a fortune. Mr. Gibson is 
a member of the Masonic order and a true Mason 
at heart. 


STENOGRAPHER’S OFFICE 


325 














































THOMAS H. PINCKNEY 


HOMAS H. Pinckney was born 
in Columbia, in 1863, on the cam¬ 
pus of the old South Carolina 
College. As early as age would 
permit, he entered the Howard 
Public School, of Columbia, and 
continued his course until he 
was ready to enter South Caro¬ 
lina College, where he remained until the law of 
separating the races in school compelled him to 
leave. 



Somehow, he grasped the principle that any 
work was honorable, that only idleness was a 
curse. For a while he shined shoes; then he sold 
newspapers; then he bought and sold rags and 
bones, an occupation sneered at by the masses of 
men. From this he took to peddling. He would 
go hunting and catch rabbits, squirrels and birds. 
Immediately he dressed these, put them in a bas¬ 
ket and peddled them out. He went fishing. Once 
more he filled his basket and became a walking 
fish wagon. Then his ingenuity discovered a way 
to coin extra pennies while an apprentice in a white 
barber shop. Mr. Pinckey found himself getting- 
theory on the front and practice out back in the 
wood shed. Working for the white people in the 
front he would every little while step out in the 


back and cut the hair of, and shave his Negro 
friends at half price. In a little while his clientele 
in the wood shed yielded him not only a larger in¬ 
come than that he received in the shop, but larger 
than that of any man working in the shop. 

He then opened a shop for Negro customers. A 
few years proved that his first shop was too small. 
He sought larger quarters. Again his shop be¬ 
came too small and again he changed. This was 
repeated several times before he could accommo¬ 
date the hosts of customers who poured into his 
parlors. 

The shop made another contribution to the life 
of Thomas H. Pinckney. In the old shop lay a 
fiddle. It was stroked by musicians and no musi¬ 
cians. Mr. Pinckney took his turn at this violin. 
In a little while he discovered that he had musical 
talent of the first order. He cultivated his talent 
in music and soon he was not only training young 
Negro barbers, but also Negro musicians. He or¬ 
ganized choruses, he conducted orchestras, both 
of which brought snug sums to his coffers and 
more business to his establishment. 

Known widely as a man of business and of talent 
lie began to receive suggestions for local improve¬ 
ments in business and in accomodation. One day 
a young man noticed at a funeral that the White 
undei takei was none too considerate. This was the 
basis of an argument for a Negro undertaking 
film, with Mr. Pinckney as the senior member. 
Forthwith the young man was dispatched to New 
hoik to learn the business. He returned, passed 
the 1 equired State examination, and organized the 
firm of Harly, Pinckney and Briggs, whose capital 
was $1,500. The firm was soon able to buy its 
own building and established a branch at Green¬ 
ville, S. C., and alreaoy plans other branch houses. 

Finding this buisiness very attractive, Mr. 
Pinckney has made a special study of embalming, 
and in 1915 passed the State examination as an 
embalmer. 

b rom his business he has accumulated some 
ready money and much real estate in his native 
city. He owns his home, several vacant lots and 
rent houses. With his business and real estate 
he finds time for membership in several organiza¬ 
tions and for some volunteer services. He is a 
Mason, an Odd Fellow, and a Good Samaritan. He 
is an active member of the Zion Baptist church and 
a clarinet player in the choir. 

Mr. Pinckney was married in 1885 to Miss Lot¬ 
tie M. Howell, of Conguill, South Carolina. Two 
daughters have been born and reared in the Pinck¬ 
ney family. Miss Beatrice Pinckney is now Mrs. 
Alonzo Hardy and Miss Theosina is now Mrs. 
Louis Gaten. Fifty odd years lie upon Mr. Pinck¬ 
ney as he keeps in close contact with all the Negro 
life in Columbia. 


326 











ALEXANDER ARTHUR GALVIN, D. D. 

LEXANDER A. Galvin, was born 
May 12th., 1869, on a farm near 
New Glasgow, Amherst County, 
Virginia. Prior to his birth his fa¬ 
ther followed the carpenter trade, 
but having a large family, most of 
whom were boys he decided that he could sustain 
and rear them better in the country than he could 
in town, so he gave up the hammer and saw for 
the plow. Thus it was that Alexander Galvin was 
country bred and got his early training on the 
farm. Here he learned to follow the plow, swing 
the axe, and form an intimate acquaintance with 
animals, plants, streams and mountains and here 
he formed those habits of thought which finally 
led to his conversion and entrance into the minis¬ 
try. He was converted at the age of seventeen, 
and early felt the call to preach, but his father 
needed him on the farm, so he had to be satisfied 
for a while with such preparation as he could get 
from the public school at New Glasgow. He made 
the most of this and laid a good foundation upon 
which he built until better educational advantages 
were within his reach. 

He remained on the farm with his father until 


he reached his majority, and then decided to yield 
to the divine call to preach, and left home, in order 
to earn the money to pay his way through college. 
He realized that he could not do his best work 
without a course of preparation and he determined 
to use every exertion to secure it. 

That he succeeded is not surprising, and in the 
course of time he was enabled to enter the Vir¬ 
ginia Theological Seminary and College, at Lynch¬ 
burg, Virginia, where he graduated with honors 
from the Academic and Theological courses in May 
1897. 

Shortly after graduation, Dr. Galvin was called 
to the pastorate of the Ebenezer Baptist Church 
Staunton, Va. In this field he labored until June 
1902 when he accepted a call to the Loyal Street 
Baptist Church, Danville, Virginia, where he still 
pastors. Thus Dr. Galvin has spent twenty years 
in two pastorates, which puts him on the exception¬ 
al list from the viewpoint of long pastorates. He 
has worked intensively rather than extensively, be¬ 
coming one of the people, and not a sojourner, 
where he has preached. 

He and his wife are property owners in Dan¬ 
ville, having a city lot there on which is built 
a two story tenement house. As he worked in the 
city so has he worked in his state. He was Moder¬ 
ator of the Berean Valley Baptist Association four 
years and has been the President of the Virginia 
Baptist State Convention four years. The latter 
position he still holds. 

President Galvin presided at the golden jubilee 
meeting of the Virginia Baptist State Convention, 
July 10th-15th, 1917, on Seminary Hill, Lynchburg, 
when the Woman’s State Educational, the Sunday 
School and Baptist Young People’s Union State 
Conventions all met in joint sessions and $13,698.31 
was raised, in cash, for education and missions. 

While Doctor Galvin has not been an extensive 
traveler, other than much travel in his native state 
upon business incident to his interest, office and 
calling; short trips into the middle west, the far 
south, and the eastern states constitute his record 
in this direction. 

In Clifton Forge, Virginia in 1897, Doctor Galvin 
was married to Miss Janie Penn Toles of Lexing¬ 
ton, Va. They have three children, in the persons 
of Misses Susie C. and Elizabeth and Master G. 
Alexander. In May 1917 Miss Susie, at the age of 
18 years, graduated from the Normal Department 
of the Virginia Theological Seminary and College, 
while G. Alexander a lad of thirteen and Elizabeth 
a child of seven are attending the High School and 
graded school respectively in the city of Danville. 

In 1906, Rev. Galvin was. honored by his Alma 
Mater with the title of Doctor of Divinity. And he 
*is generally regarded as one of the leading preach¬ 
ers of his race and denomination. 



327 








WILLIAM VIVIAN CHAMBLISS 



William Vivian Chambliss 


OONER or later most people visit 
Tuskegee. That this is true is 
due to the fact that from its 
founding it has stood for things 
of an advanced nature for the col¬ 
ored people of this country. It is 
the greatest institution operated 
by Negroes in the world and has 
from the first used a system of education that is 
now being copied by schools in all parts of this 
country and other countries. And so daily there 
are men and women who seek the school. Some 
seek inspiration, some knowledge, that they may 
run a school on similar plan; some seek informa¬ 
tion on how to handle colored men in mass and 
some seek to know how the much advertised agri¬ 
cultural department is run, and how well the men 
who have gone out from this departmet have been 
able to fit into rural life. Whenever the question 
of rural life comes up and a concrete example is 
wanted of a Tuskegee man who has made a suc¬ 
cess of his life in the country—those in authority 
point, and they point with pride, to W. V. Cham¬ 
bliss, who lives only a few miles from the school. 

Mr. Chambliss is an example of the man who 
made a success of his life on his native soil. He 
was born in Macon County, Alabama, Dec. 4th, 
1866. He received his early training in the rural 
schools of his country and then entered Iuskegee 
Institute. From this school he was graduated in 
1890. As a lad, Mr. Chambliss was poor. He not 
only did odd chores, but during the summer he 
mined coal at the tender age of seventeen, and 
worked in the steel plants as well. In this way 
Mr. Chambliss got his first lessons in handling 
money. 

The summer after his graduation, he taught 
school in Macon County. The school term was 
short and the pay small. He was then employed 
by Tuskegee Institute as an instructor in the brick 
masonry division. I his work was not to the liking 
of Mr. Chambliss either. When the school stood 
in need of a trained man to take charge of the live 
stock that they were gradually acquiring, Mr. 
Chambliss was chosen as the man who had natural 
ability along this line. He was sent to Hampton 
Institute where he received a special training in 
the subject. He then returned to 4 uskegee and 
took charge of the live stock of the school. In this 
capacity he served the school for ten years. Dur¬ 
ing this time he so conducted his division, and so 
handled his duties that he had the implicit confi¬ 
dence of Dr. Booker T. Washington, the Founder 
of the school. Because of this confidence, which 
he won by marked ability and faithfulness to duty, 
Mr. Chambliss stands today an example of the suc¬ 
cessful planter and a successful business man as 
well. Mr. Robert C. Ogden and Mr. Alexander 
Purvis, two Northern philanthropists, organized a 
stock company under the laws of New \ ork and 
purchased several thousand acres of land in Macon 
County. This land was to be sold on easy terms, 
long time payments, to colored people. They open¬ 
ed a general store where these farmers could trade 
and they bought up the necessary stock to work 


the land. Five thousand acres of land represent 
a big tract and $75,000.00 represents a big invest¬ 
ment. These men, Mr. Ogden and Mr. Purvis, 
sought the advice of Dr. Washington when they 
wanted a man to take entire charge of this under¬ 
taking. Dr. Washington recommended Mr. Wil¬ 
liam Vivian Chambliss, the subject of this sketch. 
That he made a success of the undertaking the re¬ 
cords of the company will show. 

The plan was to sell oft" the land in forty acre 
lots to colored farmers. Not only did Mr. Cham¬ 
bliss seek the purchasers and sell the land, but he 
served in the capacity of general guardian and ad¬ 
visor. He supplied them with live stock, tools, farm 
implements, fertilizer, groceries and other supplies. 
He built their homes, marketed their produce for 
them and helped them settle their accounts. As 
Superintendent of the Southern Improvement 
Company, the name of the organization, he became 
responsible for the people living on the land. The 
unsold land was cultivated by him and by renters. 
In his management of the enterprise he evinced 
great executive ability. Although the Company 
was of philanthropic nature, he paid the stock¬ 
holders 6% annual dividends, and received himself 
a salary and 5% of the net earnings of the com¬ 
pany. He bought and operated with a partner, A. 
J. Wilborn, a colored man of Tuskegee, 1700 acres 
of land. From time to time he invested in other 
tracts of land. In 1913 he bought from the com¬ 
pany 1000 acres of the land owned by the Southern 
Improvement Co. 

After eighteen years the company dissolved. At 
that time Mr. Chambliss bought all the unsold land 
that remained of the original tract. He bought the 
store, the gin, all the live stock, implements, equip¬ 
ment, etc., and assumed all the company’s liabili¬ 
ties. Thus after eighteen years of service for the 
Company we find him sole owner of the Company’s 
holdings. 

In all his business dealings Mr. Chambliss never 
once gave a mortgage and only once in his life bor¬ 
rowed money from a bank. In the Liberty Loan 
Drive Mr. Chambliss bought $30,000 in Bonds and 
$1000.00 in War Savings Stamps. He was the lar¬ 
gest purchaser of bonds in Macon County regard¬ 
less of color. He owns 3000 acres of land, 2000 
acres of which he cultivates and advances to 120 
plows ; operates a general store that does between 
$20,000 and $24,000 business annually; owns and 
operates a cotton gin that handles as high as 11,000 
bales of cotton annually. 

Mr. Chambliss is a member and a trustee of the 
A. M. E. Zion Church, of Tuskegee, and served for 
a long time as steward of the church. He is a Ma¬ 
son, he was several times State delegate to the 
National Republican Convention; he was speaker 
for the graduates of Tuskegee Institute at the 
First Memorial Exercise held in honor of Dr. B. T. 
Washington. He subscribed $800.00 to the Booker 
T. Washington Memorial Fund, which was one of 
the largest donations made by colored people. He 
has traveled in all parts of the U. S., and to some 
places in Canada. He is unmarried; he lives in his 
own home with his sister. 



329 







JOHN J. STARKS. D. D. 


T falls to the good fortune of but 
few to found and establish on a 
sound business basis one institu¬ 
tion, administer its affairs for a 
long time, then take over the 
presidency of another. Such, how- 
the fortune of President John J. 
Starks, President of the Morris College, at Sum¬ 
ter, South Carolina. Leaving his Alma Mater on 
graduating in 1898, he went into South Carolina, 
and one year later, 1899, founded the Seneca Insti¬ 
tute, at Seneca, South Carolina. 

The founding of Seneca Institute was no easy 
task. There was no money, no building, no land 
on which he could begin to build. The school was 
opened in a frame building which measured thirty- 
six feet by forty feet. It had but a handful of 
students and exceedingly meagre equipment. For 
thirteen years the young founder worked away, 
now begging for land, now for money, for a build¬ 
ing, now for equipment, now for students, now for 
salary for teachers. At the end of this period he 
had accumulated property and buildings for the 
Seneqa' Institute, worth thirty thousand dollars. 
He had an enrollment of two hundred and thirty- 


five students, one hundred of whom were in the 
boarding department. He left the institute ,at the 
close of a thirteen years administration, free of 
debt. In 1912, he was elected President of Morris 
College, in Sumter, the position which he still 
holds. 

President Starks was born in South Carolina, in 
Greenwood, April fifteenth, 1872. He attended 
school in his native state until he was ready to go 
•away to further his education. Choosing More¬ 
house, in Atlanta, he was graduated there in 1898. 
Ten vears after graduation, in view of his service 
of education, Benedict College conferred upon him 
the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity. He is 
a member of the Executive Board of the Baptist 
State Convention, and is one of the leading denomi¬ 
national educators and thinkers of South Caro¬ 
lina. President Starks was married in 1897, to 
Miss Julia A. Sherard, of Anderson, South Caro¬ 
lina. She has been a strong second in all the uplift 
works of her husband. 

MORRIS COLLEGE 

This Institution was founded in 1905, by the Bap¬ 
tist Missionary and Educational Convention, of 
South Carolina. It is controlled by a Board of 
Trustees elected by the Convention. It is a school 
of elementary and secondary grade. The elemen¬ 
tary work covers the usual elementary grades. In 
the secondary work emphasis is placed on the an¬ 
cient languages and mathematics. One teacher 
gives all his time to languages, teaching Latin, 
Greek and German. The other subjects offered in 
the four-year “preparatory” course and the two- 
year “college” course, are English, History, Bible, 
and Chemistry. A few of the girls take sewing. 

The school has twelve teachers, all colored ; three 
male and nine female, the teachers are well trained. 
It has an enrollment of about sixty. In addition 
a few ministers attend irregularly. Its sources of 
income are from Baptist Churches, tuition and fees 
and from the boarding department. 

The plant consists of eight acres of land on the 
outskirts of Sumter, valued at $5,000, part of which 
is used for truck gardening; buildings valued at 
$18,500, consisting of three large frame buildings, 
one comparatively new and the others in fairly 
good condition, and the movable equipment, which 
consists of furniture for class rooms and dormito¬ 
ries and a few farm implements. The movable 
equipment is valued at $1,500. 

President Starks is giving to the college the ben¬ 
efit of his fine executive ability and profound men¬ 
tal training, and under his management the school 
is showing marked signs of development. It is his 
purpose and plan to make it one of the best schools 
in the land. 



330 












REVEREND EPHRIAM MELMUM SEYMOUR 

EVEREND Ephriam M. Seymour, 
pastor of the Rogers Memorial 
Baptist Church, Knoxville, Ten¬ 
nessee, was born in Fayette Coun¬ 
ty, Tenn., in 1873. When yet a 

_ __^_ small boy he was possessed of the 

desire to do something for his people that would 
be worth while. For a desire of this chaiacter to 
enter the heart and brain of a mere lad bespoke a 
career of great usefulness and was prophecy of a 
life of note. This desire became intensified with 
his growing years, and after a careful survey of the 
field which offered to the colored youth avenues 
of service, he was led to concentrate his mind upon 
the Gospel ministry. He realized that Christian 
religion was the foundation stone upon which to 
build character and that if built upon any other it 
could not stand the test of temptation and adver¬ 
sity. He wished the best for his people and felt 
that if he could help them lay a good foundation 
for their life work, he would make a contribution 
for their development which would be worth while 
and meet the dream of his early childhood. It was 
this line of reasoning together with the influence 
of the church which led him to his life woik. 


He had seen the evil effects of ignorant preach¬ 
ers presiding over the churches of his people and 
was fully persuaded that the time had come when 
the men who offered themselves for that sacred 
office should Ire prepared for their work. He knew 
that he was not prepared educationally for the 
work of a minister and he decided that his first 
step was to secure an education. 

The fact that his parents were not in a position 
to give him financial aid and the knowledge of the 
hardships which faced those who had to educate 
themselves, did not deter him from his purpose, 
but rather served to strengthen his determination 
and nerve him to his task, encouraged and sus¬ 
tained, no doubt, by the noble end he had in view. 

He began his school life in the public schools 
of Sommersville. From here he made his way 
in the Baptist College, at Memphis, Tenn., from 
which he was graduated in 1900. On finishing from 
the college, he entered Roger Williams in Nash¬ 
ville, for a course in theology. None of these 
courses came to him without struggle. All through 
his school life he worked early in the morning and 
late in the evenings and at spare times to earn 
money for his board and lodging. 

Completing his college work and his studies in 
theology he began pastoral duties at Franklin, 
Tenn., occupying the pulpit here in the First Bap¬ 
tist Church. Spending two years in Franklin, he 
was called to Shelbyville, Tenn., where he remain¬ 
ed one year. From Shelbyville, Rev. Seymour 
went to Mt. Olive, Clarksville, Tenn., where he 
was pastor for five years. Thence he accepted the 
pastorate of Holly Grove Baptist Church, Ripley, 
Tenn. From Ripley, he came to Knoxville to the 
Rogers Memorial Church, where he is now pas¬ 
tor. 

The bulk of his work has been done at the Roger 
Memorial Church, of Knoxville. He accepted the 
call here when every thing about the church was 
ebbing rather low. The old church had gone, the 
new was started, merely started. Enthusiasm and 
money were rapidly diminishing. Rev Seymour 
took hold, rallied the forces, organized communi¬ 
ties to secure more funds, and completed the Mem¬ 
orial Church. This task he looks upon as coming 
nearer to fulfilling his early visions of service than 
anything else he has thus far undertaken. 

Mr. Seymour was married in 1906. Mrs. Sey¬ 
mour was formerly Miss Lizzie Saunders, of Mem¬ 
phis, Tenn. Sadie B. is the only child in the Sey¬ 
mour household. She is eight years of age. 

Mr. Seymour has translated his vision which 
came to him in early life, into an effective and lov¬ 
ing service for his people. 


331 








GASTON ALONZO EDWARDS, M. S. 

E hear of Negro physicians, Negro 
school teachers, Negro dentists, 
Negro merchants etc,, but seldom 
find one who has made his mark 
as an architect. 

Professor Edwards is a notable 
exception, his gifts as an architect being recog¬ 
nized by both white and black. While occupying 
a high place in architecture he also stands high as 
a scholar. 

Professor Edwards was born in Belvoir, North 
Carolina, April 12th, 1875. Passing through the 
common schools he entered the Agricultural and 
Mechanical College at Greensboro, North, Carolina, 
and completed his education at Cornell University, 
Ithaca, New York. 

In 1901-1902, he established the Mechanical De¬ 
partment of the N. C. D. D., and B. Institute, at 
Raleigh, North Carolina. In October of 1902, he 
accepted the position as teacher of Natural Science 
and Superintendent of Men’s Industrial Depart¬ 
ment of Shaw University, which position he held 
for fifteen years. 

While at Shaw University his fame as an archi¬ 
tect spread throughout the country and brought 


him into conspicious note as a designer of build¬ 
ings. He was the first Negro to design and con¬ 
struct buildings for the American Baptist Home 
Mission Society. 

His work as an architect is not confined to his 
own race, but because of his strict adherence to 
the three F’s in architectture, fit, firm and fair, he 
enjoys a liberal patronage of the white race as well. 

On March 9th, 1915, by an act of the General As¬ 
sembly of North Carolina, all architects were re¬ 
quired to be examined, licensed and registered in 
order to practice Architecture in the State of North 
Carolina. 

He successfully passed the Board and has the 
distinction of being the only licensed colored ar¬ 
chitect in the State. 

On June 12th, 1912 he was commissioned by Hon. 
W. W. Kitchen, Governor of North Carolina, as a 
delegate to the third annual session of the Negro 
National Educational Congress held in St. Paul, 
Minn., July 1st., 1912. 

He received the degree of Master of Science 
from his Alma Mater, May 27th, 1909, being the 
first graduate of that school to be so honored. 

In the spring of 1917, by unanimous vote of the 
Board of Trustees of Kittrell College, he was 
elected President, which position he now holds. 

Under his administration the school has taken on 
new life and is destined to become one of the great¬ 
est schools for higher education of the Negro. 

Kittrell College is located on the historic place 
known as “Kittrell Springs,” in Vance County, 
North Carolina, on the main line of the Seaboard 
Air Line Railway, eight miles south of Henderson, 
and thirty-six miles north of Raleigh, the Capital, 
on one of the most beautiful sites in the country. 
It is 480 feet above sea level on a hill that slopes 
gently to the north and west, affording perfecl 
drainage. The site contains 240 acres, with two 
streams flowing through it. Upon the school prem¬ 
ises are two mineral springs, which prior to its pur¬ 
chase for a school site was known as a health re¬ 
sort attracting hither hundreds of tourists in 
search of health and rest. 

Touching the history of Kittrell College, it is re¬ 
lated that several years previous to the purchase 
of the property, Miss Louise Dorr, a faithful 
teacher from the North, conducted a Bible Train¬ 
ing Class in connection with her school work in the 
city of Raleigh. 

Several of the young men became enthusiastic 
over the studies and started to talk of better facih- 
ties. The matter was taken to the North Carolina 
Conference of the A. M. E. Church, and at once as¬ 
sumed definite shape, resulting in the proposition 
to establish a school at Kittrell, N. C. In 1885 the 
North Carolina Conference passed a resolution au- 



332 













DUKE MEMORIAL HALL—GIRLS’ DORMITORY—KITTRELL COLLEGE, IvITTRELL, N. C. 


thorizing the establishment of a Normal and In¬ 
dustrial School, and appointed a Committee to se¬ 
lect a suitable site. In the selection of Kittrell the 
Committee secured one of the most desirable lo¬ 
calities in North Carolina. The leading spirit in the 
organization of the school was Rev. R. N. W. Leak. 
D. D., and associated with him were such men as 
Rev. George D. Jimmerson, Rev. J. W. Telfair, Rev. 
J. E. C. Barham, Rev. George Hunter, Rev. W. D. 
Cook, Rev. W. H. Giles, Rev. Henry Epps, Rev. 
Cornelius Sampson, Rev. W. H. Bishop, Rev. R. 
Lucas and Rev. J. C. Fry, who were under the Es- 
piscopal supervision of Bishop W. F. Dickerson. 
The first session began February 7th., 1886, with 
three teachers, Prof. B. B. Goins, Principal; Mrs. 
M. A. Goins, Matron, and Prof. J. R. Hawkins, 
Business Manager. The charter was granted by 
the Legislature of North Carolina March 7th, 1887. 

The first Commencement exercises were held in 
1890. In 1888, the Virginia Conference agreed to 
support this school and transferred its school in¬ 
terest from Portsmouth, Va., to Kittrell, said Con¬ 
ference being given equal representation on the 
Trustee Board. 

In 1892, the General Conference in session in 
Philadelphia, Pa., changed the Educational Dis¬ 
tricts so as to add the State of Maryland and the 
District of Columbia to the territory supporting 
Kittrell Institute, and it now receives liberal pat¬ 
ronage and support from the entire Second Episco¬ 
pal District, viz: North Carolina, West North Car¬ 
olina, Virginia and Baltimore Conferences. 

The school had a steady growth and its present 
status ranks it along with W ilberforce, Morris 


Brown, Allen University and Paul Quinn; these 
five forming the first group of connectional schools. 
Its students come from several States. 

The outlook is that Kittrell is destined to be¬ 
come a great educational centre, attracting hither 
not only hundreds of boys and girls, but families 
who wish to locate where the best educational ad¬ 
vantages may be enjoyed. 

BUILDINGS 

At present it has seven buildings: Shady Side 
Cottage, Northside Cottage, Orient Cottage, Fair- 
view Cottage. 

DUKE-MEMORIAL HALL is a large four story 
brick structure with ample accommodations for 
two hundred girls, has modern conveniences and 
the very best arrangements for home and school 
life. It contains the college chapel, dining room, 
music room, parlor and ofifices. 

THE PEARSON O’KELLY MODEL SCHOOL j s a 
beautiful structure made of native stone. 

THE MARTHA MERRICK LIBRARY i s a modern 
building erected by the banker-philanthropist, John 
Merrick, President of the North Carolina Mutual 
Provident Association. 

THE BOYS’ DORMITORY AND CHAPEL BUILD¬ 
ING. The plans for these buildings to be con¬ 
structed of brick and stone at a cost of $50,000.00 
has been raised already. When completed the dor¬ 
mitory will accommodate two hundred and fifty 
young men. 

The Institution has its own water and sewerage 
systems extending through all the buildings. 

LIBRARY—-The Library contains many import¬ 
ant works of reference and is open daily. 

ORGANIZATIONN—Elementary, normal com¬ 
mercial, industrial, college, music and theological 
departments. 

The elementary department comprises eight 
grades. The secondary work is done in the“ Nor¬ 
mal” department. 













































REVEREND PRESTON TAYLOR 


E often hear of self-made men and 
sometimes wonder what the ex¬ 
pression really ■ means. In essense 
it means that a man who in spite 
of adverse circumstances and mea¬ 
gre advantages has made a suc¬ 
cess of life and left an impress upon the world. 
Such a man is Rev. Preston Taylor, an eloquent 
preacher and a marvelous successful business man. 

Rev. Taylor was born in Shreveport, La., Novem¬ 
ber 7th, 1849, of humble parentage, in fact he was 
born into slavery. Little did his parents think 
when their baby came that they had given birth to 
a child who was destined to occupy a high place 
in the church and influence the business world. 
When one year of age he was moved from Louis¬ 
iana to Lexington, Ky., the resting place of Henry 
Clay. 

At the early age of four he sat in the Lirst Bap¬ 
tist Church, Lexington, Ivy., under the sound of the 
pious and impressive voice of Rev. Ferrell, which 
deeply impressed his youthful mind. He gave ex¬ 
pression to this impression in a remark made to 
his mother, “Some day I’ll be a preacher.” His 
wise and good mother used every influence to 


deepen the impression. Under the fostering care 
of parents and religious friends he grew in the 
knowledge of the scriptures and was filled with 
the spirit of Christ. At the age of twenty-one he 
entered the ministry of the Christian Church, and 
ranks high in that denomination. 

Lor fifteen years he was Pastor of a church in 
Sterling, Ky. When he took charge of the church 
it was in its infancy, and when he left it the mem¬ 
bership had reached about eight hundred. Under 
his ministry the church erected one of the finest 
church edifices of the colored race in Kentucky. 

His ability was so marked that his denomination 
felt that he should fill a larger field and so elected 
him as General Evangelist, a position he held for 
many years. About eight years ago he gave up 
his office as Evangelist to take charge of the Gay 
Street Church, in Nashville, and now in his declin¬ 
ing years, he is the beloved and zealous leader of 
Lee Avenue Christian Church. 

Like a number of great men his educational fa¬ 
cilities were small, much of his information and 
knowledge having been acquired from observation 
and experience, and such helps as he could master 
himself. In a large degree his education is practi¬ 
cal and his knowledge experimental. 

In preparation for his ministerial work he re¬ 
ceived a few month’s training in the Bible School 
in Louisville. Even this training was marked with 
great hardships which, however, were propellers 
rather than a hindrance to his development and 
advance. 

We turn now to his business career, through¬ 
out which you can trace the pride of race and a de¬ 
sire to help his people. When the “Big Sandy” 
railroad, now operated by the Chespeake & Ohio 
Railroad, was being built the contractors refused 
to hire colored men, preferring white labor. Mr. 
Taylor, being a man of nerve and iron-will deter¬ 
mined to pave the way for his people. He made 
a bid and fortune crowned his effort. He received 
the contract and then the difficult task was begun. 
It was one of the most hazardous undertakings ev¬ 
er attempted by a man of color. As is his usual 
custom he invoked the help of his Maker, and then 
with determination and energy he completed the 
job. He erected a large commissary and quar¬ 
ters for his men; bought 75 head of mules and 
horses, carts, wagons, cars and all the necessary 
implements and tools and with 150 men he went to 
work. He completed his contract in less time than 
the contract called for, receiving the contract price 
of $75,000.00, and the following words of praise 
from Mr. C. P. Huntington, President of the road: 
“I have built thousands of miles of road but I 
never before saw a contractor who finished his con¬ 
tract in advance. 



334 








This removed the prejudice of Negro labor and 
from that time it was sought instead of being re¬ 
jected. He won his fight and enshrined himself 
in the affection and memory of the 150 men who 
he had succored by his resolute action. 

Another evidence of his great business ability is 
the large undertaking business he has established. 
In the face of great opposition and acting under 
an impulse to see that his people were amply pro- 1 - 
vided for in this line of their need, he opened his 
undertaking establishment. He now has the larg¬ 
est establishment of its kind and does the largest 
business of any man of his race in the county. He 
has purchased for his business a large two-story 
brick building 42x180 feet, which he has converted 
into a model undertaking establishment. 

Dr. Taylor married Miss Georgia Gordon, one of 
the original Fisk Jubilee Singers, who presides 
with grace and dignity over his home. 

In 1866, Dr. Taylor started without a dollar. He 
is now said to be worth not less than $350,000. 

It seems that Dr. Taylor never tires of working, 
and planning for the comfort and welfare of his 
people. This sketch would be incomplete if ref¬ 
erence was made to another enterprise of his which 
has done much to elevate the ideals of his race. 
No people can rise to a high state of refinement 
who neglect the resting place of their dead. Dr. 
Taylor recognized this fact and determined to pro¬ 
vide a resting place for the colored people which 
would be keeping with the high ideals which he 
was trying to bring them up to. 

He secured a plot of ground, close by Greenwood 
Park, which he had provided for their recreation, 
and laid out a cemetery which will compare in ar¬ 
rangements, and beautiful surroundings with# any 
in the land. It is sodded with grass and subdivided 
into lots and shaded with beautiful trees, and is 
conceded to be one of the most beautiful cemeter¬ 
ies in the whole country. An attractive arch way 
spans the entrance to the cemetery which makes a 
fitting entrance to this beautiful though silent city. 

GREENWOOD PARK, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE 

All men need recreation which applies with 
equal force to women and children, for the well 
known aphorism, “All work and no play makes 
Jack a dull boy,” is a well recognized truth. There 
must be moments in the life of every one when 
work and the many cares of life can be set aside 
for a while and the mind given over to ease and 
diversion. 

Possibly no better source of recreation can be 
found than a well regulated park with its attendant 
amusement auxiliaries. Such a pleasure resort is 
Greenwood Park. It is situated in one of the most 
beautiful suburban portions of Nashville, Tennes¬ 
see, at a distance of only three miles from the city, 


on the Lebanon Pike. Electric cars run to it on 
regular scheduled time with privileges of transfer¬ 
ring to all parts of the city for five cents fare. The 
situation of Greenwood Park is ideal for such an 
enterprise. It comprises forty acres of hills and 
dales, surrounded by clusters of ever-green that 
adorn the hills, for which Nashville is so famously 
noted, and is well shaded with numerous forest 
trees. A number of limpid streams flow through 
it, giving coolness to the atmosphere and adding to 
its beauty. These streams also afford abundance 
of refreshing drinking water, thus combining 
pleasure with utility. Besides the many inviting 
walks and shady nooks provided by nature, provis¬ 
ion has been made for those who desire other 
forms of recreation. A club house, with restau¬ 
rant and refreshment stand; a theatre, skating 
rink, roller coaster, shooting gallery, box ball, 
knife, cane and baby rack, merry-go-round, a zoo, 
and a base-ball park. A grand stand has been erec¬ 
ted at the ball park which will seat several thous¬ 
and persons. 

This park is the home of the “Greenwood Giants” 
one of the “crack” baseball teams of the South. 
This team has crossed bats with some of the best 
teams of the country. The park is open day and 
night and is made unusually attractive at night by 
the glare and glimmer of hundreds of electric 
lights. The park is regarded with much pride by 
the colored population of Nashville, who give it 
cordial support, visiting it in large numbers. The 
park is highly appreciated by the colored people 
generally and many important functions of the 
colored race are held there. 

The “Tennessee Colored Fair Association” holds 
its annual meeting at Greenwood Park. For its 
accomodation a splendid track has been built for 
exhibiting stock and sufficient stable room, erect¬ 
ed for the accomodation and housing of stock in 
large numbers. 

The design of the Park is not alone for pleasure 
but also has an educational feature. A Chatauqua 
for teachers is planned for the summer season 
which will bring together a great crowd of the best 
educators and workers of the race. It is expected 
that this feature will attract teachers from near 
and far, as well as others interested in educational 
matters. Then the “Good Old-Fashioned Camp 
Meeting” has not been overlooked. Provisions 
have been made for that which lends additional at¬ 
tractions for this pleasure and educational resort. 

Nashville has a Negro population of about forty 
thousand, who will compare favorably with any 
community for industry and wealth, and who ap¬ 
preciate the value of such a Park as has been out¬ 
lined. Their support of the enterprise has been 
so genuine and hearty that it has greatly pleased 
the management. 


335 



THOMAS PRYOR TURNER 



HOMAS Pryor Turner, Principal 
of the High School, at Pulaski, 
Tennessee, was born near Selma, 
Alabama, in August, 1867. His 
parents were very poor. After 
his father died in South Alabama, 
his mother, with her five children, moved to Giles 
County, Tennessee. Thus at a tender age we find 
Thomas P. Turner with his mother, sister and bro¬ 
thers trying to earn a living from the soil. Young 
Turner remained on the farm till he was sixteen 
years of age, working at all the jobs of a farm boy 
when school was not in session, and getting a 
chance to attend the county schools whenever they 
were being taught. 

Having gotten all in the way of book learning 
from the County Schools that he could, the young 
man entered Roger Williams University, at Nash¬ 
ville, Tennessee. While in Roger Williams he 
earned his way by teaching country school in the 
summer. In this way he managed to get his edu¬ 
cation. He was still in his teens when he began 
earning his living by teaching. So when he came 
out of Roger Williams he was already a teacher 
of experience. He secured work in the Pulaski 


High School. Plere he served first as Assistant 
Principal, and was later given the Principalship. 
Here for twenty-seven consecutive years Prof. 
1 urner has labored with the young people of Pu¬ 
laski, and surrounding country, and here he still 
works. 

I hat Professor Turner was bound to make a 
Success of his life was evident from his early boy¬ 
hood. He was willing to do any sort of work that 
would turn an honest penny, and having taken hold 
of any given work, he kept at it till success was his. 
He was at one period a book agent. This is one 
of the most difficult of all the known kinds of work 
and yet he made a success at it. He never let him¬ 
self get out of touch with public affairs. To this 
end he spent his money for daily papers, and took 
the time to read them in order that he might know 
all that was happening in the world. Even after 
he took up the work of teaching, Professor Turner 
did other kinds of work. He deals largely in real 
estate and is the owner of property valued at more 
than $20,000.00. 

He is an ardent supporter of the Fraternal Or¬ 
ders of his section of the country. He is Worthy 
Master of the St. John Lodge No. 19, of the An¬ 
cient Free and Accepted Masons, Member and C. 
C. of the Masonic Lodge, of the Knights of 
Pythias, Member and P. S., of the Giles County 
Union Lodge, Member and C. S. of the Zephoniah 
Lodge of Pulaski. Not only has he served these 
fraternal orders in their local meetings, but he 
has been for eighteen years Grand Secretary of the 
Grand United Order of Odd Fellows, and for four 
years Grand Auditor of this same order in America 
at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is also Grand 
Auditor of the Masonic Order for Tennessee. 

Professor Turner is an active member of the 
Bulah Baptist Church. Here he serves as a dea¬ 
con and as the clerk. In the Sunday School he is 
the Superintendent. All the people of Pulaski know 
ove and respect Professor Turner. His influence, 
however, is not confined to the limits of his adopt¬ 
ed town. He is known throughout the State of 
Tennessee, and in many parts of the country. He 
has traveled extensively in the United States and 
Canada. 

Professor Turner was married to Miss Mary 
Agnes Bramlett, of Pulaski, Tennessee, on Novem¬ 
ber 24th, 1892. Four children have been born to 
them. Three of whom are living, and the second 
one, Willis James Turner, died when only three 
years old. Miss Mamie A. Turner is a graduate 
from Fisk University. She finished the classical 
course and received the degree of A. B. At the 
same time she specialized in Education and so fit¬ 
ted herself very definitely for the task of school 
teaching. At present she is teaching in the Topeka 
Industrial and Educational Institute, Tokepa, Kan¬ 
sas. Thomas Pryor, Jr., is a Junior College stu¬ 
dent in Union University, at Richmond, Virginia. 
Edward Roosevelt s still a High School student. 


336 
















BURRELL HAEMAN MORRELL 


T is no disadvantage but rather 
the reverse for a man to be born 
in the country and spend his early 
days upon the farm. Cultivating 
the soil and breathing the fresh 
country air develops him physi¬ 
cally and brings him into closer touch with nature 
and nature’s God. It is a fact often noted that 
many of our great men came from the farm. 

Mr. Burrell Haeman Morrell was born on a 
farm and spent his early life in the country and the 
love of the soil has clung to him through all his 
years. He was born near Elkton, in the Southern 
part of Giles County, Tennessee, December the 2nd, 
1863, and this county has always been his home. 
His father died, when he was quite young, at a 
Federal prison in Mobile, Alabama, during the Civil 
War, and left him and his brother Albert a soldier’s 
bounty of eleven hundred and forty dollars and a 
Government pension for their support. This bounty 
was a monthly payment from the Federal Govern¬ 
ment to the guardian of the heirs of the deceased 
soldier. The guardian paid out this money for the 
education and support of these children until they 
were sixteen and when they reached the age of 


twenty-one the balance was paid to them in full. 
1 he poition coming to Burrell Haeman was four 
hundred dollars. 

While working upon the farm he took advantage 
of the opportunity the rural schools offered for an 
education. While these did not carry him very far 
m mental development the training created in him 
a qieatei thirst for knowledge which took him 
temporarily from the farm to Fisk Unversity. He 
entered this Institution when he was sixteen years 
of age. He completed the College course, with the 
exception of Greek, at the age of twenty-seven, 
having attended the college about eight years. 
Three years of his time after first entering Fisk 
Unversity was lost from school on account of poor 
health. He adopted teaching as his life work, 
though the lure of the farm was still upon him and 
claimed a portion of his time. 

After graduating from the Fisk University he 
was for five years the Principal of the McMinnville 
City school and for twenty years he has been and 
is now an assistant in the Pulaski High School. 

When he was twenty years old he purchased a 
farm of eighty-five acres, which he operated for 
twenty-one years and sold for twice its cost. While 
actively working this farm he taught in the coun¬ 
try school. 

He is still a land owner and has two farms of 
considerable value. One of 101 acres he values at 
$8000.00 and the other of 178 acres at $6000.00. In 
addition to these he owns three houses and two va¬ 
cant lots in the town of Pulaski, and one vacant 
lot in Washington, D. C. The value of his town 
property is about $2000.00. 

With the exception of a homestead inherited by 
his wife from her parents, their property was ac¬ 
quired by the practice of the closest economy and 
self denial. 

Mr. Morrell points with much pride to the part 
his wife has taken in aiding him to acquire proper¬ 
ty. They worked together with a unanimity of 
purpose and have sacrificed the comforts of youth 
that they might provide for the necessities of old 
age. Their aims and hopes were realized while 
still in their prime and they now enjoy not only the 
comforts of life, but many of its luxuries and are 
able to gratify a desire to make contributions for 
the pplift of their people. 

Mr. Morrell was married to Miss Addie Florine 
Taylor, of Giles County, Tennessee, September 
24th, 1896. which has proved a most happy mar¬ 
riage, the only cloud upon their union being the 
death of two of their children. One child, a boy, 
E. M. Morrell, has been spared to them, and they 
are giving to him the best of educational advan¬ 
tages. 




337 










.TAMES DELBRIDGE RYAN 



AMES Delbridge Ryan was born 
October 25, 1872, in Navasota, 

Grimes County, Texas, being the 
second of four children born to 
Huldah and Janies Ryan. He at¬ 
tended the Public Schools of 
Navasota, then administered by very excellent 
teachers, and entered the Prairie View Normal and 
Industrial College in September, 1889. From this 
institution he was graduated in June 1890. In Oc¬ 
tober of the same year he was elected a grade- 
teacher in the Public Schools of the City of Hous¬ 
ton, where he has beq'n continuously employed 
since that time. 


When the Colored High School was reorganized 
on the Departmental basis in September, 1900, he 
was selected as the teacher of Mathematics, and 
having thoroughly qualified himself by close appli¬ 
cation to study under private tutors and in Summer 
Schools, when a vacancy occurred in 1912, he was 
elected to the Principalship, with the distinction of 
having taught in every grade in the system 
through the four-year High School Course, except¬ 
ing the first Primary Grade only. 

During his administration the enrollment of the 


school has increased from 212 to 446, the number 
of teachers doing Hig'h School work only from 7 
to 11, and the graduates of the school make the 
Freshman Year in some of the best Colleges and 
Universities in the Country. In a system that 
prides itself on being one of the best in the South, 
Mr. Ryan easily ranks among the first, and because 
of his ability as a school man he was elected Presi¬ 
dent of the Colored Teachers’ State Association in 
November, 1916. 

His property holdings, excluding exemptions, 
consists of improved and unimproved city property, 
and securities, which are conservatively estimated 
at Ten Thousand Dollars. He is a member of the 
Board of Park Commissioners for Colored people 
through appointment by the Mayor, and is a mem¬ 
ber of Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, now 
serving his fourteenth year as Superintendent of 
the Sunday School. 

He is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted 
Masons, the Colored Knights of Pythias, the United 
Brothers of Friendship and the Sisters of the Mys¬ 
terious Ten, and of the Ancient Order of Pilgrims. 

During the past 21 years Mr. Ryan has been the 
guiding genius in the development of the Ancient 
Order of Pilgrims, a Fraternal Beneficiary Asso¬ 
ciation founded by Henry Cohen Hardy, who was 
joined in the incorporation thereof by Reuben 
Thornton and Joseph I. Rogers, October 23, 1882. 
The purpose of this organization is thus stated in 
the articles of incorporation: 

“To promote industry, temperance and economy; 
to enable us to assist ourselves and each other and 
every member of said corporation while living; to 
provide for the increased expenses of life, the des¬ 
titution of old age, sickness, misfortune, calamity 
and death; to leave our widows, mothers sisters, 
and children adequate support; to promote charity 
and benevolence, and to build and furnish halls for 
the use of this Order for these purposes.” 

The principal officers are B. H. Grimes, Prin¬ 
cipal of Dunbar School, President; James D. Ryan, 
Secretary; Jesse Washington, President of Gaud- 
alupe College, Treasurer; Dr. W. F. Warren, Tyler, 
R. G. Lockett and W. C. Conway. Houston, Trus¬ 
tees; L. D. Lyons of Austin, B. J. Mathis of Marlin, 
Texas, T. D. Mitchell, E. P. Harrison, and Van H. 
McKinley, members of the Supreme Council. 

The Order has a membership of 5,600; Assets, 
$24,804 81; Surplus of $4,068.51, and has paid to 
beneficiaries of deceased members $297,099.60 with¬ 
in the past 21 years. A cash benefit is paid to mem¬ 
bers during illness, and at death a mortuary benefit 
of $480.00." 

The last Actual Valuation of its Certificates in 
force December 31, 1916, indicates that the future 
net premiums to be collected, together with the 
invested assets, are sufficient to meet all certificates 
as they mature, by their terms, with a margin of 
safety of $90,486.14 (or 16 per cent.) over the sta¬ 
tutory requirements. 

Mr. Ryan was married to Miss Ella Sims in June, 
1896. Mrs. Ryan is a native of Houston. She is a 
strong support to her husband in all his arduous 
undertakings. 


338 










WILLIAM LEONARD DAVIS 


RACE advances only as far as its 
individuals. The colored people 
have been held down by the mass¬ 
es, because of their ignorance and 
their indifference to all the de¬ 
tail that make for a higher civili¬ 
zation. Very rapidly now this 
condition of affairs is being 
changed. This is being done through the schools, 
the churches and the fraternal organizations as 
well as through the influence of the better homes 
One man who has done his share of this woik in a 
of these lines is William Leonard Davis, of Hous¬ 
ton, Texas. 

William L. Davis, prominent in Texas as an edu 
cator and as a leader in secret orders, conspicuous 
in a state of conspicuous leaders, was born in La¬ 
vaca County, Texas, January 6th., 1873. Receiv¬ 
ing his early education in the public schools ot La- 
Grange, Texas, he entered Paul Quinn College, at 
Waco, Texas. To finish his training for the pro¬ 
fession of school teaching, he enrolled m tne Piai- 
rie View Normal and Industrial Institute, at I rai- 



rie View, Texas. 

Completing his studies while still young, Mr, 
Davis went out as a teacher in the rural schools. 
Rural school teaching in Texas m those days yield¬ 
ed very good salaries, better by far than are paid 
today for the same work in other states. Out ie,e 
among the country folk Mr. Davis soon became 


interested and active in the business undertakings 
of farmers and of all people who were working to 
invest in land. Soon he was promoted from teach¬ 
er of rural schools to principal of the Hempstead 
City School. It was then he became Grand Secre¬ 
tary of the Farmers Improvement Society of Tex¬ 
as. This post he held for twelve years. This post, 
like the teaching in rural schools, served to place 
him in more important places. Resigning liis po¬ 
sition in the Hempstead City School and the Secre¬ 
taryship of the Farmers Improvement Society, he 
became Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of 
the United Brothers of Friendship of Texas, and 
Assistant Principal of the Emancipation School at 
Houston. 

School work now appears to give way to the 
thing the man seemed born to; namely .the job of 
Secretary. For twelve years he served as Secre¬ 
tary of the F. I. S., at Waco. Then in 1915, he 
left Waco, and became Secretary of the State 
Grand Lodge United Brothers of Friendship, at 
Houston, a post which means the keeping track of 
ten thousand state members. He also accepted the 
port folio as secretary of the Baptist Sunday 
School State Convention 

In order to be given the post of Secretary of 
the State Baptist Sunday School Convention, Mr. 
Davis had to be a very active member of the church. 
This he is beyond doubt. He is a member of the 
Baptist Church and an active member of the local 
Sunday School. Here he takes a great interest in 
the religious development of the younger genera¬ 
tion, and all the young people love and respect him. 
To him they go with their questions and doubts 
and Mr. Davis never fails to give them the aid they 
seek. 

His is a labor for humanity, a labor for the bet¬ 
terment of all his people. As secretary of the Un¬ 
ited Brothers of Friendship he has many an oppor¬ 
tunity to lend aid to the bereaved and to give sym¬ 
pathy and good cheer to the sick. In fact all the 
activities of Mr. Davis have been of a nature to 
endear him to people ; for years in the school room, 
in the lodges and in the Sunday School work. 

In changing from place to place, Secretary Davis 
accumulated some valuable holdings in both towns 
and country. He owns his residence in Houston, 
one of the best colored homes in the city. Back in 
Hempstead, the scene of his earlier activities, he 
owns city property and a farm, consisting of seven¬ 
ty-five acres of land. He is also a stock holder in an 
overall factory in Waco, Texas. 

In addition to his membership in the F. I. S., and 
U. B. F.. Mr. Davis is a Mason, Odd Fellow and a 
Knight of Pythias. 

Secretary Davis was married to Miss Emma R 
Sampson, of Carmine, Texas, in 1906. Mr. and Mrs. 
Davis live in their own home in the city of Hous¬ 
ton. Here they help make life pleasant for their 
many friends. Although there are no children in 
the Davis family, they take great interest in other 
people’s children and have the pleasure of seeing 
their young friends in large numbers at least on 
Sunday. -... ; 

339 






REVEREND S. A. BROWN 

HOSE who jest at the perennial 
“split” going on in the Baptist 
Church must pause when they 
come face to face with the Gill- 
field Baptist Church at Peters¬ 
burg, Virginia. Organized in 1803, 
it has had but six pastors, having never had a divis¬ 
ion, and maintains to this day the practice of receiv¬ 
ing, disciplining and expelling its members. It has 
a membership of 1500. among which are many of 
the most substantial Negro citizens of Petersburg, 
It carries a Sunday School of six hundred, under 
twenty-four teachers. It has a library of eight 
hundred volumes. Recently the church bought a 
parsonage for which it paid four thousand dollars. 
Its remodeling now under way will cost fifteen 
thousand dollars. It has no indebtedness and is 
valued at seventy-seven thousand dollars. 

The history of the pastorates in the Gillfield 
Church is short, there having been but three pas¬ 
tors from 1803 up to the close of the civil war and 
but three since the close of the civil war. The first 
pastor, Dr. Henry Williams, after the civil war 
served for thirty-four years. He was followed by 
Reverend G. B. Howard, who served eleven years. 

In 1913 the present pastor, Reverend S. A. Brown 
accepted the call to this venerable pulpit. He came 


GILLFIELD BAPTIST CHURCH 


of Baptist preachers, his father having been the 
first Negro minister in Virginia to be ordained. 
Unlike his predecessors, Reverend Brown is on 
his native heath. He was born in Ruthsville, 
Charles City County, February twenty-seventh, 
1876. Reared on the farm, he attended the pub¬ 
lic schools, until he was nineteen when he left to 
seek funds to further his education. However, 
from his early youth he has had to earn a livli- 
hood, for his father had died, leaving the mother 
with eight children, Mr. Brown being at the time 
hut five years old. Reaching the Petersburg Nor¬ 
mal and Collegiate Institute, he took both prepa¬ 
ratory and college courses. Meantime he read 
theology under a private tutor. He commenced 
his ministerial work in 1902. For ten years he 
was principal of a school in Fredericksburg, Va., 
serving three country churches at the same time. 

When he came to the Gillfield Church in 1913, he 
was ripe for the kind of work that lay before him. 
He had built one church, remodeled two, and had 
been in the habit of dealing with people who called 
a spade a spade. Thus when it became necessary to 
remodel the Petersburg building he knew what to 
ask for and how to go about the work of getting 
the money and plans. 

During his career Reverend Brown has been able, 
though working against heavy odds, to purchase 
some property and join many helpful organiza¬ 
tions. 

He is a Mason, an Odd Fellow and District Moder¬ 
ator of the Baptist Association. 

Reverend Brown was married in 1903 to Miss 
Clementine Poole, of Hampton. Six children have 
been born to Mr. and Mrs. Brown: Mildred O. 
Brown, age 13; Anna E. Brown, 10 years; Samuel 
H. Brown, 9 years ; Lucile Brown, 7 years ; Wilbur 
Hughes Brown, 5 years; Abraham L. Brown, 2 
years. They are all in school, except the last 
named. 


340 


















< 



T 









Bishop Elias Cottrell, D. D. 



OT to many men is it given tc 
have the wonderful experience of 
Bishop Elias Cottrell, of the Col¬ 
ored Methodist Episcopal Church. 
When a lad of only four years of 
age he was placed on the block in 
Holly Springs, Mississippi, and sold at auction. He 
with all the other members of his family, was tak¬ 
en to the auction block. The father, mother and 
seven children were all sold at the same time, and 
as was so often the case, they were sold to five dif¬ 
ferent masters, and separated. Thus the lad was 
brought face to face with one of the direful efifects 
of slavery. Some of these members of his fam¬ 
ily Bishop Cottrell has never since seen. Young 
as he was this scene was never effaced from his 
memory and had its influence upon his after life. 
In fact it was the most vivid memory which clung 
to him, and later in life when he came to do a no¬ 
ble work for his people in the establishment of 
a college, the site selected was within four blocks 
of the spot where he was sold at auction. The 
presence of this institution so near the spot, which 
marked the sparation of his family, has no doubt 
mitigated the intense feeling of resentment which 
has rankled in his brain against an institution 
which caused his people so many heart aches. 

Standing over against the block is the college, 
and the close proximity of the two, is a constant 
reminder to his people of the great change that has 
taken place in their condition. It is a contrast to 
the surroundings of his own youth and the oppor¬ 
tunities to the colored children of today. He has 
no doubt pointed out to the students attending the 
college, the spot where he was sold, and urged 
them to take advantage of their improved condi¬ 
tions and make the most of their lives. 

This one fact shows that during his lifetime he 
has used every opportunity that has come his way 
for his personal development and for the develop¬ 
ment of his people. 

Bishop Elias Cottrell was born a slave in Mar¬ 
shall County, Mississippi, January 31, 1867. His 
father came from the State of North Carolina, and 
while living in that State, he had been given an op¬ 
portunity to gain some knowledge of reading, 
writing and arithmetic. Being of a bright mind he 
had made the most of his opportunity and was thus 
providently prepared to instruct his young son, 
who inherited his wonderful mental endowment. 
His father taught him habits of studiousness that 
have served him well in his future development. It 


was fortunate for Bishop Cottrell that in the se¬ 
paration of the family he remained with his father, 
and received his early training under his eye and 
guidance. As stated his father had secured some 
learning and this he imparted to his son, and when 
he had carried him as far as he was able, he aided 
him to obtain additional knowledge from other 
sources. For two years he attended a night school 
that was taught by a white man of German ex¬ 
traction. Little progress, however, could be made 
in this school for the facilities were very poor in¬ 
deed. In the early seventies a number of well pre¬ 
pared teachers came into that section of Missis¬ 
sippi and Bishop Cottrell took advantage of this to 
get a thorough knowledge of the common branches. 
Under their instruction he made such rapid pro¬ 
gress that his thirst for knowledge was greatly 
stimulated and he determined to seek wisdom from 
other and higher sources. To decide with him was 
to act, so he entered the Central Tennessee Col¬ 
lege, now Walden University, and took a two years 
course in English Theology. After finishing this 
course he did not consider himself an educated man 
but only beginning. He had acquired sufficient 
equipment to start upon his life work, but his ca¬ 
reer as a student would never end until his mind 
ceased to act. As a matter of fact, most of his 
hardest work along educational lines has been done 
since he left the class room. He has worked in¬ 
cessantly under private instructors until he has a 
good knowledge of Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and 
German, as well as ability along other lines. 

In the year 1876 Bishop Cottrell began his ca¬ 
reer as a minister of the Gospel. From this year 
to 1894, when he was made Bishop, the subject of 
this sketch worked with a good will in all the capa¬ 
cities that are offered in his branch of the church. 
He was elected delegate to the first, second and 
third Ecumenical Conferences, and he has been el¬ 
ected to every General Conference of his church 
since he was eligible for membership in the year of 
1878 

He was for four years the one to collect all mon¬ 
eys that were used for schools under the jurisdic¬ 
tion of his church. This brought him very closely in 
touch with all the educational interests of his de¬ 
nomination. One direct result of this great inter¬ 
est in the uplift of his people through education is 
Mississippi Industrial College, which stands as a 
monument to Bishop Cottrell. 

The school is located at Holly Springs, Mississ¬ 
ippi, and has three very beautiful and substantial 


342 










buildings in which to work. These three buildings 
were erected at a cost of about $85,000.00. In ad¬ 
dition to these three main buildings there are sev¬ 
eral smaller houses on the campus. In land the 
school owns two hundred ten acres which are val¬ 
ued at $30,000.00. The college has courses leading 
to the degree of Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of 
Science, Thelogical course, business course, and in¬ 
dustrial courses. In this school Bishop Cottrell 
has been able to gather many men and women of 
great worth, to associate with him in this work. 

Throughout his life, Bishop Cottrell has been a 
good business man. He has managed his own af¬ 
fairs and now is worth several thousands of dol¬ 
lars. He is a good farmer as well as a great edu¬ 
cator and a great Bishop. To him many honors 
have come. The degree of D. D. was given him 
by Rust University, Holly Springs, because of his 
great worth to the community, to the church and 
to the country at large. He is recognized as one 
of the great leaders of the race and in this capacity 
has done a wonderful work for the down-trodden 

race. 

Bishop Cottrell was married June 6th, 1880, to 


Miss Catherine Davis, of Columbia, Tennessee. To 
him she has been a wonderful helpmate. Through 
all the steps that led to the present exalted posi¬ 
tion now held by him she has been a great source 
of inspiration and to her he gives credit for much 
of his success. One daughter, Mrs. C. Gillis, Jr., 
has been to the Cottrells a constant source of de¬ 
light. She was educated in Holly Springs, and at 
Walden University, Nashville, Tennessee. She is 
now the teacher of music in the Mississippi In¬ 
dustrial College. 

At this writing Bishop Cottrell is in the early 
sixties. In this time he has been able to accom¬ 
plish a great deal for the uplift of colored people. 
He can be pointed out as an example to men in 
many walks in life. To the farmer he is a good 
farmer, to the business man, a successful example 
of business management, to preachers a good 
preacher, and to all his people, a great Bishop. 

He has put his best into every undertaking and 
has conducted his work with characteristic energy 
and uprightness and has won the respect and love 
of all whose lives he touches. 


343 






















CHARLES C. SPAULDING—JOHN MERRICK—AARON McDUFFIE MOORE, M. D., LL. D. 


O find a better locality than Dur¬ 
ham, North Carolina, for the be¬ 
ginning of a Negro business con¬ 
cern of any high standard, would 
be a difficult task. Here the col¬ 
ored people work together and 
help build up all worthy causes among this peo¬ 
ple ; here the relation between the races is exceed- 
ingly good, with the result that a number of good 
business men and women too, have been encourag¬ 
ed to establish themselves in Durham. 

The North Carolina Mutual and Provident Asso¬ 
ciation with its home office at 112-122 West Par¬ 
rish Street, was founded by John Merrick, in 1898. 
When they opened their office for business it was 
without capital and in a rented office furnished at 
a cost of $15.00, and paying a rental of $2.00 per 
month. This was in 1899. Six years later they 
erected the present home office at a cost of $35,000- 
00. When the company began business it was as 
a Mutual assessment life insurance company, but 
in 1909 the charter was amended and the assess¬ 
ment feature eliminated and the business placed on 
the regular old line legal reserve basis. 


In 1899, the company had a weekly debit of 
$29.00. Today it collects on industrial business 
alone over $12,000.00 per week and on ordinary 
premiums over $100,000.00 per year. For the 
year 1917, the company collected over $625,000.00, 
paid out in sick and death claims, $231,283.83, and 
closed the year with essets amounting to $372,000.- 
00, and with liabilities amounting to $270,000.00. 
Ibis figure includes the net reserve according to 
the American Experience Table, and 3 1-2 per cent 
interest, $258,918.00. This leaves in unassigned 
funds oi surplus, $87,562.46, and Insurance in force 
$11,157,472.00. 

The company has not confined its operations to 
Durham nor to North Carolina. But as the busi¬ 
ness grew it sought larger territory. So we find 
the North Carolina Mutual now operating in both 
Noi th and South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, the 
Disti ict of Columbia, Maryland, and Tennessee 

The company issues policies from $5.00 to 
$5,000.00 and in a few years will be able to get up 
a table of Mortality, of purely Negro risks. 

The Company is officered by John Merrick, 



344 
























VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER, 
C. C. SPAULDING’S OFFICE 


Founder and President ; A. M. Moore, Secretary- 
Treasurer and Medical Examiner; C. C. Spaulding, 
Vice-President and General Manager; E. R. Mer¬ 
rick, Assistant Secretary; J. M. Avery, Assistant 
Manager. 

The company has prospered because is was 
founded upon correct business principles and be¬ 
cause it was managed by men of great business and 
executive ability who have given their best thought 
and effort to its development. 1 hey have made 
no move without wise consideration and when a 
policy was decided upon they have given their time, 
and energy to its presecution. While the officers 
are busy men and it would seem had enough in 
their business life to engage their whole time and 
thought, they are also Christian men and piomi- 
nent in church work, uplift work, and civic affairs, 
and recognize that they owe an obligation to the 
church, and the community in which they live. 

JOHN MERRICK 

John Merrick, the man whose brain conceived 
and whose energies made possible the North Car¬ 
olina Mutual and Provident Association, was born 
in Clinton, Sampson County, North Carolina, m 
1859. lie did not have the advantages of much 
training in the school room, but got his training in 
the school of experience. He began Ins career as 
a brick mason, but moved to Durham at the age 
of 22, and started in the barber business. Of this 
work he made a great success. In fact success 
seems to be the keynote of Mr. Merrick’s charact¬ 
er. He was considered one of the most successful 
barbers in the South, having amassed quite a for¬ 
tune from this trade. 



CASHIER’S OFFICE. 


In 1898, he founded the North Carolina Mutual 
and Provident Association, at Durham, and he 
still serves as the chief executive of this company. 
In addition to looking after the affairs of the Mu¬ 
tual, he is also president of the Mechanics and 
Farmers Bank, Supreme Grand Treasurer of the 
Royal Knights of King David, and President and 
Director of the Lincoln Hospital Board. 

Mr. Merrick does not give all his time to busi¬ 
ness. He is an active member of the St. Joseph 
A. M. E. Church. In this church he serves as 
president of the Allen Christian Endeavor, and as 
a Trustee. In fraternal matters, Mr. Merrick is a 
Mason. He has traveled to all points of impor¬ 
tance in the United States and in Cuba. In 1879 he 
was married to Miss Martha Hunter, at Raleigh, 
North Carolina. Five children were born to them 
to give them an incentive for better living—Mrs. 
Dr. P. H. Williams, Raleigh, North Carolina; Mrs. 
Dr. Wm. H. Bruce, Winston-Salem, North Caro¬ 
lina ; Mr. E. R. Merrick, Assistant Secretary of the 
North Carolina Mutual and Provident Association; 
Mr. John T. Merrick, Jr., Real Estate Agent, Dur¬ 
ham, North Carolina; and Miss Martha C. Merrick, 
Durham. 

In establishing the widely known company of 
which he is president, Mr. Merrick became a great 
benefactor to the race. Not only does he make it 
possible for men of color to obtain insurance with 
ease, but he has furnished good employment to 
many of our young men and women. 

aaron McDuffie moore, m. d., ll. d. 

Dr. A. M. Moore, Secretary-Treasurer and Med¬ 
ical Examiner of the North Carolina Mutual and 


345 









GENERAL OFFICE 

Provident Association, was born near Whiteville, 
Columbus County, North Carolina, September 6, 
1863. As a lad he attended the Public Schools of 
Columbus County, the State Normal, Fayetteville, 
North Carolina., and later entered the Leonard 
Medical School, of ^Shaw University, Raleigh, 
North Carolina. From this school he was grad¬ 
uated with the degree M. D., in 1887, having com¬ 
pleted the four years course of study in three 
years. That he was thoroughly prepared for the 
profession of his choice was shown when he went 
before the board of examiners. He stood second 
in a class of forty-two. He is a very successful 
physician. \jgi 

Dr. Moore was in the organization of the North 
Carolina Mutual and Provident Association and has 
been one of its officers ever since. He is the foun¬ 
der and Superintendent of the Lincoln Hospital, of 
Durham, Director of the Mechanics and Farmers 
Bank, Durham; Director of the Oxford Orphan 
Asylum, Oxford; Secretary of the Extension De¬ 
partment of the State Teachers’ Association; mem¬ 
ber of the Executive Board of Shaw University; 
Founder and Superintendent of the Durham Col¬ 
ored Library. 

Dr. Moore is an active member of the White 
Rock Baptist Church, one of the most successful 
churches of the denomination. He is chairman of 
the Deacon Board, and Superintendent of the Sun¬ 
day School. Through the medium of the Sunday 
School he is able to come in contact with many of 
the young people of Durham, and so to impress 
them with his excellent example. Dr. Moore is a 
Mason. He has traveled extensively in the Un¬ 
ited States, Cuba and Haiti. 


In 1889, Dr. Moore was married to Miss Cottie 
S. Dancy, at Tarboro, North Carolina. There are 
two beautiful daughters in the family, Miss Mattie 
Louise Moore, Durham, and Mrs. E. R. Merrick, 
also of Durham. 

CHARLES C. SPAULDING 

Mr. C. C. Spaulding, Vice President and General 
Manager of the North Carolina Mutual and Provi¬ 
dent Association, was born near Whiteville, Co¬ 
lumbus County, North Carolina, in 1874. He at¬ 
tended the Public Schools of Columbus County and 
the Whitted High School, at Durham. After gra¬ 
duating from the high school course, Mr. Spauld¬ 
ing was for years a merchant, doing at the same 
time, agency work for the North Carolina Mutual 
and Provident Association. In 1900 he was elec¬ 
ted Director and General Manager of this Associa¬ 
tion. In this capacity he served for five years, 
when he was elected Vice-President. Mr. Spauld¬ 
ing serves also as a member of the Finance com¬ 
mittee and a Director and Cashier of the Mechan¬ 
ics and Farmer’s Bank and he is a director of the 
Lincoln Hospital Board. 

Mr. Spaulding is a Deacon and Treasurer of the 
White Rock Baptist Church and Assistant Superin¬ 
tendent of the Sunday School. In 1900 Mr. Spauld¬ 
ing was married to Miss Fannie Jones of Washing¬ 
ton, D. C. There are four children in the Spauld¬ 
ing home. Miss Margaret Louise Spaulding, age 
16, is a student at Scotia Seminary, Concord, North 
Carolina; Charles Spaulding, Jr., age 11, and John 
Aaron Spaulding, age 8, are pupils in the Durham 
public schools. Booker B. Spaulding is still a baby 
at home, being but three years of age. 

His wife is not only a congenial companion but 
has been a great help to him. She is in full sym¬ 
pathy with his efforts to rear their children so that 
they will fill positions of honor and usefulness. 

It can be said without fear of contradiction that 
the foregoing triumvirate not only set a splendid 
example for members of their race, but have prov¬ 
ed to be a powerful force for the elimination of 
racial prejudice and gaining the respect and co¬ 
operation of the white citizens. And it is by se¬ 
lecting such men as leaders, that the Merchant 
Princes of Durham have been induced to contribute 
so liberally to colored hospitals and educational in¬ 
stitutions. 


346 





CHARLES WADDELL CHESTNUT 



HARLES Waddell Chestnut, au¬ 
thor, was born at Cleveland, Ohio, 
June 20th, 1858, son of Andrew 
J. and Maria (Sampson) Chest- 
nutt. Both his parents were na¬ 
tives of North Carolina. He at¬ 
tended the public schools of Cleve¬ 
land until his father, after serv- 
ino - four years in the Union Army, returned to the 
South. In North Carolina, Charles attended the 
Public schools, and began to teach at a ven eaily 
age, first as a pupil teacher, then, successively, m 
primary and grammar schools at various points m 
North and South Carolina. At the age of nineteen 
he was appointed a teacher in the State Colored 
Normal School at Fayetteville, N. C, and upon the 
death of the principal several years later was chos¬ 
en to fill his place, in which he served acceptably 
for three years. At the age of twenty-five he re¬ 
moved to New York City, where he found employ¬ 
ment in a Wall Street News Agency, contributing 
at the same time a daily column of Wall Street 
o 'ossip to the “Mail and Expiess. _ 

After a brief sojourn in New 4 ork he resignec 
and went to Cleveland, Ohio, where he became a 
stenographer and bookkeeper in the accounting de¬ 
partment of the New York, Chicago & St. Louis 
Railroad Co. A year and a half later he was trans¬ 
ferred to the legal department, where he remained 
two years, during which time lie studied law and 
was admitted to the Ohio bar in 188/. He has 
never practiced his profession of the law very ac¬ 


tively, his principal occupation having been that of 
a court and convention shorthand reporter, tfor 
which business he has for many years conducted an 
office with a staff of assistants. 

Mr. Chestnutt’s first story was written at four¬ 
teen, and was published in a North Carolina news¬ 
paper. It was intended to show the evil effects 
upon the youthful mind of reading dime novels. 
Beginning in 1884 he contributed many stories and 
articles to the periodical press. His best short 
story, “The Wife of His Youth,” appeared in the 
Atlantic Monthly, in 1898, since which he has pub¬ 
lished “The Conjure Woman,” (1899), a volume of 
dialect stories of plantation life in North Carolina, 
most of which had appeared in the Atlantic; “The 
Wife of His Youth,” and “Other Stories of the Col¬ 
or Line” (1899) ; “The House Behind the Cedars” 
(1900); “The Marrow of Tradition” (1901); and 
“The Colonel’s Dream” (1905). All of these books 
deal with race problem motives. Mr. Chestnutt 
is also the author of “The Life of Frederick Doug¬ 
lass,” which forms one of the volumes of the Bea¬ 
con Series of Biographies of Eminent Americans. 

He was married at Fayetteville, North Carolina, 
in 1897, to Susan, daughter of Edwin and Catherine 
Perry, who has borne him four children. Two of 
his daughters are graduates of Smith College, an¬ 
other of the College for Women of Western Re¬ 
serve University. 

His only son is a graduate of Harvard Univer- 
versity, studied dentistry in Northwestern Univer¬ 
sity, Chicago, and is practicing his profession in 
Chicago. One of his daughters, Mrs. Ethel C. Wil¬ 
liams, is the wife of Professor Edward C. Williams, 
of Howard University; another, Miss Helen Chest¬ 
nut is a teacher in Central High School, Cleve¬ 
land, and the third, Miss Dorothy Chestnut, is a 
teacher in the Cleveland public schools. 

Mr. Chestnut is a member of the Rowfant Club, 
The Chamber of Commerce, The City Club, The 
Western Reserve Club, The Cleveland Bar Asso¬ 
ciation, The Church Club, and the Council of Socio¬ 
logy, of which latter body he served one year as 
President. Pie and his family are connected with 
Emanuel Episcopal Church, on Euclid Avenue. 

Mr. Chestnut has appeared upon the platform as 
a reader of his own writings and has charmed large 
audiences with the rare skill with which he handles 
the dialect of the North Carolina Negro. 

The Washington Times says: “There was not 
a dull moment in the two hours spent with Mr. 
Chestnut last evening, and at the conclusion of the 
program he received the hearty applause and indi¬ 
vidual congratulations of his auditors.” 

From The Augusta Ga., Chronicle: “There have 
arisen many interpreters of the Negro character, 
but none have made him more humorous than 
Charles W. Chestnut in the various stories brought 
together in ‘The Conjure Woman.’ The ‘Uncle Ju¬ 
lius’ who relates these stories of Negro supersti¬ 
tion bids fair to become as popular as ‘Uncle Re¬ 
mus’ because of his rich, lazy dialect, his character¬ 
istic dark garrulousness, and his cunning con¬ 
sciousness of effect his yarns have upon his hearers.” 

The Christian Register, Boston, says: “They 
are like none of the other Negro stories with which 
we are familiar, and take an exceptionally high 
place both as a study of race characteristics and 
for genuine dramatic interest. 


347 







MACK MATTHEW RODGERS 

OME men fall far behind the 
times; while there are others 
ahead of the times; then, too, 
there are many right along with 
the times. It is to this latter 
class belongs the subject now 
claiming our attention. His mind is ever opened 
to light and old-time dogmas are feasible to him 
only as they apply to the greater enlightenment of 
the present. 

Mack Matthew Rodgers first saw the light of day 
July 13th, 1859, in Wharton County, Texas, where 
he grew to manhood. He is the only surviving 
child of Stephen and Lucinda Rodgers. 

In 1878 he married Miss Caroline Jackson, and of 
the union were born six daughters and one son. 

In the fall of 1878 Mr. Rodg ers removed to Fay¬ 
ette County, graduating in 1881, with honors, from 
the Prairie View State Normal School. In 1887, 
having located at LaGrange, he was elected prin¬ 
cipal of the city school. His career as a teacher 
commenced at the age of sixteen. 

Mr. Rodgers became interested in politics, and 


for three successive terms—twice from his ward 
and once from the city at large—he was elected 
alderman of the city of LaGrange. 

His political service and reputation soon extend¬ 
ed over the state, and he was elected in 1888, 1892, 
1900, 1904, and 1912, to the National Republican 
Convention. In 1897 he resigned the position of 
Principal of the LaGrange City School to accept the 
appointment, under Collector Webster Flanagan, 
of deputy collector of Internal Revenue for the 
Third District of Texas. He was the first Negro 
in Texas to hold such an office. 

Mr. Rodgers is regarded as a good business man, 
a deep thinker, a close writer, a fearless but conser¬ 
vative debater, a sane and safe leader and a smooth 
but reliable politician. It is because of his manly 
qualities that he is recognized and respected by the 
people of his state. 

He accepted Christ in 1879 and was baptized by 
Elder James Davenport. In religion, as in politics, 
he became active and manifested a lively interest 
in the work of the Church and in the development 
of denominational principles. In 1883 he was made 
secretary of the LaGrange Baptist Association—a 
position which he still holds—and in 1889 he became 
secietary of the Baptist Missionary and Educa¬ 
tional Convention of Texas. To both organizations 
he has given his best thought and energies. For the 
last eighteen years he has striven to systematize 
the business and improve the financial status of the 
Convention and of its institutions of learning. To 
him, more than to any other person, credit should 
be given for incorporating the Convention. Its 
present healthy condition and splendid school reg¬ 
ulations are also due to his efforts. 

Mr. Rodgers is Auditor of the National Baptist 
Convention of the United States of America and is 
giving much attention to the affairs of the Na¬ 
tional Baptist Convention, and his opinions are at¬ 
tracting the attention not only of that body, but 
of Baptists throughout the country. 

TEXAS PYTHIAN TEMPLE 

About 1912 a peculiar current shot through 
nearly all big organizations of Negroes, especially 
in the fraternal bodies. This current asserted it¬ 
self in the form of big buildings. In Atlanta, it 
was the Odd Fellows Building; in Macon, Geor¬ 
gia, the Masonic Temple; in Little Rock, the Mo- 
siac; in Dallas, Texas, the Knights of Pythias. It 
was a capital instance of Negro readiness, of the 
Negro acting when he was equipped. The Archi- 



348 









PYTHIAN TEMPLE BUILDING, 
DALLAS, TEXAS. 


tects and Contractors were Negroes, Negro money 
paid the bills, Negro bookkeepers and business 
men managed the business, Negro business men, 
merchants and professional men occupy the rooms 
in these temples. Very clearly these structures 
represent a mile stone in Negro progress. 

The Pythian Temple, at Dallas, is one of the bril¬ 
liant mile stones. W. Sydney Pittman, son-in-law 
of Booker T. Washington, designed the sructure. 
S. A. Harper was the contractor, Dr. A. N. Prince, 
the Grand Chancellor, M. M. Rodgers, Secretary 
and Grand Keeper of Records and Seals, Grand 
Worthy Councellor, Mrs. A. M. Key, Dr. J. W. 
Anderson, J. M. Frierson, G. M. Guest, J. H. Hinds, 
Commissioners. 

The entire building rising 76 feet in the air above 
sidewalk level, is constructed from the founda¬ 
tion to the roof with a complete non-vibratory 
steel frame and brick walls securely laid in cem¬ 
ent mortar. The stairway and elevator hall is en¬ 
tirely fire-proof from top to bottom. In this hall 
way are two sets of iron stairs, each five feet wide 
all the way up, and a twelve passenger standard 
Otis Electric Elevator installed in a fire-proof en¬ 
closure. In addition to these stairway and eleva¬ 
tor services there are also two sets of approved 
fire (stairway) escapes, located at two separate 
and distinct places of escape in case of panics 01 
other emergencies. 

Properly speaking, the building is five stories 
high ; the first floor containing two large stories, 
three small “shops” and a large spacious cafe in the 
rear. On this floor is also a large well-lighted 
corridor and lobby leading from the beautiful stone 
and marble vestibule entrance. 

On the second floor are seventeen suites of 
offices, each containing a private office and a 1 e- 


ception office. Ninety percent of the partition 
wall space on this floor is taken up with Florentine 
glass sash and transom. Spacious Corridors and 
Lobby provide ample means of exit and inter com¬ 
munication. 

On the third floor are three large rooms and An¬ 
terooms, four robin rooms, ten sets of lockers, and 
corridors, and Lobby similar to those on second 
floor. One of these Lodge rooms is devoted mainly 
to the Dallas Knights of Pythias Lodge. Another 
(the largest), is set aside for the use of the Grand 
Court of Calanthe, and the third to be rented to 
lodges of other Orders. The Lodge rooms are 
equipped will individual locker rooms for each ten¬ 
ant Lodge. 

On the fourth floor is located the Grand Lodge 
(K. of P.) Auditorium, with its Committee Rooms, 
Ante-rooms, stairs, hall, lobby, rostrum and Mez¬ 
zanine, toilet and dressing room. The Auditorium 
extends through the fourth and fifth floors—the 
clear height of the ceiling from main floor being 
twenty-five feet. 

On all floors are provided separate toilets for 
men and women, conveniently arranged in plain 
view on all corridors. On the second and third 
floors in the lobbies is installed a drinking foun¬ 
tain for the benefit of the patrons. All offices, all 
stores, shops, lodge rooms, Ante-rooms, cafe, etc., 
are equipped with a lavatory and running water. 

The building throughout, is lighted with the “Re- 
flecto-lite” system fixtures, the very latest elec¬ 
tric light fixtures on the market. All electric 
wires are laid in conduits arranged so as to pro¬ 
duce the least friction possible to tenants. Elec¬ 
tric fans are provided in all lodge rooms, exit lights 
at all exterior doors and two handsome bracket 
lamps on either side of the Main Entrance on Elm 
Street. All offices are also provided with a wall 
socket for buzz fan attachment. 

Other special interior features include the beaut¬ 
iful color scheme on all floors and especially in the 
Grand Lodge Auditorium, also the great stage 
and its procenium,, and the seventeen large 8x15 
feet windows in this Auditorium. This stage is 
typical of all theatre stages in essentials, including 
foot lights, border lights, scenery, dressing rooms, 
fly gallerys, electric switch board, etc. 

A special feature on this floor is the separate 
Department (a suite of rooms) set apart for the 
Grand Lodge officers. It includes a private lobby, 
or reception hall, a private entrance and other ap¬ 
purtenances necessary in creating a distinct and 
separate grouping of rooms for its State Head- 
quarters, particularly requested in the original con¬ 
ditions submitted to the architect. 


349 












COLONEL JAMES HUNTER YOUNG 








Colonel James H unter Young 


ORN in Henderson, North Caro¬ 
lina, in 1860, Colonel James Hun¬ 
ter Young has served in and wit 
nessed the deeds of well nigh two 
generations of American History. 
The young man got all he could in 
the way of book-learning in his home town and 
then entered Shaw University. Here he remained 
for five years. During this time he gave good 
account of himself, and although he left the insti¬ 
tution before he finished his course of study, he 
now serves as President of the Alumni Association. 
This is indeed a great tribute to the time spent in 
the school and to the life of the man after leaving. 

Young left Shaw in 1877, and immediately ac¬ 
cepted employment as a federal officer. He be¬ 
came deputy Collector of Internal Revenue, hold¬ 
ing the position for eight years. In 1886 he re¬ 
signed the post and was made Registrar of Deeds 
at Wake County, North Carolina, which position he 
held for three years. The next four years saw 
him Special Inspector of Customs in the districts 
of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. 
In 1895, he became a member of the State Legis¬ 
lature from Wake County, North Carolina. I wo 
years later he was State Inspector of Agriculture. 
This position he held till the Spanish-American 
War caused him to go to the front and here he 
was Colonel of the Thirty-second North Carolina 
Volunteers. 

After giving his country such long service in the 
army, Colonel Young once more returned to private 
life, but he was not destined to give up the service 
of “Uncle-Sam,” for he was immediately called in¬ 
to another branch of work by the L nited States 
Government. The excellent record he made m the 
Internal Revenue Department in 1877 had not been 
forgotten and he was again called to enter the l e\ 
enue service as a Deputy Collector % of Internal Rev¬ 
enue, a position he held from 1899 to 1913. 

Although he has far passed the half century 
mark, he is ever ready to respond to his country’s 
call. He rendered valuable aid in the Selective 
Draft, and did his “Bit” to win the World War for 
Democracy. 

Thus we have recorded the work of a public man 
in a very brief form. Indeed from the entrance of 
the United States in the World War, this public 
spirited man gave freely of his time. 

He was one of the Advisors and Workers m 
the Selective Draft, and he made one of the best 
speeches delivered in his section in the inUiest 
the war. On this occasion he addressed a Mass 
Meeting of both white and colored citizens anc ie 
had for his theme “Co-operation in the War. 1 hus 


the veteran of the Spanish-American War served 
in the World War in a different way, but never-the 
less he served. 

In religious belief, Colonel Young is a Baptist. 
He is very active in Sunday School work. For 
over thirty years he has served his denomination 
in an official capacity. He is the Clerk of the 
Baptist church and Superintendent of the Sunday 
School. His interest in Sunday School work has 
caused him to go beyond the limits of his home 
and take up the broader work of the State. Thus 
we find him Treasurer of the State Sunday School 
Convention of North Carolina. 

Colonel Young has had time to devote to other 
organizations that work for the betterment of the 
colored race also. He is an Odd Fellow and serv¬ 
es this organization as District Grand Master. He 
is a Mason and serves the Masons of his town and 
State as Endowment Secretary and as Past Grand 
Master. He is a member of the order of the 
Knights of Pythias and in this body he served as 
Chairman of the Finance Committee. Colonel 
Young is also a member of the Eastern Star and 
of the Household of Ruth. Thus he gives his time 
to many organizations which work for the better¬ 
ment of his people. 

In business matters, Colonel Young is as wide, 
awake and as active for the good of his people as he 
is in Church and Fraternal matters. So we find 
him serving as President of the Raleigh Under¬ 
taking Company, acting as a director of the Mal- 
lette Drug Company, President of the Masonic 
Benevolent Company and Director of the North 
Carolina Industrial Association. To carry on all 
these responsible positions, Colonel Young has to 
husband his strength and his energies. But he is 
always ready to serve when he is needed. 

Colonel Young has been three times married. 
His first and second wives were natives of Ra¬ 
leigh. Miss Bettie Ellison and Mrs. Mary Christ¬ 
mas. Both are dead. The present Mrs. Young 
was Miss Lula Evans, also of Raleigh. The third 
marriage took place July 27, 1913. Colonel Young 
has one child a daughter, Miss Maud Electa Young. 
She is now married and is Mrs. Carter, of Win¬ 
ston-Salem, North Carolina. 

Colonel and Mrs. Young live in their handsome 
two-story residence. Here they receive their many 
friends and help make life pleasant for Colored 
Raleigh. Colonel Young, a soldier, a Federal of¬ 
ficer, in many positions; a leading church worker, 
a distinguished Mason and Odd Fellow, a mem¬ 
ber of the State legislature, a man of great busi¬ 
ness ability and a natural leader of men, is a man 
worthy of our praise and emulation. 



351 




Bert Willian IS 


HO in America has not heard of 
the “Follies?” Who, having heard 
of the “Follies” does not lean 
back and chuckle or laugh out¬ 
right at the drollery, the wit, the 
surprising turn of humor, both in 
phrase and incident? The leading spirit of this 
company is Bert Williams. Now it is a song talked 
or chanted, now a dialogue, now an ancedote, now 
mere humorous manner. Address a letter to him 
in care of the Follies, or to the Follies in the care 
of him. Each would reach its proper destination. 
Each has contributed to the making of the other. 
It is a sort of compact—the “Follies” is one mem¬ 
ber of the firm, Bert Williams is the other. 

The critics say that one evidence of the immor¬ 
tality of author’s comes when the latter are quoted. 
If this be so the comedian of the Follies and of the 
famous Williams and Walker troupe can already 
lay claim to living beyond his generation. The 
Scotchman counts it a special mark of patriotism 
to preface his remarks with a quotation from 
“Bobbie Burns.” The American Negro is no less 
proud, when wishing to embellish a jest to intro¬ 
duce or conclude with a saying or a situation from 
Bert Williams. 

One has to speak of situation in discussing Bert 
Williams; for many, many times the whole success 
of the piece hangs upon the comical picture that 
he is able to conjure before the mind. Thus the 
parody on “Woodman spare that tree” hangs upon 
the vision of the rude male of the home rapidly 
ascending the tree to escape the dire punishment 
of an irate spouse. So with the goat story, “Wait 
Till Martin Comes and you aint Gwine Play ’dis 
game ’cording to Hoyle, but Cordin’ to ME.” 

Harlenguin was comical on the stage, but a poor 
melancholy creature when left to himself. Not so 
is it with this man of the “Follies.” In the street, 
in the office, everywhere, Mr. Williams bounteous¬ 
ly gifted with good health, is always brim full of 
fun and good humor. And then that accent, who 
can immitate it? It is original with Mr. Williams. 

He is one of the hardest workers on the stage. 
To see him toss off his jest one would think 
that the whole thing was easy and had come 
to him in a moment. As a matter of fact, he tra¬ 
vels about with his note book constantly jotting 
down whatever chance remark he hears from pass¬ 
ers by, and also the scraps of stories or plot sug¬ 
gestions that are brought to him as he goes about 
the city in the day. 

Moreover, Mr. Williams has gone abroad to 
study under the world’s best artists and keeps 


in close touch with these and with all the modern 
changes on the stage. It is thus, and not by dint 
of good health and ready and fertile wit, that he 
has been able to hold thus securely his enviable 
post with the world famous “Follies”. 

Mr. Williams came upon his vocation by chance. 
He had shaped for himself a wholly different ca¬ 
reer. He was born a British subject, being a na¬ 
tive of New Providence, Nassau, in the British Ba¬ 
hama Islands. When he was two years old his 
family moved to New York. His father was a 
maker of Papier mache. This, of course, brought 
the father, and through him the son, into contact 
with the stage. In this way the young lad came 
to know at least some of the mechanics of the 
stage. The family later moved to California, where 
the son was graduated from High School. At this 
time young Williams decided that he wanted to be 
a civil engineer, and he left home and went to San 
Francisco, to study. 

However, falling in with some youths who 
wished to do some local stage work, he became a 
member of a mountebank minstrel show, who 
toured the lumber camps and the mining camps, 
making fun for themselves and for the rough work¬ 
men on the frontiers years ago. It was in this rude 
work that Mr. Williams discovered his talent, and 
was drawn upon the stage. Next, he discovered 
George Walker. These two later formed the cel¬ 
ebrated company of Williams and Walker, which 
with the fine dancing, melodious singing, and clev¬ 
er jokes, held them in vogue on the stage till Wal¬ 
ker died. 

After the death of his partner Williams struck 
out alone. For a long time he fought an uphill 
conflict. The play houses and managers who wel¬ 
comed a whole company of Negro stars, because 
they would do their play and pass on, were at a 
loss to use a lone Negro star. Of course the color 
question frequently bobbed up. White stars and 
near stars, too, did not wish to appear on the same 
bill with a black man. However his own good na¬ 
ture, his splendid candor and above all, his genuine 
worth, gradually wore down the timidity of the 
manager as well as the resentment of fellow play¬ 
ers, so that today few players are more popular in 
New York or elsewhere, on the stage or with the 
public, than Bert Williams. He has been with the 
Follies for about ten years. 

The Negro of America owes Mr. Williams much. 
He has portrayed Negro humor without burles¬ 
quing it and without teaching the public to des¬ 
pise the black man. He has made it easier for any 
talented Negro actor to gain the hearing of manag¬ 
ers, and he has by his clean living, demonstrated to 
both the Negro and the White public, that a col¬ 
ored actor can be sane, decent, and straight for¬ 
ward in every day civilian life. 



352 






COLLEGE CHAPEL—BRANCH NORMAL COLLEGE 


HE Branch Normal College, lo¬ 
cated at Pine Bluff, Jefferson 
County, Arkansas, is a branch of 
the University of Arkansas. It 
was established pursuant to an 
act of the General Assembly of 
Arkansas, approved April 27, 1873, and has been in 
operation since April, 1875. Its primary object is 
to provide practical instruction in agriculture, me¬ 
chanical arts, home economics, and such branches 
of learning as relate thereto and to train teachers 
for efficient service in public school work. 

The school property consists of a beautiful tract 
of twenty acres of ground in the western suburbs 
of the city of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, on which are 
located the main building, the dormitory for young 
women and the mechanical arts building. The 
school building, completed in 1881, and occupied in 
January, 1882, is a two-story edifice, containing an 
assembly hall on the second floor with a seating 
capacity for four hundred students. 

GOVERNMENT 

The government of the school is vested primar¬ 
ily in the Board of Trustees of the Unversity of 
Arkansas. The administration of the school is 
vested in the Superintendent and the Prudential 
Committee. The Superintendent is the adminis¬ 
trative head of the school. The directors of the 
departments are responsible to the Superintendent 
for carrying out the policies and rules of the col¬ 
lege in their departments and for the development 

and efficiency of the work. 

By the laws of the state the appointment of stu¬ 
dents to the Branch Normal College in numbers 
from each county in the State, is the same as to 
the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, I he 
power to make appointments is vested m the coun¬ 
ty judge of each county. Students so appointed 
are entitled to four years’ free tuition, upon the 
payment of ($5.00) five dollars matriculation fee, 

in advance. 

The departments maintained in the School are 


Preparatory, High School,, Normal, Mechanical 
Home Economics, Agricultural and Music. In 
all the departments of the school, the aim is to 
prepare the student for life. To that end the 
teaching in one department is, as far as possible 
correlated with that of another. The religious life 
of the student, the general health and all points 
in which young people need supervision are looked 
out for by the authorities. 

The Superintendent of Branch Normal College, 
and the man directly responsible for all the affairs 
of the institution is Jefferson G. Ish, Jr., B. S., A. 
B. Mr. Tsh is a native of the city of Little Rock. 
Both his father and his mother are teachers and 
they gave him a very early start in school. He is 
a graduate of the High School of Little Rock, of 
Talladega College, (Alabama), and of Yale Univer¬ 
sity. His preparation for the post he now fills has 
been very thorough indeed. Mrs. Ish was Miss 
Florence Ross, of Oklahoma. She is a graduate of 
Fisk University, from both the College and Mus¬ 
ical departments. One little daughter, Marietta, 
aged six years, completes the Ish family. 

Ably seconding Superintendent Ish in all affairs 
pertaining to the school, we find Professor Frede¬ 
rick T. Venegar. He is Director of the Normal De¬ 
partment. He is a graduate of Wilberforce Univer¬ 
sity, and has for the past fifteen years been con¬ 
nected with Branch Normal College. He teaches 
the Pedagogy, Geometry and Physical Science. 

During the world war, Branch Normal was used 
as one of the schools in which soldiers were trained 
in the mechanical arts. In this way she served her 
government. At present the school is greatly over¬ 
crowded and could easily get many more students 
if they had the room to accommodate them. But 
full use is made of all the facilities at hand. Branch 
Normal is considered one of the best of the Land 
Grant Schools. 



MECHANICS ARTS BUILDING-BRANCH 
NORMAL COLLEGE 



353 

























MAIN BUILDING—CLARK UNIVERSITY, ATLANTA, GA. 


LARK University is a Christian 
school, founded in the year 1870, 
by the Freedmen’s Aid Society 
of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. From the beginning it 
has been open to all classes, re¬ 
gardless of sex, color or creed. The sole condi¬ 
tions of admission being a desire to learn, good 
moral character, and obedience to lawfully consti¬ 
tuted authority. 

The prime object in the founding of this institu¬ 
tion was to furnish to the newly emancipated peo¬ 
ple an open door into the higher and broader 
realms of learning, where they might have an op¬ 
portunity to develop whatever in them is poten¬ 
tially best mentally and spiritually. 

The institution, though at present largely de¬ 
pendent upon the Freedmen’s Aid Society for fi¬ 
nancial support, has, nevertheless, a large prospec¬ 
tive endowment in the four hundred acres of land 
it possesses on the outskirts of the growing city 
of Atlanta. In fact, more than one hundred acres 
of this land is already within the corporate limits. 

This property, it should be said, was largely se¬ 


en .red through the persistent and untiring efforts 
of Bishop Gilbert Haven, of the Methodist Epis¬ 
copal Church. With prophetic insight he saw At- 
luiita then as Atlanta is today—a large, thriving, 
progressive city, spreading out in every direction, 
and by its salubrious climate attracting people to it 
from all sections of the country. This was the place 
for a large school. When most of the trustees, the 
writer included, expressed fears lest by locating 
the school so far beyond the city limits, few stu¬ 
dents would come to it, the good Bishop re¬ 
plied, “The city will come to you,” and with his 
hand pointing down what was then called McDon- 
nough Str eet, said: “Georgia is on the eve of 
building a new capitol. It will be built at the end 
of this street, and this street will then be called 
Capitol Avenue, leading straight to the front en¬ 
trance of this campus.” It is interesting to note 
how these predictions have been fulfilled. 

Few schools have been favored with a more de¬ 
sirable location for the ends to be reached. Of all 
the states Georgia has one of the largest Negro 
populations, and by its central position places the 
other states within easy reach of the institution. 



354 



















while the numerous railroads radiating from At¬ 
lanta render it easy of access to students. 

The campus, beautiful for situation, consisting 
of fifty acres .heavily wooded with oak and pine, 
and hickory and other trees native to the South, 
occupies one of the highest points around Atlanta, 
and because of its elevation, has a perfect natural 
drainage on all sides. A more healthful location it 
would he difficult to find. At first, more than a 
mde outside the corporate limits, today the elec¬ 
tric cars, communicating with all parts of the city, 
pass by the campus gates. 

There are three substantial brick buildings— 
Chrisman Hall, Warren Hall, and Ballard Hall. 
Chrisman Hall was named for Mrs. Eliza Chris¬ 
man, of Topeka, Kansas, who furnished the larger 
part of the twenty-five thousand dollars for its 
construction. Burnt down in 1892, it was immed¬ 
iately rebuilt and somewhat enlarged. Used for 
administration purposes, it also furnishes dormi¬ 
tory accommodations for boys. In it are the of¬ 
fices, class room, reading room, library, and a cha¬ 
pel, with seating capacity of six hundred . 

Warren Hall, a girls’ dormitory, accommodating 
approximately one hundred girls’ contains also a 
dining room for the whole student body. This hall 
was named for Bishop Henry W. Warren, who 
spent the first four years of his Bishopric on the 
University campus, and whose presence was a 
constant benediction to both students and teach¬ 
ers. Noticing the crowded condition of things, 
consequent upon the growth of the school, he un¬ 
dertook to raise half the amount for the erection 
of another building. This he did. The other half 
was given by Mr. E. H. Gammon, the generous 
founder of the Gammon Theological Seminary. 
The building cost twenty-seven thousand dollars. 

As a matter of history, and to the credit of 
Bishop Warren, it ought also to be said that with 
Bishop Warren originated the idea of the “Model 
Home,” the institution that today, under the man¬ 
agement of the Woman’s Home Missionary So¬ 
ciety, is found in every State of the union, where 
womanhood needs to be helped and elevated. T he 
original conception of Bishop Warren was to have 
a cottage connected with the school in which, under 
the direction of a matron, a few girls at a time 
might live and be instructed in all matters per¬ 
taining to a well ordered home. Timber was cut, 

355 


a small cottage erected, and a good Christian 
woman; in the person of Miss Flora Mitchell, took 
upon herself the responsibility of this new venture. 
Her success may he seen in the fact, that she is 
still in charge; but not of that little cottage. In¬ 
deed, it is a far cry from that humble beginning to 
the now imposing and spacious Thayer Home with 
its modern appointments, giving instruction in do¬ 
mestic Science to hundreds of young women. No 
young woman is allowed to graduate from Clark 
University, from any course, without knowledge 
of Domestic Science, and no young woman is al¬ 
lowed to graduate without spending her senior 
year in residence in the Thayer Home. A number 
of young women thus trained have gone to Africa 
as Missionaries, and the wives of Missionaries. 

Credit should also be given to Bishop Warren for 
the emphasis placed on the necessity of industrial 
training for the youth. It was under his direction 
that a little carpenter’s shop and blacksmith shop 
were called into existence. From this as a nucleus 
was envoived that trades department which at¬ 
tracted the attention of Dr. Atticus G. Haygood, 
at that time agent of the Slater Board. This man, 
generous, sympathetic, with a heart large enough 
to include all mankind, and with an ardent desire 
for the prosperity of the “New South,” wished to 
see in Atlanta a large industrial school that would 
be an object lesson to the whole South; but such 
a school he wished to see connected with a large 
literary institution as a part of it; for Dr. Haygood 
believed in the education of the whole man. Hence 
it was through the influence of Dr. Haygood that 
the Slater Board was led to give to Clark Univer¬ 
sity for several years, for its industrial department, 
an annual appropriation of five thousand dollars. 
With the withdrawal of this appropriation the in¬ 
terest in the department waned. The building in 
which the industries were conducted is now the 
home of the Science department. This building 
was the gift of Mr. Stephen Ballard, of Brooklyn, 
N. Y., for whom it was named. The University 
was named for Bishop D. W. Clark, who shortly 
after the close of the War visited this section and 
organized the work of the church. 

Clark University has had many Presidents. Any 
information needed now with a reference to the 
school may be had by addressing President Harry 
Andrew King. 



\ 

THOMAS W. FLEMING, LL. B. 


fc 



HOMAS W. Fleming was born on 
May 13th, 1874, in Mercer, Mer¬ 
cer County, Pennsylvania. He 
commenced earning money in 
early life. First he worked on 
the farm where he labored for a 
while and then went to the city. He located in 
Meadville, Pennsylvania, where he became a news¬ 
boy, and a shoeblack. While pursuing his work he 
attended the Common school and High School and 
received a fairly good education. In 1892 he left 


Meadville and went to Cleveland, Ohio. Here he 
entered a barber shop and followed his trade as a 
barber for twelve years. His aspirations rose 
higher than the barber shop, and he decided to en¬ 
ter the profession of law. 


At the age of twenty-five he entered the Cleve¬ 
land Law School and took up the study of law. 
Having put his hand to the plow he did not turn 
back until he had accomplished his purpose. He 
was graduated from Baldwin, Wallace College,with 


the degree of LL. B., in 1906, passed the Ohio Bar 
examination the same year and started to practice 
law in Cleveland, Ohio. His interest in civic mat¬ 
ters led him into politics and he became active in 
municipal political affairs. In 1907 he was nomi¬ 
nated by the Republicans of Cleveland, as Coun¬ 
cilman at Large, being defeated with his ticket. In 
1909 he was again nominated for Councilman at 
Large and was elected, being the first Colored man 
to ever occupy a seat in the City Council of Cleve¬ 
land. In 1911 he was again nominated for Coun¬ 
cilman at Large, but was defeated with the bal¬ 
ance of the Republican ticket. In 1914 he was ap¬ 
pointed as Deputy State Oil Inspector, by Gover¬ 
nor Frank B. Willis. In 1915, Mr. Fleming was 
nominated over five white opponents for Coun¬ 
cilman of Ward Eleven (11),) and was elected, 
being the first Colored man to ever represent a 
Ward in the City Council of Cleveland. In 1917, 
he was again nominated and elected to the City 
Council from his Ward and is now serving his third 
term as member of that body. He is a member of 
several of its most important committees. This 
action of the citizens of Cleveland in placing Mr. 
Fleming in the Council and of that body in plac¬ 
ing him upon its most important committees is 
stronger testimony than mere words of his ability 
and worth as a leader in municipal affairs. 

Mr. Fleming is Congregational in his church af¬ 
filiation, and is connected with one of the leading 
Congregational churches of Cleveland. He is so¬ 
cial in his disposition and is connected with several 
of the Clubs. He is a member of the Tippecanoe 
Club, The Western Reserve Club, and is President 
of the Attucks Club. He is a member of and ex- 
President of The Cleveland Association of Colo¬ 
red Men, a member of the local branch of the Na¬ 
tional Association for the Advancement of Colored 
People, and a director in several business concerns. 

Mr. Fleming is a man of family and lives in a 
beautiful home at 2342 East 40th Street with his 
wife and three sons. Here he finds sweet comfort 
and rest from the heavy burdens of professional 
and civic duties. While devoting his energy of 
brain to his work he has not been unmindful of the 
future, when advanced age will weaken his efforts, 
and is making provision for that period of his life. 
He has already accumulated a nice property, which 
he hopes to add to as the days go by. 


356 











VIEW OF LINCOLN INSTITU TE—JEFFERSON CITY, MO. 


INCOLN Institute is one of the 
few State schools, if not the only 
one, to owe its origin to the con¬ 
tribution of Negroes. Shortly af¬ 
ter the Civil War, the soldiers of 
the Sixty-second and Sixty-fifth 
Regiments of the United States Colored Infantry 
contributed a fund of $6,379.00 to establish a Negro 
school in the State of Missouri. 

The Board of Trustees was organized on June 
eighth, and incorporated on the twenty-fifth of 
the same month, 1866. In the same year on the 
seventeenth of September school opened. 

The first President of Lincoln Institute was Rich¬ 
ard Baxter Foster, of Hanover, N. H. He was born 
October 25, 1826, and died April 26, 1901. He was 
the first and only white president of Lincoln Insti¬ 
tute. 

“The Legislature of 1879 appropriated $15,000 
for the support of the Institute, provided $5,000 
should be applied to the payment of its indebted¬ 
ness. This appropriation was contained in the gen¬ 
eral appropriation bill, and was a grant to a cor¬ 
poration managing a charity. 

The school could not accept the money, however, 
till the board met and transferred the entire school 
property to the State. Since that time the school 
has been the State School for the Colored people of 
Missouri. 

The main building was destroyed by fire on the 
first of August, 1894, but was soon replaced by a 
far more commodious structure, for the election of 
which the Legislature appropriated the sum of 
$40,000. 

Since then the Legislature has appropriated at 

357 


different times money to erect a dormitory for 
young men, one for the young women and a cen¬ 
tral heating plant. 

Lincoln Institute has a high school department, a 
normal department, a college department, a pre¬ 
paratory department, departments of mechanical 
industries, a musical department, a model school, 
and a farm. 

Dr. Inman Page was for eighteen years at the 
head of this School. Lender him sat some of the 
men who are now men of importance in the State 
of Missouri, and of other States. Among those 
who have gone out from Lincoln might be men¬ 
tioned Dr. A. Wilberforce Williams of Chicago. 
He is a physician of note, and has made a place for 
himself in the medical world. Dr. I. T. Vernon is 
another man who received training in Lincoln In¬ 
stitute, Dr. Vernon was at one time Registrar of 
the Treasury of the United States. He is one of 
the most brilliant of the sons who have gone forth 
from Lincoln. 

Following Dr. Page, Dr. B. F. Allen was at the 
head of the school for a period of sixteen years. 
Dr. Allen resigned his post in 1918, and accepted 
the Presidency of Turner College, in Tennessee. 

Clement Richardson, the editor of this work, is 
the present President of Lincoln Institute. Since 
he took charge in June, of 1918, President Richard¬ 
son has taken a firm hold of the situation at the 
school, and is trying to re-shape its policies to fit 
the needs and wants of the people of Missouri. For 
the first time in the history of the school the farm 
is in the Control of the school authorities for edu¬ 
cational purposes. Prior to President Richardson’s 
administration, the farm was under a white man, 
and only a small part of the land was given the 
school for the teaching of gardening. For the first 
time in seventeen years the College department is 
once more open. It is the purpose of the present 
President to build up a strong college course lead¬ 
ing to the A. B. Degree. 






















Isaac Fisher 



HE University Editor at Fisk Un¬ 
iversity, Mr. Isaac Fisher, holds 
a rather unique position in the list 
of persons who have attracted 
public attention because of unu¬ 
sual services rendered the public. 

In the first place, although not a college grad¬ 
uate, he holds one of the most responsible posi¬ 
tions in Fisk University, that of Editor of the 
school’s official organ—“Fisk University News,” 
and of all the publications of the University. The 
way Mr. Fisher came to be called to such a posi¬ 
tion is the story of his public services for his race. 

He was graduated from the Tuskegee Institute, 
Alabama, in 1898, after having won the admira¬ 
tion of the late Dr. Booker T. Washington for his 
persistence in working to pay his education, and 
for his great ability as a speaker. As soon as Mr. 
Fisher received his diploma, Dr. Washington sent 
him to the Schofield School in Aiken, South Caro¬ 
lina, to teach in the class-room and to organize 
conferences of farmers in that State; called him 
from this position to present the cause of the Tus¬ 
kegee Institute in New England; transferred him 
from the East, upon Mr. Fisher’s request, to or¬ 
ganize farmers’ conferences for Tuskegee, in Ala¬ 
bama ; and, to meet an emergency call for an able 
disciplinarian, sent him to fill out an unexpired 
term of principal of Swayne High School, in Mont¬ 
gomery, Alabama. Mr. Fisher was re-elected to 
this position at the close of the short term for 
which he had been elected, only to find that Dr. 
Washington, asked to name a man to go to Arkan¬ 
sas to become President of the State Agricultural 
and Mechanical College for Negroes, at Pine Bluff 
—“A man who is without fear and thoroughly pro¬ 
gressive,” had recommended him for the place. Al¬ 
though but twenty-five years of age, Mr. Fisher 
accepted the call. 

He held this position for nine years—from 1902 
to 1911—giving the school new dignity and stand¬ 
ard; but he resigned in 1911. It was while he was 
at the head of this school that the country discov¬ 
ered that he was an essayist of the first rank. In 
a series of essay contests open to the entire na¬ 
tion, Mr. Fisher began taking the highest prize in 
each case. The subject made jno difference—he 
generally succeeded in writing the best essay on 
the subject given. For example, when Missouri 


wished to have drafted the “Ten Best Reasons 
Why Persons Should Go to Missouri” Mr. Fisher 
gave the best reasons although he had never even 
passed through the State. When Everybody’s 
Magazine wanted to have the last word about the 
liquor question, Mr. Fisher gave that last word, 
although he has always been a total abstainer from 
alchoholic drinks. 

Thirty or more times he won in these nation¬ 
wide contests and the colored people of the coun¬ 
try began to see that he was in his quiet way dem¬ 
onstrating the possibilities of the Negro mind to 
all the people of the earth. 

In 1914, the Tuskegee Institute called him back 
again to become the first editor of “The Negro 
Farmer;” and he had made this journal take a 
commanding position in its field when the newly- 
elected President of Fisk University, Dr. Fayette 
Avery McKenzie, who had been watching Mr. Fish¬ 
er’s literary career for several years, called him 
to become University Editor at Fisk. It was a 
bold step to take; but Dr. Washington had been 
willing to say over his signature in Everybody’s 
Magazine, that if a position required tact, ability, 
fearlessness and devotion, he never hesitated to 
recommend Mr. Fisher for it, knowing that if he 
w ei e n °t equal of some others, when he accept¬ 
ed the work, within a short time he would fully 
qualify for the tasks given him. And, so, Dr. Mc¬ 
Kenzie took the risk of calling this young writer- 
educator to his present work. 

In his position at Fisk University, Mr. Fisher 
has justified Dr. Washington’s estimate and Dr. 
McKenzie’s judgment, for his editorials in the Fisk 
University News attracted national attention from 
the first, and that magazine is recognized as one 
of the constructive forces of journalism because ot 
the national outlook which its editor takes; and 
as a professor at Mt. Holyoke College remarks, “It 
is the one college journal which is of interest to 
persons outside of college circles.” In addition to 
his other duties at Fisk, Mr. Fisher gives instruc¬ 
tion in argumentation, and under his direction, 
Fisk’s debating teams have developed astonishing 
strength in intercollegiate debating contests. 

Mr. Fisher was married in 1901, to Miss Sallie 
A. McCann, of Birmingham, Alabama ,and has one 
daughter, Constance. At forty, he is one of the 
quiet and effective workers of his day. 


358 









Fisk---Past, Present and Future 


FISK—PAST 

At a time when all Americans were not agreed 
that the colored people in the United States had 
sufficient mental capacity to profit by any formal 
education above the most elementary grades, the 
American Missionary Association founded in the 
City of Nashville, Tennessee, a school for Freed- 
men, under the exalted name of Fisk University, a 
school which was to become “in time a first class 
college”—a great university that should adequately 
provide for the newly emancipated people and their 
descendants forever the advantages of Christian 
education, to whatever extent the capacity and 
energy of the race should in the future demand. 

On January 9, 1866, this University of “faith” 
was formally opened in an old Government hospi¬ 
tal building—a frame shanty. 

When the complete story of Fisk University is 
told, the facts following will not be forgotten: 

The University was founded by a religious organ¬ 
ization, which has distinguished itself for the brave 
Fight it has made for the highest interests of 
the colored race; one of the two men who were 
sent in 1865 to select a site for the new school— 
Rev. E. M. Cravath—was a Soldier; the Universi¬ 
ty was opened in hospital buildings and on land 
which had been used by Soldiers; Fisk was 
named for a Soldier, Gen. Clinton B. Fisk, then 
chief of the Freedmen’s Bureau for Lennessee and 
through whose efforts and interest the buildings 
and the ground on which they stood were turned 
over to the A. M. A., for the school; and, finally, 
the first President and the great outstanding figure 
in the history of Fisk University, Dr. Erastus Milo 
Cravath, was a Soldier. 

If these facts possess no significance out of the 
ordinary, it remains true, nevertheless, that Fisk 
from the first, Has Fought—Is Fighting Still for 
the very highest standards of scholarship and char- 
acter, in the face of persistent efforts, some¬ 
times open and oft-times concealed, to i educe these 
standards for colored people below those demand¬ 
ed by and for the white race. 

JUBILEE SINGERS. At one time of darkness 
and doubt, it was decided to close the “Univer¬ 
sity;” but a few brave souls thought otherwise. 
Head of this small number was Professor George 
U. White, teacher of Music, who conceived the 
plan of training a body of students to sing the 
slave songs of their fathers before such bodies as 
would hear them, in the hope that friends might 
thereby be raised up for the school. It was a 
daring project, no precedent being known for 

359 


such a course; and it was only because Professor 
White could not be made to see the obstacles in 
the way nor to give weight to the objections of 
his friends that the tour was finally begun. With 
practically no funds against heavy odds and in 
the face of prophecies of failure, Professor White, 
with his immovable faith in the future of the col¬ 
ored people and the providence of God, left the 
University in 1871, carrying with him the little 
group of students whom he had trained in song. 

Thus was begun the work of the famous “Jubilee 
Singers,” who first brought the folk songs of the 
colored people to the attention of the world. Tour¬ 
ing New England and Great Britian, they earned 
enough money to purchase the present site of the 
University and to erect its first building, Jubilee 
Hall. 

PRESIDENTS. From its beginning until 1875, the 
School and University were under the charge of 
Prof. John Ogden (1866-1870) and Prof. A. K. 
Spence (1870-1875). Under Prof. Spence began 
the real development of the college work of the 
University. 

In 1875, Dr. E. M. Cravath was elected President 
of the University. Simple justice demands the 
statement that he stamped Fisk with its present 
high ideals, and under his guidance was budded the 
visible university as well as the one “not made with 
hands.” Of the eleven buildings comprising the 
school, eight were erected during his administra¬ 
tion. He was a soldier and statesman with the 
type of courage needed to build and defend a school 
of highest standards for an unpopular race at a 
time when a member of the white race who was 
identified with such a work paid a bitter, bitter 
price. 

President Cravath fell asleep in 1900. He was 
succeeded by President James G. Merrill, in 1901. 
Gentle, loving, and lovable, he took up the work of 
his great predecessor and prosecuted it with the 
same faith as had moved the founders. Three new 
buildings were added during his Presidency. He 
resigned his work in 1908, and was succeeded in 
1909 by Dr. Geo. A. Gates. On account of ill health 
this splendid scholar and executive remained but 
a short time with the University—from 1909 to 
1912. Fisk’s present executive, Fayette Avery Mc¬ 
Kenzie, Ph. D., UL. D., was elected in 1915. Dr. 
McKenzie is a close student of social questions and 
a man thoroughly saturated with the ideals which 
have made Fisk University synonymous with cul¬ 
ture_with the higher education of the colored 

people in the United States. 




BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF FISK CAMPUS—FISK UNIVERSITY 


FISK—PRESENT 

WHAT FISK IS. “Fisk University,” to quote 
President McKenzie, “is the symbol, the corporate 
realization of education and culture for the Negro 
race in the South.” The United States Commis¬ 
sioner of Education, Dr. Philander P. Claxton, said, 
recently, that Fisk “is a great national institution,” 
and that the ten millions of colored people in the 
United States “look to Fisk University very 
largely for the leadership that will enable them to 
develop in all of their lines.” 

Stated in more concrete terms, Fisk is the sec¬ 
ond largest arts college for colored people in the 
world. Its faculty, taken from the best schools of 
the United States, numbers 40; and it has upward 
of 560 students in all departments. The school 
owns thirty-five acres of land, fourteen buildings, 
including Jubilee Hall for Women; Livingstone 
and Bennett Halls for men ; Chase Hall for Science ; 
Fisk Memorial Chapel; Daniel Hand Training 
School; Carnegie Library; a Gymnasium and 
Workshop; and Magnolia Cottage for the Music 
Department. 

In the past the College has offered four courses 
of study, all leading to the degree of BACHELOR 
OF ARTS, i, e., classical, scientific, education, and 
home economics. But the requirements have now 
been so liberalized that those who desire may spe¬ 
cialize along with the fixed requirements essential 
to general culture, in practically any subject they 
may choose. 

In the Graduate Department courses are offered 
leading to the degree of MASTER OF ART S. Many 


of the best northern colleges accept Fisk students, 
class for class, on a parity with their own. 

Fisk’s major work has been the training of 
teachers, but she has sent a host of graduates into 
practically all of the learned professions. 

The Department of Music at Fisk has been and 
still remains of such a character that the Univer¬ 
sity has come to be recognized as the leading con¬ 
servatory of music for colored people in the whole 
country. A large number of the most successful 
musical artists of the race received their training- 
in this department. 

FISK—FUTURE 

President McKenzie thus defines the ideals for 
the future: “We are working every year to reach 
the best standards of scholarship. But we are not 
content with mere book learning. Character is 
still the first object of the University. Honesty, 
truthfulness, morality, and economy are constantly 
urged upon the students. As of old, so now it is 
and in the future it will be that “Fisk Stands for 
Mind, for Life, for Divinity, and for Eternity.” 

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS AT FISK 

Under the brief administration of the present 
President, Dr. McKenzie, there has been maintain¬ 
ed the best traditions of the past, and new steps of 
considerable importance have been taken. The 
plant, by reason of lack of funds, had for many 
years remained without adequate repairs. Through 
the generosity of the General Education Board and 
the Carnegie Corporation, and a number of other 
friends, the sum of one hundred and fifty thousand 


360 









— 



BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF FISK CAMPUS -FISK UNIVERSITY 


dollars was made available in the summer of 1917. 
This money made possible the installation of a 
modern and efficient central heating plant, located 
upon a spur of the railroad, thus providing coal 
without the cost of hauling by wagon. The build¬ 
ings were wired for electricity, which replaced the 
old kerosene lamps in lighting the dormitories. 
Practically all the floors of the main buildings were 
relaid in hard wood, and the walls and ceilings 
were repaired and repainted in beautiful tan 
shades. Student toilet and bathing facilities of the 
most modern approved type were installed on every 
floor of all the dormitories. With these improve¬ 
ments the University plant was put into unusually 
splendid condition. 

During the same period of time the University 
has taken over the house known as the Waterman 
house, has purchased four acres of land upon which 
there stood three buildings, once the property of 
the Nashville Institute and has bought a little house 
and some adjoining land, in order to provide a right 
of way for the pipe lines connecting the campus 
with the power plant on the railroad track. One 
of the three buildings purchased from the Nashville 
Institute has been turned into a teachers’ dormi¬ 
tory, where a very considerable number of our 
teachers are given very comfortable quarters. Not 
only are there dormitory rooms, but there are one 
or more g-eneral assembly rooms, a dining room, a 
kitchen, and a small laundry. Another of the houses 
has been turned into a two-apartment house. The 
third has been converted into a modern laundry, 
equipped with electrically run machinery, and sup¬ 
plied with hot water from the central heating 

361 


plant. The removal of the boilers and laundry 
from Jubilee Hall has made that building far safer 
and has opened up new spaces for additional ac¬ 
tivities in that building. The girls have a splendid 
little laundry for themselves, the music depart¬ 
ment has at least seven additional music rooms in 
the basement, and a large recreation-study hall has 
been provided for the girls. In the kitchen there 
has been placed five new ranges; a dishwashing- 
machine, and a number of other modern conven¬ 
iences. The kitchen and diningroom are thorough¬ 
ly clean, and every precaution is taken to protect 
the health of the students. 

New offices have been provided for the Presi¬ 
dent, and for the registrar, and thus the adminis¬ 
trative details of the University have been made 
much easier to handle. 

All these changes have been, in a way and to a 
large degree, merely the background and founda¬ 
tion for the more important work of the Univer¬ 
sity. Once the physical foundation has been thor¬ 
oughly provided, the attention of the administra¬ 
tion was turned to developments of a more imme¬ 
diate educational character. Already a number of 
very important changes have been made. The work 
of physical education has been very greatly 
changed and enlarged. The University believes that 
health is a prerequisite for good mental effort, and 
also believes that regular, systematic exercise in 
the gymnasium and on the campus will not be an 
encroachment upon the time for study, but a means 
of increasing the efficiency and enlarging the pro¬ 
duct of mental effort. It is hoped to place all the 
physical and athletic activities upon the highest 












standards which modern thought can suggest. The 
standards of the best institutions of the world are 
the standards which Fisk aims to establish and 
maintain. Nothing less than the best is satisfac¬ 
tory to the University. 

One of the most important changes of the recent 
years has been the new emphasis placed upon the 
monthly publication of the University. The Fisk 
News, under the editorship of Mr. Isaac Fisher, 
has made a splendid national reputation for itself 
and for the University. 

Increased variety of subjects for study has also 
marked the policy of President McKenzie. New 
courses have been added in Greek, in history, in 
modern languages, in social science, in physics, in 
chemistry, in agriculture, in manual training, in 
music and in various other lines. In order to get the 
most benefit out of such a wide range of electives 
the University has adopted a scheme of majors, by 
which each student is allowed and requred to con¬ 
centrate to the extent of one-fourth, or possibly to 
even one-third, of his full four years, upon one sub¬ 
ject or specially related group of subjects. In ad¬ 
dition, he is required to take a certain range of sub¬ 
jects which will assure him a liberal point of view 
Every effort is being made to standardize the me¬ 
thods of marking among the various teachers, so 
that full credit—and uniform credit—shall be given 
to the work of all students in every department. 

In the crisis years of the war, Fisk has not failed 
to play its part among the institutions of the coun¬ 
try. Early after the declaration of war with Ger¬ 
many telegrams went from the University offering 
the services of the students. Since that time more 
than one hundred alumni, former students and stu¬ 
dents of the present year, have volunteered or been 
drafted into the army of the republic. Many of 
them are already in France; some of them may al¬ 
ready have taken part on the battle line. Among 
them, there is one major, in the medical service; 
several captains, many first lieutenants, and still 
more in other official positions. In fact, there are 
very few who have been at Fisk who remain pri¬ 
vates very long after entering* military service. 
The training which they have secured in the Uni¬ 
versity has prepared them for larger service even 
in the army. 

In contributions of money to the Army Y. M. C. 
A., to the Red Cross, to Armenian Relief, Fisk has 
not failed to show its loyalty in large degree. 
Thrift stamps have been purchased in large num¬ 
bers and the faculty, and some students, have pur¬ 
chased liberally of Liberty Bonds. 1 he girls and 
women have not forgotten that even knitting can 
be made a patriotic service. 

The University has not forgotten that it can 
serve by sacrifice of its own working force. It 
has sent into the army, and into the various war 


work activities, a considerable proportion of its 
teaching force. Mr. Dexter Lutz is in the Avia¬ 
tion Corps, Dr. L. E. Welker in the Medical Corps 
in France; Professor A. F. Shaw is a Y. M. C. A. 
Secretary with the Portugese; Professor J. W. 
Chambers a Y. M. C. A. Secretary with the Irish 
in Ireland; Professors J. N. Flaskell and G. D. Yoa¬ 
kum in Y. M. C. A. work in France; Professor 
Messenger and Professor Belsinger are among the 
drafted men in camp. Dr. George E. Haynes has 
been lent to the government for the period of the 
war, as Director of Negro Economics and Advisor 
to the Secretary of Labor, on the question of Ne¬ 
gro Labor and Negro migration, thus providing- 
one of the most important national services any 
one of the Negro race could possibly render. The 
Jubilee Singers, who are travelling on the road, 
have given without price, of their time and services 
that the soldiers of the various camps scattered 
over the country might enjoy their singing for an 
evening. 

The last service which the government has asked 
—and one which the University was glad to render 
-—was to open the campus as a receiving, or con¬ 
centration, camp for six hundred soldiers for the 
period of mobilization. This plan has meant the 
giving over to the army of practically three of the 
buildings of the University; it has meant the feed¬ 
ing of six hundred soldiers in the dining room 
where formerly less than three hundred students 
were ordinarily fed; it has meant the putting of all 
our male students in one building where formerly 
they occupied two; it has meant crowding to a 
very unusual degree ; it has meant the limitation of 
activities of the University life in many respects. 
It has all been done gladly, that the University 
might serve with her fellow institutions in what¬ 
ever way would contribute to the success of the 
great struggle which the allied nations are now 
waging for the liberty of the world. 

All these things suggest clearly the fact that 
Fisk University, which started at the close of the 
great Civil War, which was in some senses the 
outcome of that War, has labored in season and 
out of season for half a century so that she might 
be prepared to render a new service—a large one 
—to the nation and to the world, in a new war of 
larger significance to the liberties of mankind 
Fisk hopes to continue to fight for liberty ,not 
long upon the battlefields of military force, but for¬ 
ever in the arena where the struggle is made for 
the liberty of the mind. Fisk will always struggle 
for that “truth which shall make men free,” and 
which shall make not only men free, but races free, 
and nations, and which shall establish peace on 
earth as it is also in Heaven. 

Written for year 1917-1918. 


362 



CHARLES VICTOR ROMAN, A. M., M. D„ PH. D., 
LL. D. 



HOEVER has heard the resonant 
voice of C. V. Roman, A. M., M. 
D., LL. D., sound from pulpit or 
platform, dropping now a classical 
allusion, now bits of history, now 
logic, would never set him down 
as the great eye, ear, nose and 
throat specialist of the Meharry 
Medical College. It would be thought that he hail 
given days and nights to the study of the poets and 
philosophers rather than to the ailments of the deli¬ 
cate organs of the human body. 

Born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, July 4, I«t>4 
Dr Roman migrated to Ontario, Canada when but 
ei-ht years of age. His mother, a Canadian, was 
the daughter of a fugitive slave. His fathei, a so 
anticipated Lincoln’s proclamation by moie than a 

SC Dr Roman attended the Ontario public schools, 
graduating from the Hamilton Collegiate nsmu e 
of Hamilton, Ontario. Then he returned to the 
United States to make his way in the world. He 
planned to enter the medical profession, but means 
were lacking to pursue his course. He turned aside 
and taught school in Kentucky and Tennessee, m 
both of which states he taught on his first grade 
licenses. He then enrolled as a student of medicine 
in Meharry Medical College receiving the degree of 
M. D. in 1890. 


The same year he opened office in Clarksville, 
Tennessee, where he remained three years and was 
successful from the outset. He removed to Texas, 
where he continued his practice for eleven years. 
In 1904 he was called to Meharry to accept the 
chair of instruction in eye, ear, nose and throat dis¬ 
eases. Here as a professor and specialist in his 
subject he has remained, teaching, practicing and 
delivering popular lectures, working in the church 
and joining energetically in uplift work of every 
kind for the race. 

He is one of the strongest laymen in the A. M. E. 
Church, and wherever members of the African 
Methodist Episcopal Church are assembled in large 
numbers, there will you find Dr. Roman, making- 
addresses and joining in counsel. He is a member 
of the Southern Sociological Congress and has ad¬ 
dressed that body on nearly every occasion of its 
gathering. 

To satisfy a youthful ambition, he studied at Fisk 
University and gained the degree of Master of 
Arts, in philosophy and history. He took post 
graduate courses in Chicago, in Philadelphia and in 
London, England. On his accepting the chair at 
Meharry Medical College in 1904, Paul Quin Col¬ 
lege honored him with the degree of Ph. D., and 
seven years later,-in 1911, Wilberforce University 
conferred the degree of LL. D. 

He has been, three times, a delegate to the Gen¬ 
eral Conference of his church. He was delegate to 
the Ecumenical Conference of Methodism which 
met in Toronto, Canada, in 1911, and was widely 
credited as making the ablest address of the occas¬ 
ion. In 1903 he was elected president of the Na¬ 
tional Medical Association and in 1909 was one of 
the founders of the National Medical Journal, of 
which he is still editor-in-chief. He has been hon¬ 
ored as the guest of the medical societies of Phila¬ 
delphia, New York, Chicago, New Orleans and Dal 
las, Tex.; and the invited guest of the State Asso¬ 
ciations of New Jersey, Alabama, Mississippi, 
South Carolina, Georgia and Texas. He is the au¬ 
thor of “American Civilization and the Negro,” the 
most comprehensive work of the kind written by a 
Negro. He is a prominent Odd Fellow and Knight 
of Pythias and a man much traveled in America 
and in Europe. 

He is one of the advisors and associate editors of 
these pages, one whose advice and good judgment 
are highly prized on all social and racial questions. 

Dr. Roman was married to Miss Margaret Lee 
Voorhees of Columbia, Tennessee, in 1891. The 
family lives in Nashville, surrounded by a host of 
friends and admirers. 

Intellectual pursuits and altruistic efforts engage 
his mind so completely that he has but little 
room for the consideration of material things. He 
is, however, a good provider though he has accum¬ 
ulated but little of the world’s goods. Having no 
children, and with a mind centered upon the wel¬ 
fare of others the incentive to save was not strong 
in him. 

Dr. Roman has been one of the strongest per¬ 
sonalities in America so far as influencing the re¬ 
ligious life of young Negro professional men, by 
thousands of whom in every part of the new World 
he is sincerely loved. 


363 









WILLIAMS HAYNES, B. TH„ D. D. 


PEAKING of the good deeds of 
Dr. William Haynes on the occa¬ 
sion of his election as correspond¬ 
ing secretary of the Sunday- 
school Publishing Board of the 
National Baptist Convention, Dr. 
Sutton E. Griggs says—“As a worker, the Rev. Mr. 
Haynes has been a success in his personal and 
public undertakings. He has massed some amount 
of property for himself and he did this in a thoi - 
oughly open and honest way by unceasing labor 
and strict economy. 

On the east bank of the Cumberland rivei, just 
North of the city of Nashville, situated on a high 
ground, you will see some of the finest brick build¬ 
ings to be found anywhere in the South. Here 
stands Roger Williams University. Some years 
ago, this school located elsewhere, was burned. Its 
rise from the ashes and its journey to the present 
location and stage of development, are to be at¬ 
tributed in a large measure, to the firmness, en¬ 
ergy and integrity of Rev. William Haynes, another 
founder of Roger Williams University. This is 
high praise for any one man and such praise stands 
as a substantial monument to so hard a worker as 
Rev. Haynes. The beauty of his service to Roger 
Williams was that he was doing all this for his 
Alma Mater, discharging a moral debt, which all 
men feel toward the school which gave them a 


grip on things. Dr. Haynes graduated from the 
Normal Department of Roger Williams University 
in 1889, and the Theological Department in 1899. 
He did not wait until his graduation to begin 
preaching the Gospel, but started preaching as 
early as 1881. Unlike many ministers, Rev. Haynes 
has been a sticker. 

He has been in Nashville for more than 20 years. 
He has spent most of his time pastoring two or 
three churches. Two of the churches he really 
built and for that purpose, he raised a total amount 
of $15,000, and he stood by each of these churches 
until they were freed of debt. While engaged in 
church work, his heart was also in Roger Williams. 
He is the chairman of the Trustee Board of Roger 
Williams University, and when he was Educational 
Secretary, he paid $10,000.00 for the new site of 
that institution. This Dr. Haynes considers as the 
principal episode in his life. 

As Secretary of the Sunday School Publishing 
Board, Dr. Haynes is doing a good work in trying 
to hold together the Baptists of the country. He 
also served as pastor of the old celebrated Spruce 
Street Baptist Church, and is now serving as pas¬ 
tor of the Sylvan Street Baptist Church. 

In 1890, Dr. Haynes was married to Miss Anna 
R. Wilson, of Davidson County, Tenn. Dr. and 
Mrs. Haynes have a large family of happy sons 
and they all show the early training received in a 
good Christian home. One of his sons, Rev. J. C. 
Haynes, is a teacher as well as a minister. Ano¬ 
ther son, W. H. Haynes, is a professor in More¬ 
house College, Atlanta, Ga. The younger sons 
are students. 

In conclusion, Dr. Haynes is a man who has done 
a great deal of traveling over the country as Edu¬ 
cational Secretary of Roger Williams, and his 
name will never die. He leaves too great a monu¬ 
ment behind him and especially will he be remem¬ 
bered by Roger Williams University. 

THE TRUSTEES OF ROGER WILLIAMS 
UNIVERSITY 

On the thirteenth day of February, 1883, the 
Nashville Normal and Theological Institute was 
incorporated under the laws of the State of Tenn¬ 
essee, as Roger Williams University. The follow¬ 
ing are the trustees in 1918 and 1919, Wm. Haynes, 
B. Th., D. D., who is at this writing the chairman of 
the Board and was efficient in re-establishing New 
Roger Williams University after the burning of 
“Old Roger,” and made the first payment of ten 
thousand dollars ($10,000.00) for the site. Dr. G. 
H. Bandy is the Secretary of the Trustee Board 
and one of the most proficient practitioneers in 
medical profession. He is also an alumnus of 
Roger Williams University, who has given much 
of his valuable time to the University. A. B. Hill, 



364 












INMAN E. PAGE, A. AT, A. B., LL. D. 


Esq., (white), has been of great help to the Uni¬ 
versity, as he is one of the leading business men of 
the city of Nashville. Dr. J. B. Singleton, now 
President of the Peoples Savings Bank and Trust 
Co., and one of the leading dentists in the City of 
Nashville, has deep interest in the University, and 
he has shown a willingness to be on hand at all of 
the meetings to advise as his experience would al¬ 
low him. Rev. A. D. Hurt, D. D., is Superintend¬ 
ent of Missions in Tennessee, and is doing much to 
make the University a success. Dr. A. M. Town¬ 
send, A. B., is the Ex-President of the University. 
He, having resigned last year, was among the most 
proficient presidents that the University has ever 
had. He is now pastor of the Metropolitan Bap¬ 
tist Church, in Memphis, Tenn. As an educator, 
he is splendid; as a pastor he is kind, as a Gospel 
preacher, he is effective. He did much to bring 
Roger Williams University upon a level with other 
schools of its kind. 

E. M. Lawrence, B. Th„ D. D„ is an alumnus of 
Rooer Williams University, and is among the old¬ 
est trustees of the University. He, having been 
elected long before “old Roger” burned, was in¬ 
strumental in creating enthusiasm among the con¬ 
stituents of the Baptist denomination. After the 

365 


burning of the University, as he was superinten¬ 
dent of Missions at that time, he gave Rev. Haynes 
who was President of the Missionary and Educa¬ 
tional Baptist Convention at that time, substantial 
help. Rev. A. O. Kenney, B. Th., D. D., is also an 
alumnus of the University who has been about the 
University for thirty odd years as a teacher. He 
has been a great asset to the success of the school. 
Dr. Chas. A. McMurry, A. M., Ph. D., (white), is 
a teacher at Peabody who came to us recently and 
is intensely interested in the education of the Ne¬ 
gro. Rev. Peter Vetrees, D. D., is one of the oldest 
teachers of Sumner County. He taught thirty odd 
years in Gallatin, Tenn., the county seat of the 
above named county. Rev. Rufus W. Weaver, Th. 
D., D. D., resigned. Dr. H. M. Green, Ph. I)., of 
Knoxville, Tenn., is one of the leading physicians 
of that* city, and a staunch friend to “Roger Wil¬ 
liams University.” B. J. Carr, Esq., of Nashville, 
Tenn., is a farmer of enormous capacity, having 
owned two or three farms and success has attended 
him as such. He has the courage of his convic¬ 
tion, contending what he believes to be right. He 
is loyal to Roger Williams University, and believes 
in the rights of the Trustee Board. 

A STATEMENT CONCERNING THE LIFE AND 
WORK OF PROF. JOHNSON BY AIRS. ANNA 
R. HAYNES. 

Prof. J. W. Johnson, first president of new 
Roger Williams University ,was born in Columbia, 
Tenn., June 23, 1863. After receiving his public 
school education in Columbia, he entered Roger 
Williams University, in September, 1882, under Dr. 
Daniel Phillips, first President of Roger Williams 
University. 

He graduated from the Classical Department in 
May, 1889, receiving an A. B. degree. He was an 
energetic young man and taught in the rural schools 
during his vacation and in that way, helped himself 
through school. After he had completed his grad¬ 
uation, he taught two years in Hopkinsville, Ky. 
While there without any solicitation on his part, he 
was elected as a Professor in Roger Williams Uni¬ 
versity, which place he held with credit to himself 
for eight years. During his vacation, he spent a 
deal of his time in county institutes helping to pre¬ 
pare teachers for their work. 

From 1900 to 1907, he was principal of the pub¬ 
lic school, at Martin, Tenn., and while there he or¬ 
ganized the Educational Congress of West Tennes¬ 
see. This great work gave him prestige with the 
teachers of the State of Tennessee, and especially 
the alumni of Roger Williams University, which 
caused him to be elected as the first President of 
the new Roger Williams University, in 1905. He 
willingly came on the scene under very discourag¬ 
ing features and made a great success out of what 
many of his friends thought an impossibility. But 




BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF ROGER WILLIAMS UNIVERSITY 


he had won the hearts of the alumni of Roger Wil¬ 
liams University, and many of the best friends, 
both white and colored, and especially Dr. More¬ 
house, who was at that time corresponding secre¬ 
tary of the American Baptist Home Mission So¬ 
ciety. With the unfaltering confidence in these 
friends, he and four other teachers entered Roger 
Williams University. As they labored, the school 
grew in number from four teachers and thirty- 
eight students in 1907, to twelve teachers and one 
hundred eighty students in 1913. 

The property of the school at that time was val¬ 
ued at $10,000.00, and rose to $65,000.00. The girls’ 
building was completed and is now called Phillips 
Hall. Many other improvements were added dur¬ 
ing the presidency of Prof. Johnson. 

DR. INMAN EDWARD PAGE 

In August 1918, the Board of Trustees of Roger 
Williams University elected as President of that 
Institution, Dr. Inman Edward Page, then Presi¬ 
dent of Western College, Macon, Mo. This elect¬ 
ion was the result of the resignation of Rev. A. M. 
Townsend, who had been at the head of the insti¬ 
tution the past five years, and who had resigned to 
accept the pastorate of the Metropolitan Baptist 
Church, of Memphis, Tenn. 

The Board of Trustees was fortunate indeed to 
secure the services of a man so able as Di. Page, 
a man of a broad and ripe experience bringing to 
the University an experience of forty yeais in edu¬ 
cational work. Dr. Page is not only a man of edu¬ 
cation, but is an educator, a fact well attested b\ 
his Alma Mater, Brown University, in conferring 
upon him in May, 1918, the honorary degree of 
Master of Arts, in recognition of his services in his 
chosen field of labor. Dr. Page had long since re¬ 
ceived in cursu this degree from his Alma Mater. 
But this last act of honor was given in true recog¬ 
nition of his long and imminent service as an edu¬ 
cator, and at a time when honorary degrees were 
conferred upon Senator Henry Cabet Lodge, Presi¬ 
dent William A. Neilson and many other distin¬ 
guished men. 

At the time this honor was conferred upon him, 
The Evening Bulletin, Providence, R. I., had this 
to say: “Inman Edward Page was graduated from 
Brown University, with the class of 1877, receiving 

366 


the degree of A. B., and A. M., upon completing 
his course. At Commencement he was chosen by 
his class to be class orator. 

In the Fall of 1877, he became a teacher at Natchez 
Seminary, Natchez, Miss. Soon after he was called 
to become Vice President of Lincoln Institute, Jef¬ 
ferson City, Mo. At the end of two years in that 
position, he was made President and was at the * 
head of the institution which is the State institu¬ 
tion of Missouri, for the collegiate, normal and in¬ 
dustrial education of the Negro for 18 years. In 
1898, Mr. Page became President of the Agricultu¬ 
ral and Normal University, at Langston, Okla. He 
Avas there for seventeen years, resigning to become 
head of the Western College, at Macon, Mo. 

Dr. Page had been previously honored twice, the 
degree of Doctor of Law having been conferred 
upon him by Howard University and Wilberforce 
University. Thus it will be seen that Roger Wil¬ 
liams has before it a bright future, having at its 
head an upright and Christian gentleman, and a 
man of broad experience in matters in general, but 
particularly in matters educational. 

DR. A. M. IOWNSEND—AS PRESIDENT OF ROGER 
WILLIAMS UNIVERSITY 

It is said in speaking of Jesus, John 21 :25: “And 
there aie also many other things which Jesus did, 
the which, if they should be written every one, I 
suppose that even the world itself could not con- 
tc.m the books that should be written.” I hope we 
do not bolder upon sacrilege by our comparison 
here, but those who have taken note of Dr. Town¬ 
send s AA'ork and labor of love, as the efficient pres¬ 
ident of Roger Williams University, will agree that 
it would require, at least, many books to contain 
the deeds of daring, love and sacrifice during his 
incumbency as President of Roger Williams Uni¬ 
versity. 

Dr. Townsend was first a student of that insti¬ 
tution, and then an alumnus, and then a trustee, 
and on he went, becoming President of that insti¬ 
tution in 1913. 

After five years of arduous toil as President, he 
retired from the scene, leaving a splendid faculty, 
student body, president’s mansion, and other ade¬ 
quate facilities, coupled with the love and esteem 
of the Baptists of Tennessee. 












MATHEW W. DOGAN, A. B., D. D. 


OR the last quarter of a century 
Mathew W. Dogan, President of 
Wiley University, has been a con¬ 
spicuous figure in Negro educa¬ 
tion, and in the work of the Me¬ 
thodist Episcopal Church. He has 
kept up a close relationship with all educational 
movements, both in the church and in the secular 
world, has been instrumental in bringing men and 
women together from many various organizations, 
and has, to keep himself fresh in school matters, 
slipped away to attend summer schools whenever 
he could spare the time. 

Dr. Dogan was born in Pontotoc, Mississippi, 
December 21st., 1863 His early years were spent 
m want, so much so that any sort of education 
seemed for a long time absolutely beyond his reach. 
Such meagre educational ad/vantages as his home 
town offered he embraced, Vwhen he could spai e 
the time from the task of earning his bread. Dur¬ 
ing those days of hardship he worked at whatever 
task he could find. For a time he was a boot-black 
in his father’s shop. The few pennies he gathered 
here were put to a very practical use, not squan 
dered as spending change. He had heard of Rust 

367 


University ,at Holly Springs, and was determined 
to complete a course there. Thus the boot black 
money was used to pay his way in this school. 

He was not of those to be satisfied with a little 
education, however. He wanted a college, as well 
as preparatory course. Thus the finishing of the 
one only gave thirst for the other. To stem the 
tide of want he at one time engaged in the grocery 
business. But the gods of merchandise would not 
yield him the coveted crown of wealth and pros¬ 
perity, may be they knew he was marked for ano¬ 
ther career. When all seemed fair to succeed the 
flames came and swept all away, his dreams of 
wealth as well as his world’s goods. With all his 
struggling and economy he was not able to stem 
the tide of circumstances in college. And so for 
two years he bade Ins alma mater adieu. In the 
interim he turned his undertakings to school teach¬ 
ing, at which he so well succeeded that he was able 
to return to college and complete his course with¬ 
out further interruption. 

Clearly the President of Wiley was no mean pu¬ 
pil ; for in spite of money worry, in spite of inter¬ 
ruptions, he was graduated in the class of 1886, 
from the full college course and what is more to 
the point, at the head of his class. Was he better 
or worse for the hardships, for the interruptions, 
for the concern over the money to defray his ex¬ 
penses ? 

It is one thing to win distinction as a scholar; 
it is quite another thing to win a place as a man 
worthy to conduct classes and to take a hand in 
the management of a college. Dr. Dogan had won 
both of these distinctions in graduating from Rust 
University. In the fall term following his grad¬ 
uation from Rust he was elected to a place on the 
Rust University faculty, a place which he held for 
the next five years. In 1891, he was elected as a 
teacher of mathematics in the Central Tennessee 
College, at Nashville. This institution is now Wal¬ 
den. Five years later he was chosen President of 
Wiley University, the position which he still holds. 

Under Dr. Dogan’s Administration many chang¬ 
es for the better have taken place in Wiley Uni¬ 
versity. While this is, of course a church school, 
and while it is true that church leaders and classical 
scholars are expected to come out of this and other 
schools of a like character, yet Wiley, like many 
other institutions, has so shaped its courses under 
Dr. Dogan’s presidency that it can meet the de¬ 
mands of modern times, as well as supply courses 
for those who wish to pursue the more formal stu¬ 
dies for church and school. It has added science, 
and those industrial phases which fit students for 
a practical and immediately useful life. It has put 
new life into its whole student body by lending all 
possible encouragement to the various kinds of 
























MAIN BUILDING—WILEY UNIVERSITY 


athletics and sports ; teaching that these features 
are also very essential elements in modern life. 
For all these more modern phases of adaption, 
Wiiev is very largely indebted to her President, 
Dr. Dogan. 

As a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
Dr. Dogan is almost as active as he is in the school. 
He belongs to the General and is a member of the 
Board of Education of his church. This post he 
has held for twelve years. In secret orders he is 
a member of the Knights of Pythias. He has been 
Prsident of the Texas State Teachers’ Association, 
and President of the National Association for 
Teachers in Colored Schools. He is still active in 
both of these bodies, being on the Executive com¬ 
mittee of the latter and a frequent attendant at 
the meetings of the former. He has traveled very 
extensively, having been into most of the States of 
the Union, on pleasure and on educational tours. 

Dr. Dogan was married to Miss Eannie F. Falk- 
ner, of Memphis, Tenn., in 1888. Dr. and Mrs. 
Dogan have five children—four girls and one boy. 
The oldest daughter attended Oberlin, but had to 
drop out in her Junior year because of poor health. 
The second daughter finished college at Wiley this 
year. The other children are in the preparatory 
course, at Wiley. 

With all his handicaps at the outset, Dr. Dogan 
has managed to accumulate a goodly share of the 
world’s goods. He now pays taxes on $7,000 worth 
of property. 


Of all the States of the South and Southwest, 
I exas has the fairest record in good schools and 
high educational standards for the Negro. Gal¬ 
veston, Houston, Dallas, Beaumont, and many 
other of the big cities of the State boast of the 
High Schools ; schools with the best equipment and 
the ablest teachers that can be found. Flanking 
these all about the State are the colleges and nor¬ 
mal schools. The colleges are for the most part 
fostered by denominational boards. The oldest of 
these, oldest not only of Texas, but west of the 
Mississippi, is Wiley University. 

Wiley was founded by the Freedmen’s Aid So¬ 
ciety, of the Methodist Church, in the year 1872. 
It received its charter nine years later, in 1882. As 
has been stated it is the oldest institution of col¬ 
lege grade open to Negroes west of the Mississ¬ 
ippi River. From its beginning it has carried a 
good record for scholarship, sound business prin¬ 
ciples and clean religious teachings. During its 
history of nearly fifty years it has graduated more 
than five hundred students and has taught and in¬ 
fluenced and directed the lives of thousands of un¬ 
dergraduates. Some years ago the question as to 
the standing and the rating of various Negro col¬ 
leges was widely discussed. Many of the so-called 
colleges received the black eye. Not so with Wiley 
University. Many experts from the North gave it 
a high rating, and four state boards of education, 
among which is Texas, placed her on the roll of 
first class colleges. 


368 
















CARNEGIE LIBRARY—WILEY UN I VERT STY 

While the institution was begun as a University, 
yet it lias so adjusted its courses to the needs of 
the people and the times that a student may re¬ 
ceive a complete course for almost any career he 
wishes to follow. Due to the early needs of the 
people, Wiley opened, and continues to maintain, 
a grammar school department-and a college prep¬ 
aratory department. Thus one can enter at the 
bottom of the intellectual ladder, and ascend all the 
way through his college course. 

In the college department are a classical course, 
a course in Education, in Music and in Commerce. 
Along with these Wiley maintains an industrial 
course for girls. This course covers the vaiious 
forms of housekeeping, needle work, and many of 
the handicrafts. These are all furnished by the 
King Industrial Home, which is just across the 
street from the University, and is under the direc¬ 
tion of the Woman’s Home Missionary Society of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

As her course has grown to meet the demands of 
the times so have her buildings. Wiley University 
Plant consists of a Main Building, of the Pres¬ 
ident’s Home, a Carnegie Library, two Recitation 
Halls, a Science Hall, a Laundry, Coe Hall, which 
is a dormitory, and four cottages, which ai e frame 
structures. It carries a full nine months session, 
has recitation periods of fifty minutes, and main¬ 
tains all the clubs, athletic teams, and debating ac¬ 
tivities common to the college of the first lank. 
Three new buildings are to grace her campus next 
year. 

Having a faculty of moderate size, Wiley num¬ 
bers among her teachers men and women fiom 
many of the leading institutions of the countiy. 

36 9 


Its staff numbers twenty-four teachers. It has 
an income of $56,932 dollars. This sum comes larg¬ 
ely from the Freedmen’s Aid Society, which, in ad¬ 
dition to paying salaries and providing money for 
current expenses, keeps a field Secretary on the 
road looking after the interest of Wiley, and other 
institutions under its charge. Deserving young 
men and women, who demonstrate that they are 
really in earnest, and who are willing to work sel¬ 
dom, if ever, have to leave school on account of 
lack of funds. Employment about the campus, in 
the dormitories, in the dining room, and in the of¬ 
fice of the school, as well as work in the town pro¬ 
vide ways for industrious students to earn a good 
deal of their expenses through school. 

The President of Wiley University is Dr. M. W. 
Dogan, D. D., who is a graduate of Walden Uni¬ 
versity in Nashville, Tenn., and a former Professor 
in that institution. Dr. Dogan is responsible for 
many of the changes in the University during the 
twenty-two years he has been at the head. Of 
these the adjustment of courses and the increase 
of buildings and courses have been the most im¬ 
portant 

Some time ago several experts in school matters 
visited Wiley and examined her work. Here is 
their verdict: 

“Wiley is an example of the best work done by 
the Methodist Episcopal Church for the Negro.” 

Mr. W. T. B. Williams, Agent for the Jeanes and 
Slater Funds, said: “Wiley is one of the three 

schools of the Freedmen’s Aid Society that should 
do full college work.” 

Of like character was the testimony of President 
Holgate, of North Western University, and of 
President Plantz, of Lawrence College. 



PRESIDENT’S HOME—WILEY UNIVERSITY 

















KENT HOME—BENNETT COLLEGE—GREENSBORO, N. C. 



ENNETT College was founded in 
1873, by the Freedmen’s Aid So¬ 
ciety. Located at Greensboro, 
North Carolina, which is situated 
in Guilford County, it has a very 
large colored population to draw 
on. In Guilford County alone, 
there are more than fifteen thous¬ 
and colored people, a large percent of them being 
illiterate. In fact considering the condition of the 
colored people in that section, the founders of Ben¬ 
nett College could not have chosen a more appro¬ 
priate place in which to build a school. Although 
Bennett carries a College department and a Normal 
department, its greatest number of pupils is en¬ 
rolled in the primary department. 

Bennett College owns thirty-seven acres of land 
within the city limits of Greensboro. Of this 
amount about twenty are under cultivation. This 
furnishes not only a source from which to get fresh 
vegetables, but also a place where a practical edu¬ 
cation in Agriculture may be had. The rest of the 
land is used for a campus. On this campus there 
are several buildings. Central Building is four 
stories high and is used for office, Library, class¬ 
rooms. dining room and girls’ dormitory. The 
President’s house is a new building and suited to 
its use. Carolina Hall contains the chapel and the 
boy’s dormitory. Besides the three main buildings 
there are two frame structures that are in use for 
industrial work and laundry. The valuation of the 
buildings is $30,000. The value of the land is $35,- 
000, and movable equipment $5,000. 


The attendance at Greensboro is between 300 
and 350. More than half of these are in the ele¬ 
mentary grades due in part to lack of room in the 
public school. The greater portion of the pupils 
are from Greensboro, but the entire State of North 
Carolina is fairly well represented. 


In addition to the regular subjects taught in the 
course of study there are offered sewing and cook¬ 
ing for girls and gardening has been recently add¬ 
ed. The girls have in connection with the school 
Kent Home. This home is owned and supported by 
the Woman’s Missionary Society, of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. The finances of the Kent Home 
are entirely separate from those of the College, but 
the home is a vital part of the school and the train¬ 
ing received by the young women who are enrolled 
in the Home is very thorough and is what is needed 
by the young women of the race. The teachers in 
charge of the Home are three white women who 
see to it that the girls take good care of their 
rooms, and personal surroundings and that they 
are well trained in all the domestic virtues 

The teachers at Bennett College are twelve in 
number. All of them are colored. They are equally 
divided as to sex and they enter into the work of 
the school and in the training of the young with 
enthusiasm. The President of the school is Mr. 
Frank Trigg, A. M. President Trigg has had 
charge of the school since 1916 and is developing 
the school along progressive lines. 

Most of the funds for the maintenance of Ben¬ 
nett are derived from the Freedmen’s aid Society, 
$3,800 being the sum that is given by this body 
for the support of the institution. The next larg¬ 
est income is from the tuition and fees. This 
amounts to over $1500 annually. Money derived 
from other sources amounts to very little. Non- 
educational receipts were received from the board¬ 
ing department and amounted to $3,720. 

Bennett College is placed where it can be a 
mighty force for good in the up-lift of the Negro 
race. That the work of the institution has been 
hampered to some extent in the past is true. But 
Bennett has in spite of all this accomplished a lot 
for our people. 


370 
























REVEREND D. J. JENKINS 


HE founder of the Jenkins Or¬ 
phanage and Reformatory was 
born near Bamberg, South Caro- 
ina, in April, 1865. He was reared 
by a careful, prayerful mother, 
aided by Mrs. Dickerson, in whose 
home he was placed. He got such education from 
the public schools as he could in those days. 

He was married in 1881 to Miss Lena James of 
Barnwell County. Eight years later he entered 
Benedict College to study theology and at the same 
time was assistant pastor of the Fourth Baptist 
Church. 

One cold winter morning on passing the railroad 
track he saw some half dozen naked children hud¬ 
dled together in a freight car where they had taken 
refuge for the night. He reasoned that these were 
hut a remnant of what were cast about in cellars, 
and alleys and corners—yes, and in jail. I hus on 
December 16, 1891, he opened his orphanage in an 
old shed at 666 King Street, Charleston, with three 
boys and one girl. In a few months the number 
had increased to 96. The next year, 1892, the or¬ 
phanage moved to Franklin Street and increased its 
number of waifs to 360. In the same year it be¬ 
came regularly incorporated, and by 1898 it had en¬ 

371 


rolled 536 pupils, with very little funds, food or 
clothing to make the children comfortable. 

3 o meet all their needs Rev. Jenkins had but one 
combined recourse—prayer and toil. By persist¬ 
ent struggle he caught the ear of the white people 
and the colored people of his State, and here and 
there gained a friend in the North. The former 
gave him 130 acres of land with the equipment of 
a blacksmith shop, saw mill and farm. Deacon 
Wild, of Brooklyn, N. Y. added one hundred acres 
to this, making 230 acres available for training the 
children. 

1 he names of all donors with the amount given 
is published in the “Charleston Messenger,” a 
weekly published by the Jenkins Orphanage with 
Rev. Jenkins as Editor. The City Council has 
granted the orphanage a sum of money each year 
for the last fifteen years. Beginning with a grant 
of $200 in 1897, it increased the amount year by 
year until in 1904 it gave $1,000, in 1914 it gave 
$2,500, which sum it has continued to grant. 

There is also in addition to the orphanage a Jen¬ 
kins Reformatory which is located at Ladson, 
South Carolina. Here children are kept free or at 
a small cost, educated in books and manners and 
taught one or more trades. In all cases, in the 
Orphanage and in the Reformatory, Agriculture is 
made a specialty. 

The school is supported mainly by donations. Se¬ 
curing these, falls wholly upon the shoulders of the 
founder and such friends as he may draw to him, 
North and South. He travels much, writes many 
letters and has many workers in the field. One of 
his most popular means of making known the needs 
and merits of his school is with the Jenkins’ Band. 
With this he has traveled much, both in America 
and in Europe. The Little Musicians are a crown¬ 
ing and shining light of the kind of pupils that are 
taken in and an indisputable instance of what one 
consecrated man can do in the hands of his Maker. 

Five years ago he resigned the pastorate of the 
Fourth Tabernacle Baptist Church in order to give 
his entire life to the cause of the Orphanage. But 
the church would not accept and passed a resolution 
unanimously electing him for life and doubling his 
salary accordingly. 

His first wife was a mother of eleven children, of 
whom nine are dead, only two survivors, namely: 
Edward T. Jenkins, who won his scholarship in 
the Royal Academy, London, England in every con¬ 
test that he entered, and is now 20 years of age. 
Little Mildred, the baby daughter, is the only girl 
living. Dr. S. H. Jenkins, his odest son, came out 
at the head of his class in Penssylvania Dental Col¬ 
lege. His oldest daughter, Lena came out head in 
her class in Howard University, Washington, D. C. 

The most regretted part—his older children after 
attaining years of usefulness and help to his work, 
departed this life. 











SCENE OF ROYAL UNDERTAKING COMPANY—SAVANNAH, GA. 



R. L. M. Pollard is one of those big 
enterprising Negro business men, 
of Savannah. Like Messrs Scott 
and Sherman, men whom he 
works with, and like many other 
men of large vision in Savannah, 
Mr. Pollard believes in and prac¬ 
tices co-operative business. With 
him, opportunities for the Negro business are too 
numerous, the race too young, and modern compe¬ 
tition far too keen in the business world today. 

Mr. Pollard is among the comparatively few 
men anywhere to see opportunity near at hand. 
This is true of his life in Savannah. All his ener¬ 
gies have been spent here; all his successes attain¬ 
ed here. 


He was born in Savannah, December 12, 1867. 
He was educated here, having attended the public 
schools and Beach Institute, which is also in Sa¬ 
vannah. On finishing his school career, Mr. Pol¬ 
lard turned his attention to civil service; for here 
an uneducated colored man found employment that 
compared most nearly with his training, with a 
faint hope of advancement. And this, by the way, 
explains the presence of so large a number of edu¬ 
cated colored men in government service. It ex¬ 
plains also why Negroes often pass the Civil Ser¬ 
vice Examinations when white people fail. White 
people with an equal grade of training have larger 
opportunities open to them, while the educated col¬ 
ored man was and is limited largely to teaching in 
six months schools, on a pittance for a salary, or 
preaching in four country churches per month for 
sustenance. Happily the growing love of the old 
black man for his son is rapidly opening the door 
of business for the educated Negro. 

Mr. Pollard entered the civil service in 1890. For 
twelve years he was a letter carrier for Savannah. 
By this time he had put by a few dollars and felt 
himself ready to venture forth in business. In 
1912, he, with his partners began the Royal Under¬ 


taking Company. Mr. Pollard became general 
manager. 

In the life of Savannah and in the organization 
of the State Mr. Pollard is also a useful and lead¬ 
ing member. He is a member of the Episcopal 
Church of his city. In his church he takes an ac¬ 
tive part in the Church and in the Sunday School. 
In the latter he is especially interested, being par¬ 
ticularly fond of working with children and with 
those who have the children in charge. He is Sen¬ 
ior Warden in the Saint Stephens Episcopal church 
and director of the Primary school and kindergar¬ 
ten. 

The experience with the Royal Undertaking- 
Company opened Mr. Pollard’s eyes to the many 
business chances that lay right at his door. There¬ 
fore as capital increased rapidly he joined in open¬ 
ing other business houses of one kind or another. 
In a little while the Savannah Savings and Realty 
Corporation swung open the doors for business. 
Mr. Pollard was one of the charter members and is 
today one of the directors of the bank. Then 
came the Guaranty Mutual Life Insurance Com¬ 
pany. Mr. Pollard was made treasurer and is still 
treasurer of this organization, one of the safest 
companies of its kind in Georgia. 

Mr. Pollard is a Mason, a Knight of Pythias, an 
Odd Fellow. Indeed, he is an active member of all 
local lodges. 

Mr. Pollard was married in Savannah, on No¬ 
vember 28, 1901. Mrs. Pollard was Miss Nellie 
Scott, of Savannah. Two children, Miss Eleanor 
Scott and Miss Susan, have been reared by Mr. 
and Mrs. Pollard. They have been educated in 
their home and in the South, and are now pursu¬ 
ing courses in New York City. 

WALTER SANFORD SCOTT 

Mr. Walter Sanford Scott, banker and prime 
mover of a long list of Negro enterprises in Savan¬ 
nah, Georgia, is an apostle of the doctrine, “Cast 
down your bucket where you are.” To be sure, 



















there is something peculiarly apt in his adopting 
this principle; for he not only sat at the feet of the 
man who made this doctrine famous, but was gra¬ 
duated from Tuskegee in 1895, the year that Dr. 
Washington made this address at Atlanta Exposi¬ 
tion. 

Mr. Scott was born in Savannah, July 26th. 1877. 
After spending the years of his youth in Savannah, 
he went to Tuskegee, where he was graduated 
from the Academic Department and from the trade 
of Printing, in 1895. Mr. Scott then lost no time 
in putting into application the theory of Dr. Wash¬ 
ington. He returned to Savannah and for several 
years worked at his trade. 

Seven years after his graduation from Tuskegee 
Institute, Mr. Scott made his appearance as one of 
the business men to be reckoned with in Savannah. 
In 1902 he became the Secretary and Treasurer of 
the Wage Earners’ Loan and Investment Company. 
The next year he opened an ice cream parlor and a 
dry goods store. The year following, the leading 
thinkers of Savannah felt the need of a health ben¬ 
efit insurance. This company was organized un¬ 
der the name of Life and Health Insurance Com¬ 
pany. Mr. Scott, who by this time had become 
known as a sort of genius in Secretary-Treasurer 
posts, was made Secretary and Treasurer of this 
company. Savannah, by the way, is now perhaps 
the leading city of the world for successful Negro 
Insurance Companies. 

Organizing and promoting business enterprises 
now became with Mr. Scott a habit. In 1906 the 
Royal Undertaking Company, a firm that has long 
since become established is one of the big Negro 
businesses of Savannah. Mr. Scott was made treas¬ 
urer of the firm. With this he appears to have 
graduated from Secretary-Treasurerships and to 
have gone to higher honors. In 1913 he was elec¬ 
ted President of the Mutual Health Insurance 
Company, a post which he still holds. 1 he next 
year, 1914, he was elevated to the Presidency of 
the Royal Undertaking Company. 4 his post he 
still holds also. Mr. Scott organized the Savannah 
Savings and Real Estate Corporation. Of this he 
was made President in 1915. 

Thus very literally he has cast down his bucket 
in his native city; and then too, when it came up 
it has had clear, cool, fresh—gold and satisfaction 
of doing a constructive service for his neighbors 
and for his race. Mr. Scott owns his home, a beaut¬ 
iful residence on East Taylor Street, in Savannah. 
He has under way plans and specifications for a 
country home. He is a good active chur ch mem¬ 
ber being a member of the Episcopal Church. He 
is a Mason, Odd Fellow and Knight of Pythias. 

Mr. Scott’s reputation for handling and organiz¬ 
ing business long ago became both State wide and 
National. His talent was soon sought everywhere, 
those who needed business methods. 


by 


He is 

Vice-President of National Negro Bankers’ Asso¬ 
ciation A member of the Executive Committee 
of the Standard Life Insurance Company, of Atlan¬ 
ta Georgia, Associate member of the State Council 
of’Georgia, a council which has for its purpose the 
production and conservation of food. He has been 
appointed by the Governor of Georgia as the direc¬ 
tor of the Y. M. C. A. Former Governoi Harris 
appointed him during his administration and now 
Governor Dewey has reappointed him. 


Mr. Scott was married on December 26th, 1910, 
to Miss Laura McDowell, of Savannah. Mr. and 
Mrs. Scott have three children, Laura, Gertrude 
and Walter S. All are little folk in school. Mr. 
Scott is still young, still vigorously active in pion¬ 
eering in business. 

EDWARD WINIFRED SHERMAN 

Somebody has written a lecture on the heroism 
of a private life. Herein the quieter, constructive 
virtues were extolled. The hero was lorded not 
for the peaks he scaled or for the armed foes he 
vanguished, but for living his opinions, rearing his 
family and for being a law-abiding, loving citizen 
and a good neighbor. 

Such have been the virtues of Edward W. Sher¬ 
man, of Savannah, Georgia. Mr. Sherman was 
born in Washington County, Georgia, March 17, 
1868. He attended the public schools, gaining 
what training he could from these and worked at 
home until he was ready to advance training else¬ 
where. Mr. Sherman then went to Atlanta Uni¬ 
versity, completed his education and settled down 
immediately to his life work. 

On leaving Atlanta he secured employment with 
the Government and has been in its employ ever 
since, never having sought any other employment. 

However, he has quietly lent his influence, in¬ 
terest and means to many phases of Negro ad¬ 
vancement. He has always been interested in ed¬ 
ucation of Negro children, and both from the 
child’s side and from the view point of the school 
has been a ready and eager helper. In like manner 
he has seen a big future for the black man in bus¬ 
iness. To this end, once more he has been a ready 
helper with money and time and influence. He 
has, therefore, been a sort of charter member or 
priine mover in many of the business endeavors of 
Savannah—in Savannah where Negro Grocery 
.stores, dry goods houses, insurance offices and 
banks ’ are' common. Mr. Sherman is himself a 
member of several of these concerns. He is a 
stockholder in the Guaranty Mutual Insurance 
Company, in the Savings Bank, and is one of the 
Real Estate Corporations. He has also several 
pieces of valuable real estate in very desirable lo¬ 
cations of Savannah. In this last however, he takes 
no special delight; that is, none compared with the 
satisfaction of having seen Negro business grow 
from nothing to such gigantic proportions, as it 
has done, in Savannah, and to know that he him¬ 
self has given some little impetus to it. 

Mr. Sherman belongs to several organizations 
of uplift. In these he gives his quiet but sure and 
substantial support. He is a Congregationalist be¬ 
ing a member of the First Congregationalist 
Church of Savannah. He is also a Knight of Py¬ 
thias, and is a member of the Endowment Board 
of this body. He holds membership in and gives 
support to the N. A. C. P., National Association for 
the Advancement of Colored People. This organi¬ 
zation he believes in and has great hopes for. He 
is also a member of the Negro Protective Associa¬ 
tion. 

Mr. Sherman was married to Miss Mary Eliza¬ 
beth Harne of Hawkinsville Georgia. Their chil¬ 
dren are deceased. The eldest, Miss Alberta Win¬ 
ifred, died during her first year as a student at At¬ 
lanta University. 


373 



THOMAS ALEXANDER CARR 


O win distinction, it is not neces¬ 
sary for a man to live in the lime¬ 
light. Many a man who has pur¬ 
sued his course in a quiet and un¬ 
ostentatious manner has left his 
mark upon the world for its good. 
Thomas Alexander Carr belongs to this class. 

Mr. Carr was born October 26th, 1868, in Orange 
County, in the State of Texas. He attended the 
common school until he was twelve years of age. 
After that date he gained such additional infor¬ 
mation as he could absorb from reading at nights 
and at odd times during the day. 

There are two ways of learning—one from study 
and the other from observation. Mr. Carr, while 
denied the former strictly adhered to the latter, 
and was not slow to imitate the strong points he 
saw in others. 

At an early age he entered the employment of 
the Morgan Line of Steamships, then plying their 
trade, along all of the Southern ports. While this 
work took him away from home, it gave him an op¬ 
portunity to see many interesting places and to en¬ 
joy a rich and varied experience. 



During his cruises he visited Galveston, Texas, 
Vera Cruz, Mexico, Havana, and Morgan City. 

After five years service with the Morgan steam¬ 
ship Line, he located in New Orleans and took up 
steamboating. From steamboating he went to 
work in a boarding house at a salary which never 
exceeded twenty dollars per month. He finally 
landed the job of janitor for the Southern Athletic 
Club, of New Orleans, which he held for fifteen 
years. Here he made a record for punctuality of 
which he is very proud. During his entire term of 
service he never missed but sixteen days from his 
work, and that was due to sickness. 

It has been his privilege to serve all the first- 
class Prize Fighters, like Corbett, Killrain, and oth¬ 
ers of that day. He also served the first Foot Ball 
team of the S. A. C., and went with their Battalion 
to Chicago during the World’s fair. 

Mr. Carr had long desired to enter the arena of 
business, and first thought of entering the dry 
goods business, but his sympathetic and loyal dis¬ 
position frequently called him to the bed side of the 
sick, and to the house of mourning. This service 
brought him into constant touch with undertakers, 
one of whom, Jas. H. Taylor, formed a strong 
friendship for him, which resulted in his becoming 
connected with the Boyne & Taylor Co., Ltd., and 
finally its sole owner upon the death of Mr. Taylor. 
In 1918, he dissolved the Company, and formed a 
co-pai tnership with R. J. LLopis, under the firm 

name of Carr and LLopis, which is now doing a 
good business. 

Mr. Carr is emphatically a man of peace and 
honesty. He never gets in broils and has steered 
away from Courts. He cannot ever recall having 
been befoie the court even as a witness. 

Mr. Carr is a strong advocate of athletics but 
he believes it is not inconsistent with the life of a 
Christian, so he found his place in the church. He 
is a member of the First Street Methodist Episco¬ 
pal Church, of New Orleans. 

He is also a member of a number of Negro So¬ 
cieties, such as Cresent City Lodge, Knights of 
Pythias, Past Superior of Pilgrim Tabernacle, G. 
G. A. A. B. and S. of L. and C., and now Chairman 
of the Order’s Burial Board ; a member of Cresent 
Lodge, G. N. O. O. Fellows; a member of Grand 
Council M. O. H„ of La., Past Grand Treasurer of 
Supreme Council of the State of Louisiana, A. O. 
Order Scottish Rite of Free Masonry, and various 
other benevolent orders and clubs. 

^ He married Marst 31st. 1885. Miss Octavia 
Carter, and the only cloud upon an unusual happy 
married life was the death of their only child, Oc¬ 
tavia Caroline Carr, who died in 1892. 


374 












MAIN BUILDING—CENTRAL ALABAMA INSTITUTE 


— _ : —EN'TRAL Alabama Institute is lo- 
cated in Birmingham, Alabama. 

' lijnn§&Siv& It was founded in 1872, at Hunts- 
ville, Alabama. In 1904, it was 
moved to Birmingham. Here in 
Birmingham it has a larger num¬ 
ber from which to draw students. The school is 
owned by the Freedmen’s Aid Society, but the Cen¬ 
tral Alabama Conference of the Methodist Epis¬ 
copal Church co-operates with the Freedmen’s Aid 
Society in the support and supervision of the work. 

Central Alabama Institute offers elementary 
courses, college, preparatory, and normal courses. 
Although the school is small, it fills a place much 
in need, in that it trains teachers for the rural 
districts. The pupils who attend the elemental y 
department could be in the public schools of the 
city, but in this Model school they are being ti ain- 
ed to teach. 

The courses followed in the preparatory and 
Normal courses are outlined by the Freedmen s 
Aid Society. In this particular the school co-ope 
rates with all the other institutions directly under 
the supervision of this society. It has, however, 
the opportunity to do individual work as far as do¬ 
ing the work thoroughly is conceined. I his, the 
President, Mr. J. B. F. Shaw and his corp of work¬ 
ers, endeavor to do. 

Provision is made for sixty boarding pupils. 
Here in the school, the pupils who make it then- 
home are taught, no: only the books prescribed by 
the Freedmen’s Aid Society, but they are given les¬ 

375 


sons in “How to Live.” They are required to care 
for the buildings in which they live and for the 
grounds around. In this way the boys and the 
girls get valuable lessons in home making. The 
girls are taught plain sewing by one of the mat¬ 
rons. All the pupils, whether they have money or 
not, are required to give one hour each day in 
work. In this way the interest of each student is 
kept up in the general appearance of the buildings 
and grounds. This hour of work is aside from car¬ 
ing for their own personal rooms. 

The school owns forty acres of valuable land in 
Mason City, a few miles from Birmingham. There 
are six buildings on the grounds. Two of these are 
large brick structures. The buildings are new and 
are in good repair. They are worth $25,000. The 
value of the entire plant is about $42,500.00. The 
Freedmen’s Aid Society gives to the school $29,000 
yearly, but this is not enough to run the plant. 
From other sources they receive about $1500.00. 
With this and the tuition money, they manage to 
keep the school in good shape. 

The faculty consists of eleven teachers. Three 
of these do the grade work and three do the Acad¬ 
emic work. There is a strong music department. 

That the entire plant is doing good work is seen 
from the work of those who go out from the school. 
In the report of the Commission of specialists who 
made an exhaustive study of all Negro schools, 
they recommend “That the training of teachers for 
rural districts be made the main object of the 
school. 










MINOR FRANCIS McCLEARY, M. D. 

FTEN it happens that an incident, 
frequently in early life, determ¬ 
ines a man’s life work. He catch¬ 
es an inspiration from it which 
grips his soul and moulds his af¬ 
ter career. It was so with Dr. 
McCleary. When a boy, only ten years of age, he 
witnessed the amputation of a man’s leg. He 
watched the physicians as they skillfully removed 
the injured member and was so impressed with it 
that then and there he decided to enter the medical 
profession. He adhered to the decision thus early 
formed, and in due course of time had the satisfac¬ 
tion of having M. D. written after his name. 

There was a long stretch from the formation of 
his purpose and its accomplishment and the way 
was hard for it called for years of study and pre¬ 
paration which he obtained mainly through his 
own efforts. 

Dr. McCleary was born January 22nd., 1876, in 
Fernandina, Florida. Here in the land of sunshine 
and flowers, where Jaun Ponce de Leon sought 
“the fountain of perpetual youth,” he spent his 
early days and to this state he returned to spend 
his remaining days in the service of his people. 



He began his educational development in the 
Public Schools of his native City, and after com¬ 
pleting his course he entered the Central Tennessee 
College. Finishing his course here, he went to 
Meharry Medical College, to perfect himself for his 
life work. His boyhood dream was now about to 
be realized, and he applied himself while at this 
college with a zeal born of an intense desire to suc¬ 
ceed in a profession which he had chosen in his 
youth. 

He had to rely upon his own exertions to raise 
the money to pay his tuition, but this was a slight 
obstacle to a man who had purposed in his heart 
that he would be a physician. The difficulties add¬ 
ed greater zest to his efforts. After finishing at 
Meharry he took a Post-graduate course at the 
Rush Medical College. 

He began his practice in 1901, in Kansas City. 
Missouri, and for one year worked in the Medical 
College. For five years he was the assistant to the 
Marine Physician at Key West, Florida, and in 
1907, he moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where he 
hung out his shingle and soon established himself 
in his profession. While he does a general practice 
surgery is his specialty, and he takes great pride 
and pleasure in his work. No doubt he often re¬ 
calls the incident of his boyhood, when dressed in 
the surgeon’s garb, and holding the keen blade 
knife ready to operate upon some unfortunate pat¬ 
ient. Aside from the opportunity to serve which 
his profession has brought him, it has enabled him 
to accumulate quite a handsome property. The 
value of his realty holdings is estimated to be 
thirty thousand dollars. This is evidence that Dr. 
McCleary has a turn for business, as well as medi¬ 
cine, and speaks well for his business sagacity, and 
thrift. 

Dr. McCarty’s family consists of a wife and two 
children. He was married September 16th, 1908, 
to Miss Margaret Anna Daunt, of Washington, 
Penn. There was born to them two children— 
Margurite Grace, and Minor Francis, Jr. 

He is ambitious that these children shall find 
their places in life in some honorable and useful 
occupation. 

In religious belief, Dr. McCleary is a Romanist, 
and in respect to the policy of his church has re¬ 
frained from joining secret societies. 

While the Doctor has not crossed the briny deep 
he is nevertheless something of a traveler. He has 
traveled in Cuba, Canada, and the greater part of 
the United States. He has followed the plan to see 
America first, and as he is yet a young man, he will 
no doubt visit Europe, and the battlefields of the 
great war. 


376 






MRS. MARY McLEOD BETHUNE 


HE Daytona Normal and Indus¬ 
trial Institute for Negro Girls 
stands as a monument to Mrs. 
Mary McLeod Bethune. Mrs. 
Bethune is a woman of faith and 
of works. The institution of 
which she is still principal is evidence of that. 

Mrs. Bethune was born in South Carolina. Here 
she received her early training. She not only got 
all that she could from the public school system, 
but attended and was graduated from the Scotia 
Seminary, Concord, North Carolina. Her work in 
Scotia but whetted her appetite for more learning. 
She entered the Moody Bible School, of Chicago, 
Illinois, and once more applied herself to acquir¬ 
ing knowledge. Here in the Moody School she 
had her religious life deepened, and all through 
her teaching', the influence of this institution is 
felt. 

Having completed the work at Chicago, Mis. 
Bethune began teaching. For a numbei of \eais 
she taught in the missionary schools and in the 
public school system. But there was a greater 


work for this Christian woman, and in 1904 she 
made the first step in its development. In October 
of that year Mrs. Bethune started the Daytona 
Normal and Industrial Institute for Negro Girls, 
in a rented cabin. She had as her first class, five 
little girls. She had as assets $1.50, firm faith in 
Cod and determination to make a success of the 
effort. How well the school has succeeded is told 
in the history of the school. This history is in a 
large measure the personal history of the founder. 
The two cannot be very well separated. 

In the interest of her school, Mrs. Bethune has 
traveled over the greater part of this country. In 
her travels she has made many friends for herself 
and for the school. Because of the school, Mrs, 
Bethune had to develop her powers as a speaker. 
She has made many notable addresses. On a num¬ 
ber of occasions she has appeared before large aud¬ 
iences of prominent speakers when she was the 
only colored speaker. Among these may be men¬ 
tioned an address in Waldorf-Astoria, before the 
Colony Club, in the Belasco Theatre, Washington, 
D. C. Her ability along this line has won for her 
a number of honorary positions. She was a Red 
Cross Lecturer of the Potomac Division. She was 
also an Officer of the Circle of Negro War Relief 
of New York City. Indeed Mrs. Bethune was one 
of the founders of this last named organization. 
Another position which Mrs. Bethune has held and 
still holds is that of President of the Florida Fede¬ 
ration of Colored Women’s Clubs. Through this 
organization she has been able to reach most of the 
women of the State in which she has located her 
school. 

At the dedication of one of her buildings, Mrs. 
Bethune was able to assemble a very noted crowd 
of speakers. Among them were Vice-president 
Marshall, Governor Catts and his staff, and the 
Mayor of Daytona. This gathering of very busy 
men goes to show with what esteem and with what 
interest the work of Mrs. Bethune is held. 

Mrs. Bethune is a member of the A. M. E. 
Church. In this church she is an active worker. 
But her endeavor along Christian lines can be more 
readily seen through her students than through her 
church. Mrs. Bethune is the wife of Mr. Albert 
Bethune. There is one son who is a student in the 
Army Training Corps, Morehouse Camp, More¬ 
house College, Atlanta, Ga. 

The good that Mrs. Bethune has done can never 
be estimated. She could not have chosen a more 
needy spot in which to plant her school. Through 
faith and prayer she has been enabled to develop 
this institution from its small beginning to the 
place where it is a real factor in the advancement 
of the colored people of Florida. 



377 

















DAYTONA NORMAL AND INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTE 


N October, 1904, Mrs. Mary Mc¬ 
Leod Bethune, a native of South 
Carolina, established in a little 
rented cabin the Daytona Nor¬ 
mal and Industrial Institute. She 
had five little girls for pupils, 
$1.50 for cash and a firm faith in God and a great 
deal of grit as resources. Since that time the 
school has grown in size and in usefulness till today 
it is one of the widely known schools for Negro 
girls in the South. By means of concerts, festivals 
and the like Mrs. Bethune was enabled to purchase 
the land on which the school now is located. 

In all the school now owns twenty acres of land, 
In 1907 a four story frame structure was “Prayed 
up, sung up and talked up.” The name of this 
building is Faith Hall. Back of this was placed a 
two story frame building which is used for kitchen, 
etc. In 1918 the new $40,000.00 auditorium was 
completed and dedicated. Mrs. Bethune was able 
to assemble many people of note for this service. 
The vice-President Marshall of the United States, 
the governor of Florida, the Mayor of Daytona and 
many other White men of prominence. Emmett 
J. Scott, Special Assistant to the Secretary of War 
and Dr. J. W. E. Bowen of Gammon Theological 
Seminary were both on the programme. Such an 
assembly of prominent men and women show in 
a measure the esteem in which Mrs. Bethune is 
held and the regard that is given her work. 


The school stands for broad, thorough, practi¬ 
cal training. Its purpose is to train its students to 
become strong, useful, Christian women, to afford 
them an opportunity to learn a vocation, so that 
when they leave the school they may be self sup¬ 
porting, and by precept and example, in a very de¬ 
finite way help to improve the communities in 
which they live. A sound body, a trained mind, 
hand and heart, is Mrs. Bethune’s idea of a com¬ 
plete education. 

For the training of the mind the courses offered 
are from the primary through high school and then 
special studies for teacher training. This work is 
done in a thorough manner. For the hand there 
are offered sewing, dressmaking, domestic science, 
gardening, poultry raising, raffia work, rug weav¬ 
ing, chair caning, broom making and nurse train¬ 
ing. For the training of the heart, the Bible is 
studied throughout the school and twice a day a 
short time is set aside for “quiet hour.” This 
time is devoted to personal devotion. Then there 
is the musical department and the business course, 
both of which train the head and the hand. 
Throughout all that section of Florida there is no 
other school that compares with the Daytona Nor¬ 
mal and Industrial Institute in the training that is 
given to the Negro girls. 

The work of the Institute is made so practical 
that when the pupils go out they fit into the life of 
the community. They do not have to go through 



378 


















/ 



A FIELD OF EARLY PEAS ON THE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL FARM 


the period of once again adjusting their lives to 
the rural life. Mrs. Bethune never lets the young 
people who came under her care get too far away 
from practical life. This in spite of the fact that 
the book training is thoroughly done. 

One of the ways in which the school becomes a 
very definite part of the community of Daytona is 
through its hospital and nurses. In the hospital 
a three years course is offered. After three months 
probation and then one year of training, the nurses 
in the McLeod Hospital are permitted to take cases 
in the city. In this way the school becomes an as¬ 
set in the health of the community. The hospital 
sends out a community nurse, who helps in the 
care of the sick children and of the old people and 
of young mothers. To give some idea of the 
amount of work done the report of the hospital for 


1917-1918 follows: 

Number of patients cared for-230 

Number of Dispensary patients-518 

Number of Operations -38 

Number of free patients -84 


Another extension work that is carried on from 
the Daytona Institute is the Public Building for 
men and boys. There is no adequate educational 
system for the boys and men of that section. Mrs. 
Bethune seeing this need has in a way tried to help 
the young men. A building has been obtained some 
distance from the campus. 1 his has been fitted up 
for the boys and men. Much g'ood has come from 
this. They have improved in manners and have 
learned to enjoy reading good books. 1 he spirit 
of saving and investing money has gotten abioad. 


Although there is no extensive training for the 
men and boys the use of this building has improved 
the manhood of Daytona. 

This school stands as a monument to the found¬ 
er. Faith is indeed the chief corner stone of this 
institution of learning. Beginning with $1.50 fif¬ 
teen years ago the work has developed to this ex¬ 
tent. The needs of the school are still many, but 
with the Faith of Mrs. Bethune and of her Christ¬ 
ian workers they have gone forward and developed 
the school to the point where it can offer to the 
colored girls of that section a training that com¬ 
pares favorably with that offered by similar schools 
anywhere. The girls who have already gone forth 
justify all that has been done for this institution. 



TEACHING DOMESTIC SCIENCE 


379 














JAMES SETH HILLS, M. D, 


MONG the professions it seems 
that medicine appeals most to 
the colored man, and a number of 
them have taken a high stand in 
this profession. Among this num¬ 
ber and one who stands at the 
very head of the profession is Dr. James Seth Hills. 
Fired by ambition, a thirst for knowledge and a 
determined spirit, causes such men to reach their 
goal. Dr. Hills is of that class. 

Dr. Hills, now a resident of Jacksonville, Florida, 
was born in Gainesville, this State, May 19th, 1872. 
His early environments and the influences at work 
upon him had a tendency to turn his mind to a bus¬ 
iness rather than a professional career, but a good 
Providence was at work upon him too, and he was 
finally led into a profession that has given him an 
unbounded field for usefulness. 

When a boy, only eleven years of age, he entered 
a cigar factory and learned the cigar maker’s trade. 
This he followed for seven years, earning money to 
pursue his studies. He attended the Public School 
of his native city, but before and after school hours 
he worked at the factory. 

During the vacation months he helped his father. 
His father was a builder and had built up a large 


business, which he no doubt hoped to lead his son 
into, but his son had ideas of his own, and it was 
not in the contracting line, However, he worked 
with his father and learned both the carpenters and 
and plasterers trade. It is needless to say that he 
did his work well and was dependable in this as in 
all of his occupations. By means of his work he 
was enabled to send himself to school, paying all of 
his expenses except his course in the Long Island 
College Hospital. 

While acting as Secretary to the head waiter of a 
Long Island Hotel, his affable manner made him 
many friends among the guests. One of them, a 
lady guest, brought him to the attention of Mr. S. 
V. White, of New York, a promnient Wall Street 
business man. 

Mr. White took a great liking to him, and was so 
impressed with his keen and active mind that he 
interested himself in his education. He gave ex¬ 
pression to his interest in the young man by direct¬ 
ing that all of the expenses of young Hills’ tuition 
as well as his personal expenses he sent to him for 
payment. As stated the foundation of his educa¬ 
tion was laid at the Public School of his native 
city, and here he made the most of his opportunity 
and paved the way for further advance in other in¬ 
stitutions. 

From the Public School he entered the Cookman 
Institute, a school under the supervision of the 
Freedmen’s Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. Finishing his course in the Cookman In¬ 
stitute he entered the Walden College, located at 
Nashville, Tennessee. From here he entered the 
Long Island College Hospital, and took the medical 
course. Not satisfied with even the fine training he 
received here, his next move was to take a Post- 
Graduate Course in several of the European coun¬ 
tries. He took these courses in England, Ireland, 
France and Germany. Returning to this country, 
he was for several years intern at the Freedmen’s 
Hospital, Washington, D. C. 

In 1896 he moved to Jacksonville, Florida, and 
began his practice of special and general surgery. 
For thirteen years he was surgeon for the Clyde 
Steamship Line, and for eleven years surgeon for 
the Jacksonville Traction Company. 

He has practiced in Jacksonville for twenty years 
and is recognized as a surgeon of marked ability. 

Dr. Hills is a member of the Episcopal Church, 
and is Secretary to the Board of Vestrymen. 

He is a member of the City, State and National 
Medical Associations. He has traveled extensively, 
and has seen much of this country and Europe. 

Although a single man, Dr. Hills owns and occu¬ 
pies a very handsome residence in Jacksonville. His 
possessions mark him as a success in business as 
well as in his choen profession. 



380 


















JOSEPH NEWMAN CLINTON 



OSEPH N. Clinton, of Tampa, 
Florida has spent about his whole 
life in the services of the United 
States Government. Change of 
administrations, war and locality 
have not affected apparfently his 
hold upon his position. 

Mr. Clinton was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsyl¬ 
vania in 1854. He is the oldest son of Bishop Clin¬ 
ton, of the A. M. E. Church, one of the pioneer 
Bishops who established and planted this church. 
He was educated in the public schools of his native 
city, and in Lincoln University. Graduating from 
Lincoln in 1873, he taught school, and finally en¬ 
tered the service of his government. 

As a school teacher, he used his spare moments 
and midnight oil to prepare himself for a better 
place. Strange enough to read like fiction, Mr. 
Clinton believed his opportunity lay in the South, 
and he determined to emigrate to the land of flow¬ 
ers and sunshine. To this end he secured a posi¬ 
tion as teacher in the schools of blorida. As it 
turned out this was but the mildest of a series of 
shocks Mr. Clinton was to administer to his friends. 
Progressive and Aggressive to a marked degree, 


he soon secured a position as clerk in the land office 
at Gainesville, Florida. When Mr. Clinton’s Pitts¬ 
burgh friends heard this, they were thunder struck. 
Already amazed at the success of the young ped- 
agogue, they thought it the height of foolhardiness, 
for him to tempt a kind providence further by ac¬ 
cepting a Federal position in the untamed South. 
But Mr. Clinton had learned better. He saw that 
while his path was no bed of roses, as long as a 
Negro was law-abiding and self respecting he was 
as safe from physical violence in Florida as he was 
in Pennsylvania. He held this clerkship at Gaines- 
vil’e through two Presidential administrations, 
Benjamin Harrison and James A. Garfield. He 
was then promoted and transferred, though he re¬ 
mained in the State of Florida. He was sent to 
Pensacola, where he was made inspector of cus¬ 
toms. This post he held under President Harrison, 
which was nothing more than his friends back 
home expected at this time from his past remarka¬ 
ble record. However, they received their final 
shock when Mr. Clinton was reappointed by Dem¬ 
ocratic President Grover Cleveland. 

This successful record of a Northern Negro in 
the South stamps Joseph M. Clinton as one of the 
most remarkable characters in public life. He af¬ 
terwards worked fifteen years for the treasury de¬ 
partment of the Government as Revenue Collector 
of the Tampa District, in Tampa, Florida. This 
position he held until after the inauguration of 
President Wilson. 

During his many years of public service, Mr. 
Clinton conducted himself in a manner that re¬ 
flected credit on himself and on his people. Al¬ 
ways remembering that not only he himself, hut 
through him the Negroes as a race were on trial 
before the most critical jury in the world, his every 
action bespoke the studied consideration of a high¬ 
ly trained public servant, towards the public he was 
appointed to serve. He was just as considerate 
of those serving under him and they felt a distinct 
sense of loss upon his retirement from public life. 

Mr. Clinton has erected for himself and his wife, 
formerly Miss Agnes Stewart, of Atlantic City, to 
whom he was married in 1882, an elegant bungalow 
in Tampa, Florida. Mr. Clinton has accumulated 
a fine property consisting of some nine rent houses 
in Tampa, and holdings in two other counties. The 
Clintons are members of the A. M. F. Church, and 
take an active part in all religious and civic work. 

They were not only liberal contributors to the 
Red Cross, Y. M. C. A., Salvation Army, and all 
War Camp Community service, but bought liberal¬ 
ly of Liberty Bonds and Thrift Stamps during the 
World War. Mr. Clinton also gave freely his ser¬ 
vices. 


381 









JOHN T. T. WARREN 

R. Warren, born in Hot Springs, 
Arkansas, and starting life under 
the greatest handicap possible, 
the loss of both parents before 
he was a week old, Mr. Warren 
lived to reach a pinnacle of com¬ 
mercial success and Fraternal popularity, attained 
by few and surpassed by none. 

The death of his mother when he was two days 
old and of his father, a captain in the U. S. Army 
two days later, left him in the care of his grand¬ 
mother, who died when he was nine years old. For 
a while he lived with an aunt, whose only interest 
in him was to get all the work out of him possi¬ 
ble. 

Even at this early age he displayed that spirit 
of independence and grit, that was in later years 
to make him famous. He had been delivering bas¬ 
kets of clothes to his aunt’s patrons and becoming 
tired of this servitude, he set the basket in the 
street and struck out for himself. 

Although he missed many a meal, and had only 
the sky for a canopy night after night, he never 
faltered in his determination to make good. 

Accepting odd jobs as porter and errand boy he 
finally landed as a waiter in the Waverly Hotel. 
This was the turning point in his career. By care¬ 
ful study of the wishes' of those he served, he rose 


in a short time to the position of Head Waiter. 
From there he went to the Park Hotel as a bath 
house attendant, and soon saved enough to start 
in the Undertaking business. While he always de¬ 
voted a great deal of his time to this business, and 
conducted it in a manner that made him many 
friends, he also developed into a realty operator of 
no mean ability. At the time of his death he 
owned besides his undertaking establishment and 
an elegant home, twenty-eight rent houses in Hot 
Springs, two farms near there, and property locat¬ 
ed in Pine Bluff, Ark., Chicago, Ill., Parigona, 
Okla., and Phoenix, Arizona. 

In spite of his many financial interests, and the 
numberless calls on his time, he was never too busy 
to respond to requests for assistance in forward¬ 
ing the interests of his fellow citizens. He was 
not only a member of every fraternity that a Ne¬ 
gro could join in the State of Arkansas, (eighteen 
in number) and of the Chicago Elks, but an active 
participant in their work and a liberal contributor 
to all of their charities. He went through every 
elective station in each lodge of which he was a 
member and at the time of his death was Grand 
Worthy Councillor of the Court of Calanthe of the 
State of Arkansas, and Dictator of the Knights of 
Honor of Arkansas. 

He was made manager of the K. of P.’s bath 
house at Hot Springs, Arkansas, and conducted 
that resort in a manner that gave it a national rep¬ 
utation. 

An astute politician, he was made chairman of 
the Republican State Executive Committee. En- 
joying the confidence and esteem of the white cit¬ 
izenship, he was appointed a deputy sheriff. This 
gives evidence of his executive ability and no less 
evidence of his personal magnetism and popularity. 
Large as were his commercial interests and strong 
as his fraternal ties, he always put his religion and 
his home first. He married Miss Mamie Hancock, 
who dying, left him one son Lance Warren, the 
idol of his eye, who died April 17, 1918. Mr. War¬ 
ren married Miss Laura J. Curtis of Hot Springs, 
Jan. 22nd, 1919, only a few months before his 
death. He was a trustee and a consistent member 
of Tanner Chapel A. M. E. Church. 

Mr. Warren died in the month of June, 1919, and 
his funeral, which was held from Visitor’s Chapel, 
A. M. E. Church June 29th, was said to be the 
greatest tribute ever paid a citizen of Hot Springs. 
Not only did his associates come from all parts of 
the country to pay their last respects, but the 
white citizens, headed by the Hon. Walter M. Ebel 
of the Business Men’s League, joined in honoring 
a man that was a credit to his country and to his 
people. 



382 















HON. ROBERT L. SMITH 


ONORABLE R. L. Smith, as he is 
commonly known, is one of the 
few genuine leaders of business 
and uplift enterprises among Ne¬ 
gro farmers. Thoroughly trained 
to what is often termed as the 
such as school teaching, business, 
politics, he has preferred to put all these behind 
him and to cast in his lot working among men of 
the soil. 

Mr. Smith was born in Charleston, South Caro¬ 
lina, January eighth, 1861. He was educated in the 
city schools of Charleston, at Avery Institute, and 
at Atlanta University. Finishing his education he 
decided to enter the profession of school teaching. 
Texas at that time offered the fairest held for the 
aspirant for distinction in the schoolroom ; and so 
in 1885 he went to the “Lone Star” state and began 
his career. 

Before leaving for Texas he had gone back to 
Charleston from school and had after the collapse 
of the Reconstruction Government run a Republi¬ 
can paper. His journal went down with the final 
defeat of the government it supported. It was 
then he bade adieu to his state and moved to Texas. 
However, having been nominated in his absence 


much to his astonishment, he ran for the Texas 
Legislature in 1895. Supported by a large number 
of white voters he won his seat, served his first 
term and was re-elected by an increased majority 
for a second term. 

His election to the legislature did not, however, 
divert him from his real chosen profession in Tex¬ 
as. He had begun to work among farmers a system 
of personal improvement, which looked to inde¬ 
pendence and to the accumulation of property and 
wealth. 

W hen Mr. Smith landed in Oakland and began 
teaching in Freedsmanstown, which was the color¬ 
ed section of Oakland. He found the farmer’s land 
mortgaged and they heavily in debt. This condi¬ 
tion of affairs caused him no little worry and he 
determined to correct it. He put his mind to work 
and developed a plan which he put into successful 
operation and which has brought about changes 
beyond his most hopeful expectation and to the 
lasting benefit of his people. And so Mr. Smith 
organized the Farmers’ Improvement Society. The 
organization saved money for its members by 
purchasing all kinds of products in large quan¬ 
tities and distributing them pro rata, but its 
chief features were its fight against the mortgage 
system, its improvement of methods of farming 
and the establishing of business enterprises on the 
principle of co-operation. To this Mr. Smith added 
a plan of a general improvement of the homes of 
its members. To accomplish this he made the or¬ 
ganization fraternal and gave degrees on the fol¬ 
lowing basis. The first degree was conferred upon 
him who kept out of debt for three months; the 
second, to him who kept out of debt for nine 
months ; and so on through the year. Other de¬ 
grees required a surplusage of money, or land or 
some possessions in addition to keeping clear of 
debt. To this Mr. Smith has added a bank, which 
is located in Waco, and a school, which is known as 
the F. I. S. Agricultural College located in North 
Texas, near Ladonia. The members of the order in 
addition to adhering to the first principles of the 
order, keeping out of debt, own some 80,000 acres 
of farm land, which is estimated at one and a half 
million dollars, and live stock valued at $300,000. 

He is an active member of the Negro Business 
League, the Farmers’ Conference and a member of 
the Anna T. Jeans Board. He is president of the 
Farmers’ Improvement Bank at Waco, the head of 
an Overall factory and president of the Board of 
Trustees of the Agricultural School. He success¬ 
fully inaugurated the Agricultural Extension Work. 

Mr. Smith was married in 1890 at Oakland, Tex¬ 
as. to Miss Isabella Isaacs. There are two children. 
Mr. Roscoe Conkling Smith, the son, is cashier of 
the Farmers’ Improvement Bank at Waco. Miss 
Olive Bell is a teacher in the Farmers’ Improve¬ 
ment Agricultural College. 



higher things, 


383 













her needs for a physician or physicians; he knew 
her need for competent sane leadership; and lie 
knew what opportunities lay everywhere for a 
hardworking, competent man. In Tampa, there¬ 
fore, he began not only to practice medicine, but 
enter the lives of the people and to take interest in 
their affairs, to establish such organizations as 
would promote the general good. In 1917, he es¬ 
tablished in Tampa a sanitarium which served not 
only for the ailing and tired out people of Tampa, 
but for colored people everywhere. This sanitar¬ 
ium sent abroad not only its presence as a bene¬ 
factor but the reputation of Dr. White, as a sur¬ 
geon Foreseeing the grave crisis that was com¬ 
ing upon the people because of the shortage of food, 
Dr. White began to preach Agriculture along with 
health. All through South Florida, indeed where 
ever he went he made Agriculture his theme, stim¬ 
ulating the people to raise more, preserve more 
food. In 1917, he was President of South Florida 
Fair, which brought to a very happy climax, all the 
good things he had been preaching. 

Much of his influence is due to the fact he has 
allied himself with most of the worth while bodies 
in Florida. Fie is a member of the A. M. E. Church 
in his community, and gives as much time as his 
busy life will permit, to his church work. He is 
a Mason, an Odd Fellow, a Knight of Pythias, an 
American Woodman, a member of the Household 
of Ruth, and of the Court of Calanthe. Holding 
active membership in all these bodies, he does not 
find it difficult to secure cooperation for any up¬ 
lift undertaking which one may set apart. 

Working hard for the public weal. Dr. White has 
realized returns in many ways. His financial re¬ 
turns have been moderate; his returns in grati¬ 
tude of the people and in the satisfaction of seeing 
needed service rendered and the results gained have 
been large; and his returns in honors bestowed and 
m confidence entrusted are perhaps his dearest re¬ 
wards. The Household of Ruth has entrusted to 
him the examination of all candidates and mem¬ 
bers, he being the Medical Director for that body 
throughout the State of Florida. He is interested 
in the movement for the betterment and defense of 
colored people. He has been made President of 
the Tampa branch of the National Association for 
the Advancement of Colored People. Founder of 
the South Florida Fair, he was chosen President of 
that organization. He is also President of the Gas- 
pariles Carnival, and banker for the American 
Woodmen. This, his life in his native state, grows 
each day richer in service, in opportunity, in satis- 
facton at seeing things accomplished. 

Dr. White was married in Tampa, in 1915, to 
Miss Sarah Stanley, of Sanford. They have one 
son, Jacob Augustus, Jr. 


JACOB AUGUSTUS WHITE, M. D. 

R. Jacob A. White, of Tampa, Fla., 
loves the soil of his nativity. He 
in one of those who see opportun¬ 
ities near at hand instead of far 
away. Not many miles from 
where he now labors, he was 
born and to some extent educated. Had there been 
a good Negro school of medicine near at hand it is 
doubtful if he would have gone beyond the confines 
of the land of flowers to complete his training. 

Dr. White was born in Marianna, September 19, 
1876. His youth was spent in and about his nat¬ 
ive city, where he attended the public schools and 
worked at odd times. His public school career 
ended, he went to Florida State College. Complet¬ 
ing his work at the Florida State College he enter¬ 
ed Howard University, in Washington, D. C. Hav¬ 
ing long before decided to study medicine, he took 
the Howard Medical course, and graduated in 1903. 

Going back to Florida and passing the State ex¬ 
amination, he opened office first in Apalachicola. 
Here he practiced for thirteen years, then moved 
to the city of Tampa, where his reputation as a 
physician is being made. 

Long before he returned to his native state, Dr. 
White had thoroughly diagnosed Florida. He knew 


384 








CAMPUS SCENE—SCHOFIELD NORMAL AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL. 


CHOFIELD Normal and Industrial 
School of Aiken, South Carolina, 
is one of those score or more in¬ 
stitutions to spring- up immediate¬ 
ly after the Civil War. Inspired 
with zeal to give all black men 
training- in skilled labor, Miss Martha Schofield of 
Pennsylvania went to South Carolina in 1865 and 
began to teach among the freedmen. For three 
years Miss Schofield taught on the coast. In 1868 
she made her way into Aiken, and there began to 
assemble the colored people, for a school. 

Like Hampton, like Fisk, Atlanta University and 
many other institutions of this period, the school 
had little trouble with enrolling enough students 
to insure a school. Like most of the institutions 
referred to, Schofield was dependent largely upon 
voluntary contributions. Its staunchest friends 
were, and are, the Society of Friends. Backed by 
these and by public donations, Miss Schofield added 
now an acre or two of land, now a building or two, 
now a teacher or a trade. Today it has three large 
and substantial brick buildings, and several frame 
structures, four hundred acres of farm land, one 
hundred and twenty-five acres of which are under 
cultivation. It has a faculty of twenty members 
and is teaching six trades. It carries a registra¬ 
tion of 600 students and has an endowment of 
$106,000. The value of the property is $50,0.0. It 
is free from debt. 

Much of the history of the school has been de¬ 
stroyed or lost, especially pertaining to the early 
offices of the school. However the school enjoys 
an unusual distinction in having at its head a lady, 


who is a Bachelor of Arts and a minister of long 
and varied experiences. The Reverend Miss L. 
Louise Haight is the Superintendent of Schofield, 
d'he Rev. Miss Haight was educated at Alma Col¬ 
lege, Saint Thomas County, North Carolina, at 
Swathmore College, Swathmore, Pennsylvania, and 
at the Meadville Theological School, Meadville, 
Pennsylvania. Miss Haight preached for twelve 
years. After this she left the pulpit and engaged 
in educational and social work in Chicago and Phil¬ 
adelphia. It was from this work that she was call¬ 
ed to the head of the Schofield Normal and Indus¬ 
trial School. 

Schofield points with pride to many milestones in 
her career. She rejoices that, thanks to her influ¬ 
ence, Aiken is one of the most peaceful spots on 
earth for anybody, especially the Negro. She is 
rather proud that on her farm, in the gardens and 
shops many students who would remain in darkness 
are given a chance to earn their way through 
school. Finally, she is exceedingly gratified by the 
records made by her seven hundred or more grad- 
utes. She numbers principals and founders of 
schools, business men, clergymen, physicians, 
among whom is a woman physician and surgeon, 
successful farmers, missionaries to Africa, on the 
list of her alumni. This is her ideal: 

“The first and constant aim of the school, is to 
give such moral, mental and industrial training as 
will fit them to take their respective places in the 
world as intelligent, self-supporting, self-respect¬ 
ing citizens, to prepare young men and young wo¬ 
men to be better husbands, wives, farmers, artisans, 
skilled, conscientious in their duties and obligations. 



385 










ST. LUKE PENNY SAVINGS BANK—MISS MAGGIE L. WALKER AND OTHER OFFICERS. 



HAT a prophet is without honor in 
his own country is a saying that 
does not hold good in the case of 
Mrs. Maggie L. Walker. She was 
born, educated and worked her 
way to prominence in the same 
town. She must be the exception 
that proves the rule. 

Mrs. Walker was born in Richmond, Virginia. 
Here she attended the public school, the High 
School and the Normal School, finishing each in 
turn. After she had completed her course of study 
she took up the work of teaching. She taught in 
the Public Schools of Richmond till her marriage 
in 1890, when she gave up the work in the public 
school system and began teaching in a private 
school. The life of Mrs. Walker has been a very 
active one. While still teaching she became the 
agent for the Woman’s Union. This is an insur¬ 
ance company that looks solely after the interest 
of women. Then in 1900 she accepted the very 
important post of Secretary-Treasurer of the In¬ 
dependent Order of St. Luke. This is a fraternal 
organization that operates in several states and 
has at present many thousand members. When 
Mrs. Walker took up the work it was given up by 
a man because of the condition of affairs in the 
order. These are the reasons why he declined to 
serve the order further: the order was at its low¬ 
est ebb; there was no money in the treasury; the 
order was not spreading as it should; there was a 
lack of co-operation between the Grand Officers 
and the Officers and members of the Subordinate 
Councils and the salary paid for the work ($300.00) 
per year was not justifiable. 

To take up any work after the person leaving it 


386 


has given it such a reputation shows courage of the 
highest order. This courage Maggie L. Walker 
had and she assumed the responsibilities of the of¬ 
fice and the steadiness of its growth is a monu¬ 
ment to her ability as an organizer and as an exe¬ 
cutive. In the Building of the Independent Order 
of St. Luke the experiences of Mrs. Walker have 
been such as all pioneer workers encounter. The 
organization numbered less than one thousand 
when she took up the work. Today it has a list 
of fifty thousand financial members. 

The organization had no assets whatever. Today 
it has assets to the amount of $150,750.00. All this 
marvelous growth is due directly to the untiring 
efforts of Mrs. Walker and to her great ability and 
charming personality. She has been able to reach 
the people, as they had not been reached before, 
by the appeals of other secretaries. When a bank 
was opened in connection with the order Mrs. Wal¬ 
ker was the one chosen to serve in the capacity of 
President. 

Mrs. Walker has taken an active part in every 
organization in the city of Richmond that is man¬ 
aged be persons of color. Among these are the 
Eastern Star, Household of Ruth, Court of Calan- 
tha, Richmond Benefit Insurance Company, and 
the American. Mrs. Walker is deeply religious in 
her make up. She has been a member of the Old 
Historic First African Baptist Church from early 
childhood. 

r| hroughout the State of Virginia, Mrs. Walker 
is honored in the various organizations among col¬ 
ored women. She is president of the Council of 
Colored Women, Auditor of the Virginia State 
Federation, Trustee of Girls’ Home School, Peake, 
Virginia, Grand Matron of the Juvenile Depart- 



































ST. LUKE PENNY SAVINGS BANK 


ment of the Independent Order of St. Luke, Vice- 
President of the Richmond Branch of the National 
Association for the Advancement of Colored Peo¬ 
ple, Vice-President of the Negro Organization So¬ 
ciety of Virginia, and one of the Advisory Com¬ 
mittee of the National Training School, Lincoln 
Heights, D. C. 

September 14, 1890 she was united in marriage 
to Mr. Armstead Walker, Jr., of Richmond. There 
are two sons in the family. The older, Russell E. 
T. Walker, is in the work of the Independent Order 
of St. Luke, serving the organization in the capa¬ 
city of auditor. The second son, Melvin DeWitt 
\\aiker. is a student in the College Department of 
Shaw University, at Raleigh, North Carolina. 

The Independent Order of St. Luke has recently 
passed its fifth anniversary. At this time they held 
quite a gathering in honor of the occasion. And 
the occasion was one worthy of honor, for the 
amount of good done by and through this organiza¬ 
tion cannot be estimated. The Order was first 
started in the City of Baltimore, Maryland, by 
Miss Prout, in 1867. Looking about her and see¬ 
ing the suffering among the sick and aged of our 
race, and seeing the distress in some of the fam¬ 
ilies for lack of means with which to bury their 
dead, this sainted, Christian woman conceived the 
idea of a fraternal Order. 1 he first thought was 
for women only as members, but as the work grew, 
men were admitted. She carried the work from 
Baltimore into Norfolk, Portsmouth, Peters¬ 
burg, and Richmond, Virginia, accepting as mem¬ 
bers of the council some of the best men and wom¬ 
en of the Methodist Episcopal Faith. 

As the Order was started in Maryland it was the 
Grand United Order of St. Luke. Mr. Richard 
Forrester led in a movement to pull the Virginia 
Councils out of the Grand body. This was done 
and it became known as the Independent Oi dei 
of St. Luke. He proved his worth to the order by 
revising and compiling the Ritual of the Ordei. 
Those who know the merit of the work say of it: 
“It was declared perfect, and will live to honor Ins 
name after we all have passed away. This Grand 
piece of work proved his worth to the Order and to 
the community at large.” Mr. W. T. Forrester 
was the active Secretary for thirty-five years. 


But in 1899 lie refused to serve longer because, as 
is stated elsewhere in these pages, the work had 
ceased to develop under his leadership. The order 
was turned over to Mrs. Maggie L. Walker, with 
fifty-seven benefited Councils, 1,080 financial mem¬ 
bers, $31.61, turned over from the Grand Treasurer 
J. J. Carter, and bills amounting to $400. 

One year after the Order was turned over to 
Mrs. Walker, it had doubled itself. Mrs. Walker 
gathered around herself advisors of good sound 
judgment and they took steps that were for the 
betterment of the whole organization. The order 
spread. It was taken into New York and the Dis¬ 
trict of .Columbia. By careful handling of the 
funds they accumulated money enough to invest 
500 dollars in the St. Luke Asociation in 1902, and 
at the same time they made a first payment of 
$5.00 on the printing press, from each of the two 
branches of the order. With the press purchased 
they started the St. Luke Herald, which was the 
mouthpiece of the Order. 

The next year the amount paid into the St. Luke 
Association was $2000.00. The Grand Secretary 
reported 4,101 new members added during the year 
and a total financial membership of 10,200 adults. 
While the Grand Chief changed from time to time, 
Mrs. Maggie L. Walker continued to hold the posi¬ 
tion of Grand Secretary of the Order. And under 
her direction it grew from year to year. The 
growth was rapid. Space forbids that we recount 
all the steps in the progress of this upward growth. 
In 1907 the report included the statement that the 
Order had in the Penny Savings Bank over on 
Broad Street, the sum of $7200.00. This was un¬ 
der the head of Emergency Fund, and was held to 
await the' orders of the Subordinate Councils. It 
was in this year that the laws of various States in 
which the Order was being operated made it im¬ 
perative for them to have a large reserve fund. 
Had these laws been passed the year that the Or¬ 
der changed Secretaries it would of necessity have 
gone under. But under the new order of things 
they were prepared for the emergencies that con¬ 
fronted them. This was done by building up an 
order that was able to weather all financial storms. 

April 1, 1911, they began using a new system of 
Book-keeping, which had been installed at a cost of 
$1000. With the new system the whole business 
end of the Order was put on an up-to-date footing. 
With the use of this system it was an easy matter 
to keep track of all the money paid in and of each 
individual member. 

To estimate the good of this organization is be¬ 
yond us. They have provided work for a large 
number. They have looked after the interest 
of many bereaved persons. They have developed 
the business ability of the people who came to 
work for them. They have acquired property— 
they own a large building in which they have their 
offices, meetings, etc., and a building in which they 
operate the Penny Savings Bank. Through the 
administration of their affairs, they have compelled 
the respect of the best people of both races. They 
are never afraid to open their books to the inspec¬ 
tion of others, for they keep their affairs in per¬ 
fect order. This is the record of the I. O. of St. 
Luke. 

387 










REV. JOHN O. WILLIAMS, A. B., B. D., 
AND TRINITY CHURCH 


EVEREND Mr. Joshua 0. Wil¬ 
liams, of Marshall, Texas ,is one 
of those ministers who set educa¬ 
tion above riches and placed 
learning- as the only true founda¬ 
tion of genuine achievements. To 
him no hardships were too severe, no privation too 
shaip, if only he could make his wav into the 
schools to di ink from the fount of knowledge. 

Mr. Williams is in bone and fibre a Texan. He 
was born at Montgomery, Montgomery County, 
I exas. He appeared for advanced work in the 
public schools of his native county and town, 
fi 1 om the public schools of Montgomery County 
he went to the State Normal School, to Prairie 
Normal and Industrial Institute, at Prairie View. 
From Prairie View he went to Wiley University, 
at Marshall. Here he received his Bachelor of 
Arts degree, and completed in a fair measure all 
of the courses Texas could give him for his parti¬ 
cular purpose in life. 

He had long before made up his mind to enter 
the ministry. He had been converted and had 
joined the Methodist Episcopal Church. Leaving 
Marshall he entered Gammon Theological Semi¬ 
nary, at Atlanta, Georgia, where he received the 
degree of Bachelor of Divinity. He spent some¬ 
time as a school teacher both in Georgia and in his 
native State. 

However, his great work has been done in his 
chosen calling, the ministry. This too, like the 


most of his schooling, has been done in Texas. He 
has held some of the largest appointments in the 
Texas Methodist Episcopal Conference. Among 
these are numbered Ebenezer, at Marshall, Texas; 
Mount Vernon, at Houston, Texas; Tabernacle, at 
Galveston, Texas; Trinity, at Houston, Texas, and 
the District Superintendent of Paris, Texas. 

Recognized as a leader and an unselfish worker, 
he has been placed at the head of many organiza¬ 
tions in his state. He has been president of the 
Preachers’ Aid Society, of the Texas Conference; 
president of the Board of Trustees of his alma ma¬ 
ter, Wiley University; president, and this in the 
business world, of the Boley Light and Power 
Company of Boley, Oklahoma. Boley it will be re¬ 
membered, is a Negro town. He was a member of 
the last General Conference, which met at Sara¬ 
toga Springs, New York, in 1916. He has traveled 
from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from the Lakes to 
the Gulf, and into Canada. He is a Knight of Py¬ 
thias, a member of the Mosiac Templars and of the 
Court of Calanthe. In these bodies, as in the church 
and in business organizations, he is regarded by his 
fellows as a man of universal power and leadership. 

Rev. Williams has twice been married. The first 
Mrs. Williams was Miss Katie Kendall, of Atlanta, 
Georgia. They were married in 1894. To them 
three children—one son and two daughters were 
born. But only two are living. The mother her¬ 
self soon passed away. 

Rev. Williams was married the second time to 
Miss Lenora B. Green, of Galveston, Texas. They 
were married in 1900. There are two children in 
the Williams home, a young lady and a young man. 
Through these the father is establishing a family 
tradition, as it were, by sending them along the 
paths which he trod, both in education and in vo¬ 
cation. Miss Lillian Ivaty Williams, the daugh¬ 
ter, is a student at Wiley University, like her fath¬ 
er years ago, she is a candidate for the degree of 
Bachelor of Arts. Robert M. Williams, the son, 
has already run the early gauntlet in preparing for 
a career. Like his father back there in the eight¬ 
ies, he is now a student at Gammon Theological 
Seminary, and is a candidate for the degree of 
Bachelor of Divinity. 

Rev. Williams own a handsome residence in 
Marshall, Texas, has valuable property in Hous¬ 
ton, and owns an apple farm in the State of Wash¬ 
ington. 



,>88 













State Agricultural and Mechanical College 


HE State Colored Normal Indus¬ 
trial, Agricultural and Mechani¬ 
cal College, at Orangeburg, South 
Carolina, was founded in 1896, by 
the State of South Carolina. It is 
supported partly by the State and 
partly by the Federal government. The Federal 
money drawn is from the funds set aside for agri¬ 



cultural and mechanical training. The board of 
trustees that governs the affairs of the institution 
is elected by the Legislature. Of this Board the 
Governor of the State is ex-officio chairman. 

The courses of study offered by the State Color¬ 
ed Normal, Industrial, Agricultural and Mechani¬ 
cal College are elementary, preparatory and Nor¬ 
mal. Doing this work there are fourteen teachers, 
in Academic work. The other teachers on the fa¬ 
culty, thirteen in number, devote their time to 
teaching the trades and agriculture. 

The attendance at this college is very good. 
There are about 700 pupils in all of the courses. Of 
this number the greater portion is enrolled in the 
Elementary Course. In the Secondary Courses 
there are enrolled only 197. The school does good 
work with the equipment they have. But the 
teaching force is small for so large a number of 


pupils. 

The Industrial work is in charge of teachers well 
prepared in the lines they teach. An inteiest in the 
work is shown by all the students. The system 
used in the State Colored Normal, Industrial, Ag- 
ricultural and Mechanical College in combining the 
industrial work with that of the academic depart¬ 
ment is the part time system. The classes are 
required to devote one day each week to the trade 
work. 

The shop in which this trade work is taught is 
well fitted up for teaching. Carpentry, bricklay¬ 
ing, tailoring, 'plumbing, blacksmithing, wheel 
wrighting, painting, and harness making are the 
mechanical trades offered to the young men. 

The young women of the school are offered two 
trades, sewing and cooking. The work is m charge 
of two well prepared teachers. The girls are 
taught these subjects not from the standpoint of 
using them as trades, but every girl in the school 
is required to take up the two trades because they 
should be a part of a normal woman’s knowledge. 

The agricultural department has a farm of 
eighty-five acres, an agricultural building, dairy 
and stables. The work is in charge of four teach¬ 
ers. Aside from the actual work done on the 
farm there is some class room work in the sub¬ 


ject of agriculture. The work on the farm is done 
largely by the students under the direct super¬ 
vision of the teachers in charge. The course in 
agriculture begins in the senior preparatory class. 
In this class they have to do two hours each week 
in market gardening. The Normal classes have 
two courses in agriculture besides one in rural so¬ 
ciology and one in agricultural economics. 

The State College at Orangeburg is, besides be¬ 
ing a State College, a Land Grant School. From 
the Land Grant Fund, it draws the greater portion 
of its support. The amount from this source is 
$30,754.00. The State appropriations are $12,614.00. 
Then the fees paid by the students and money 
from farm and shops raised the amount more than 
two thousand dollars. 

The school owns 130 acres of land. Of this num¬ 
ber only eighty-five acres are under cultivation. 
The entire tract of land is valued at $50,000.00. 
The buildings on the place are valued at $227,000.00 
The two larger buildings are Morrill Hall, boy’s 
dormitory, and Bradham Hall, the girl’s dormi¬ 
tory. The latter is a large two story brick struc¬ 
ture with rooms to accommodate 400 girls and the 
administrative offices. The dining hall is a one- 
story building which accomodates 750. Industrial 
Hall is a large two-story brick building. It contains 
all the shops and is well equipped throughout. 
There are smaller buildings—the President’s home, 
six teacher’s houses, agricultural building, the 
dairy, two barns and a heating and electrical buil- 
ding. 

The man at the head of this State College is 
President R. S. Wilkinson. Mr. Wilkinson belongs 
to that type of instructors whose success has been 
won by their combining a splendid education, and 
a natural talent for educational leadership, with 
a gift of diplomacy that enables them to not only 
successfully manage the affairs of their colleges, 
but to obtain the maximum allowances from the 
State at large for the support and extension of 
Negro educational enterprises. Mr. Wilkinson has 
made a record at the head of State A. & M. Col¬ 
lege that has not only gained the commendation 
of his fellow citizens, but established for him 
a reputation as an educator and constructive lead¬ 
er throughout the country. Mr. Wilkinson is not 
only a leader along educational lines, but takes a 
prominent part in all civic and religious move¬ 
ments. He proved himself a power for good in the 
world war, and placed his services unreservedly at 
the disposal of his country. 


389 









PICKFORD HALL—LECTURE HALL—VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY 


MONG the first schools organized 
for the training of freedmen by 
the Christian people of the North 
were those which were later un¬ 
ited into Virginia Union Univer¬ 
sity. Both the American Baptist 
Society and the National Baptist 
Institute and University began work in Washing¬ 
ton and Richmond, immediately after the close of 
the war. 

In 1865, Maryland Seminary was opened as well 
as the National Theological Institute in Washing¬ 
ton. After a few years the latter was merged with 
the former, and under Dr. G. M. P. King, the new 
Maryland Seminary became a prosperous and 
strong Normal School and Academy, at which hun¬ 
dreds of young men and women prepared for use¬ 
ful and honored service especially in teaching and 
preaching. Dr. King was President from 1867 to 
1897, and gave untiring zeal and unstinted devotion 
to his work. 

In 1865, a theological school was opened in Ricli- 



COBURN HALL—CHAPEL AND LIBRARY 


mond, Va., known successively as Colver Institute, 
Richmond Institute, and Richmond Theological 
Seminary. Among its earliest teachers were Dr. 
J. C. Binney, Dr. Nathaniel Colver, the famous ab¬ 
olitionist and preacher, Dr. Robert Ryland, for 
many years President of Richmond College, and 
Dr. C. H. Corey, President from 1868 to 1898. Af¬ 
ter 1886 this school limited its work strictly to 
those preparing for the Christian ministry, and 
trained many of its leadng colored preachers. 

Virginia Union University, combining these two 
schools was opened in the Fall of 1899 in new gran¬ 
ite buildings on the outskirts of Richmond, as an 
Academy, College and Theological Seminary for 
young men. 

The campus and farm comprises about 50 acres 
of land on a gentle elevation in the Northwestern 
part of the city. Here 250 years ago was Nathan¬ 
iel Bacon’s quarters, and here 60 years ago Con¬ 
federate soldiers encamped and defended the Cap¬ 
itol of the Confederacy at Battery number 9. 

The buildings include ten substantial and beaut¬ 
iful granite structures and four frame teachers res¬ 
idences. Most of the buildings were erected with 
money secured by the American Baptist Home 
Mission Society. Their cost was about $300,000. 
The main group consists of Library and Chapel, 
Lecture Hall, two Dormitories, and Dining Hall. 
A subordinate group includes Industrial Hall, Pow¬ 
er House and Barn. 

The University is controlled by a Board of Trus¬ 
tees composed of Northern and Southern White 
and Colored men in about equal numbers. The 
American Baptist Home Mission Society of New 
York which at present contributes three fourths of 
the cost of the school outside the boarding depart- 




390 



























HUNTLEY HALL—DORMITORY—VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY 


ment has large influence in determining the policy 
of the University. 

Three purposes are prominent in the establish¬ 
ment and management of the school. (1) To train 
Christian leaders—especially preachers and teach¬ 
ers, with the emphasis on Christian. (2) To give to 
colored young men of ability the opportunity to se¬ 
cure in the South a higher education equal to that 
open to white young men. (3) To secure the co¬ 
operation of both races and all parts of the country 
in giving the highest education to colored men. 

The faculty consists of seventeen professors and 
teachers, graduates from the best Normal schools 
and colleges North and South. The Library con¬ 
tains 13000 bound volumes, and is open for consult¬ 
ation twelve hours each day. I he science labora 
tories are well equipped for the work given. The 
Industrial Hall is fitted out with anvils, forges, car¬ 
penters benches, turning lathes, tools, and a twenty 
horse power gasoline engine. The buildings are 
heated by steam and lighted by electricity. The 
dormitories accomodate about two hundred-fifty 
young men, in rooms provided with the necessary 
heavy furniture. The Dining Hall seats about two 
hundred and seventy-five. A farm of about twenty 
acres, cultivated largely by students, furnishes a 
large part of the vegetables and the milk for the 
table. A fenced athletic field gives space for sports 
and recreation. 

The University comprises a standard four veai 
College Course, requiring fifteen units of secondary 
work for entrance, with school yeai of thirty six 
weeks, and an enrollment (1916-17) of sixty-five 
students; a standard three year theological course 
with college graduation as entrance requirements 
for the degree of B. D„ and fifteen secondary un¬ 


its as entrance requirement for regular students, 
and an enrollment of thirty. In addition to these, 
eighty five in other departments are preparing to 
preach ; and a four year high school academy course 
with manual training, and an enrollment of 234. 
The total enrollment for the school year was 350. 

A summer Normal under the State Board of Ed¬ 
ucation, is held for six weeks. Last year the en¬ 
rollment was 298 teachers. 

In fifty years this school, with its predecessors, 
Maryland Seminary in Washington, and Richmond 
Theological Seminary, has trained about 4000 col¬ 
ored students of all grades, about 1500 preachers 
about 1000 teachers ; 12 foreign missionaries, many 
physicians and hundreds of leaders of the race in 
other professions and occupations. The full grad¬ 
uates from the different departments number near¬ 
ly 1000. They are to be found in positions of prom¬ 
inence and leadership in the ministry, in education, 
in medicine, in editorship, and in social service. 
Whatever the profession they naturally take a 
leading part in temperance and health and moral 
movements for the betterment of the people. 


MARTIN E. GRAY HALL—DINING HALL. 




391 





































WESLEY WARREN JEFFERSON, D. S. 


MONG the professions which have 
come into very great prominence 
lately, because of the number of 
young men who have entered 
them, and because of the good be¬ 
ing accomplished, Dentistry ranks 
high. For years, colored people everywhere suf¬ 
fered from all the ills directly traceable to bad 
teeth, without having Dentists of their own race 
to teach them proper tooth care, or to remedy the 
ill from this lack of care. But of recent years, 
such great stress has been laid on this particular 
branch of work, that many of our young men have 
taken up the profession. Among these is Wesley 
Warren Jefferson. 

Dr. Jefferson was born in Florence, South Caro¬ 
lina, on July 25, 1879. As lad he attended the 
public schools of Florence. Mr. Jefferson, like 
many another lad, was ambitious enough to over 
come the obstacle of no cash; and so he pressed on 
to his goal of a thorough education by earning with 
his hands, during vacations and before and after 
schools hours, money enough to support him sell. 
When he finished the public school course in Flor¬ 
ence he was ambitious to be a thorough, trades¬ 
man, and so he entered Tuskegee Institute. Tus- 


kegee was just coming into prominence at that 
time, and the young man went with the crowds 
that were beginning to throng its halls. Dr. Jef¬ 
ferson was graduated from Tuskegee Institute in 
1899. Throughout his after life, Dr. Jefferson 
found that the general training at working, which 
he received while in Tuskegee, as well as the rigid¬ 
ly taught habits came to his aid many times. 

On leaving Tuskegee Institute, Dr. Jefferson 
went to the West Indies, and taught school there 
for two years. He then returned to the United 
States. He had tried teaching and did not like it 
well enough to make it his life work. So when he 
returned to this counry he matriculated at Howard 
University, as a student in Dentistry. Dr. Jef¬ 
ferson needed to earn his way through school and 
so he took the Civil Service examination and se¬ 
cured a position with the government, and earned 
enough to pay his way through college. 

He was graduated from the Howard course of 
Dentistry with the degree of D. S., in 1904. After 
graduation, Dr. Jefferson, realizing that all profes¬ 
sional men go through the “starvation period” if 
they have no money for the start, decided to con¬ 
tinue in his government work for a period. For 
three years Dr. Jefferson therefore worked in 
Washington, and thus eliminated the period of 
pinched circumstances suffered by most profes¬ 
sional men while the public gets used to the sign. 

In 1910, Dr. J efferson opened his office in Nor¬ 
folk, Virginia. In the same year he was married 
to Miss Geraldine Merriam Muldraw, of Florence, 
South Carolina. The young couple made their 
home in Norfolk and began to make friends. They 
joined the Baptist Church of Norfolk, and began 
to take part in all the activities of the people. It 
was not long before the new dentist and his wife 
had many friends and the former a very large prac¬ 
tice. For seven years, Dr. Jefferson has practiced 
in Norfolk, and during that time he has made for 
himself a great reputation and he stands out as a 
leader of his people and as a worker. Dr. Jeffer¬ 
son has also the respect and good will of the white 
people. 

Dr. Jefferson has traveled extensively. While 
still a student, he began his travels, having to go 
about at times in connection with his work. He 
has traveled over the United States, both North 
and South, and in the West Indes. 

By hard work and very careful economy, Dr. 
Jefferson has been able to live comfortably, to 
equip and keep up-to-date his large office, and at 
the same time accumulate a goodly number of pro¬ 
perty holdings. He owns his own home, which is 
a very attractive residence on Queen Street. He 
owns two rent houses, and several vacant lots. 
Thus Dr. Jefferson is numbered not only among 
the leading professional Negroes of Norfolk, but 
among the most substantial business men. 

Dr. and Mrs. Jefferson have no children of their 
own, nevertheless their home is a happy one, and 
is presided over very charmingly by Mrs. Jefferson. 



392 








Robert Horace Brooks, M. D. 


HILE much has been written der¬ 
ogatory to the State of Georgia, 
in the treatment of Negroes, a 
study of the colored citizens that 
are making good will convince 
the most skeptical, that while 
conditions are by no means ideal, there is no state 
in the union where there is greater opportunity for 
the self-respecting and law-abiding citizen to make 
good. A splendid example of this is shown by the 
success of Dr. Brooks, in Rome, Ga. The citizens 
of this beautiful and aristrocratic old Southern 
town point with genuine pleasure and pride to the 
success of Dr. Brooks. His reputation as a success¬ 
ful practioner, is only equalled by his record as 
a business man, and his credit rating the equal of 
almost any merchant in the city. 

In spite of all that has been said and written, 
the Georgia Negro has made giants strides, espec¬ 
ially in the cities. You will go far and look wth 
argus eyes to find a state with so much Negro bus¬ 
iness enterprise, refinement, talent and education. 
Take Atlanta for an example. It flourishes with 
handsome Negro homes. It is the home of the 
famous Odd Fellows Building, the still more fam¬ 
ous Standard Insurance Company, writing its pol¬ 
icies like the best of the old line companies, send¬ 
ing forth its agents and establishing branch houses 
in the leading cities over the land. Education is in 
the keenest competition here. Morehouse College 
stands on one hill; Atlanta University on another; 
Clark University and Morris Brown University in 
other parts of the city; Spelman Seminary, the lar¬ 
gest school in the world for the education of Negro 
girls is here sending out all over the South and into 
foreign lands, especially into Africa, her well- 
rounded students. Atlanta is not in a class to her¬ 
self. Close to her come Savannah, Athens, Bruns¬ 
wick and other cities in which we find many re¬ 
fined Negroes—all this goes to show that where 
determination abounds, success does also abound. 

It is here that one of the most scholarly of the 
Negroes lives and follows his calling in all safety 
day by day. This man is Dr. Robert Horace Brooks 
who is known as the Scholarly Physician. Re¬ 
gardless of race or creed he wears and defends this 
title. On questions of History, of literature, of 
Geography, of War and Peace, and of education, as 
well as of the medical profession, he is very often 
referred to as the final arbiter, because his judg¬ 
ment is sound and his reading and study wide and 
thorough. 

Unlike many of his brother practioneers, he had 


the advantage of a splendid early education. Born 
in Trinidad British West Indies, his parents from 
the first inbued him with the spirit of thorough¬ 
ness, typical of the British subject wherever he is 
found. 

Education under the British Flag is by no means 
so general, certainly higher education is not so 
popular, but the training in the literary branches 
is most exhaustive, so much so that your lad of 
fifteen is already a scholar in his habit of mind and 
as thoroughly a Britisher as your decendant of 
Plantagenet—wiry, confident, unpeturbed. 

Having gone to and finished the public schools 
of Trinidad he entered Queens College. Finishing 
here he came to America, in 1900, and enrolled in 
the medical department of Howard University, 
Washington, D. C. His course was broken into on 
account of the serious illness and death of his mo¬ 
ther which called him home. In 1902, he returned 
to America to take up again his duties in medicine. 
Instead of returning to the Howard University he 
entered as a student of medicine Shaw University, 
Raleigh, N. C. Dr. Brooks was graduated from 
the Shaw Medical College in 1906. After graduat¬ 
ing at Shaw Medical College he took a Post Grad¬ 
uate course at Jefferson College and from there 
went to Tuskegee and served as an intern in the 
hospital at Tuskegee Institute, gaining experience 
of people of this country, as well as practice in 
medicine. His year of internship ended, Dr. Brooks 
began practice in Madison, Ga. Here he remained 
for five years. In 1912, he moved to Rome, Geor- 
gie, where he is now practicing and where he is 
held in such high esteem as a doctor and a scholar. 
While he is an able practitioneer and well versed 
in medical science, his natural aptitude and inclina¬ 
tion leads him to surgery, in which branch he is 
an expert. Dr. Brooks is known not only in Rome 
and surrounding country, but pretty generally 
through the State of Georgia. He is a Roman 
Catholic in Faith. He is a member of the Ma¬ 
sonic Lodge and of the Pythians. He is medical 
examiner of his town for the Standard Life Insur¬ 
ance Company, of Atlanta, for the Columbia Life 
and for the Mutual Life Insurance Companies. 

Dr. Brooks is much traveled, having in addition 
to spending time in North Carolina and in Alabama 
as c student, traveled through the Eastern states, 
through the South and on many of the Islands. 

Dr. Brooks was married in 1907, to Miss Anita 
Rochon, of New Orleans, Louisiana. There are 
two sons born to Mr. and Mrs. Brooks, Robert 
Horace, Jr., and Frederick. 



393 








UNDERTAKING ESTABLISHMENT OF 
W. I. JOHNSON & SONS 

R. William Isaac Johnson was born 
of slave parents in 1852, in Char¬ 
lotte County, Virginia. At the 
close of the Civil War he attend¬ 
ed the free schools that had been 
started for the freedom of the 
South, in the city of Richmond. He finished the 
Richmond Normal School course and taught for 
two years. His next work was that of letter car¬ 
rier, in which work he was engaged for twelve 
years. But Mr. Johnson, like a great number of 
our men, saw no future for himself in the work of 
letter carrier. So, with no previous training in 
business, he gave up his steady income and launch¬ 
ed out into business for himself. With undaunted 
courage and energy, he has forged ahead until to¬ 
day he is one of the leading undertakers of his race 
in this country. 

The firm first opened in 1886, at 23 West Broad 
Street, where for five years they did a prosperous 
business. Outgrowing this establishment, Mr. 
Johnson bought property at 207 N. Foushee St., 
where he conducted the business for twenty years. 
In 1911 once more Mr. Johnson considered his 
quarters unsuitable, and so he sold the property on 
Foushee Street for the sum of $25,000.00, and 
bought and built his present commodious establish¬ 
ment at 10 West Leigh Street, and two residences 
adjoining. The building is a three-story brick and 
is well equipped. On the first floor are the offices, 
show room, stock room, ware room and the mor¬ 
gue. The second floor is taken up by an auditorium 
which is used as a chapel and for various other 
public functions. The third floor is divided into 
four beautiful lodge rooms which are used by va¬ 
rious fraternal societies throughout the city. The 


entire building is heated by steam and lighted by 
electricity. 

In addition to the Undertaking business and en¬ 
tirely separate from it is the Garage, owned and 
managed by this firm. The Garage, formerly the 
stable, is a two-story brick structure, that extends 
from one street to the other. It was formerly 
equipped with a full line of horse-drawn vehicles 
for the conduct of their business. Most of these 
have been recently disposed of and replaced by 
auto vehicles, a black and grey motor hearse, 
four seven passenger limousines, three seven pas¬ 
senger touring cars, one Ford sedan, two Ford 
touring cars, and two motor delivery wagons. 
Their equipment is sought by the leading funeral 
directors of the city. 

In building up this business for himself, Mr. 
Johnson has made a place for his sons. In 1911, 
he took the two sons into the business with him. 
One of them serves as his father’s principal assist¬ 
ant. The other is now in he Army, and has for the 
time given up his active work with the firm. The 
business methods of the firm are of the highest or¬ 
der, their equipment up-to-date, and they enjoy the 
confidence and the highest respect of all classes of 
citizens, both in their own locality and in the un¬ 
dertaking profession at large. 

Mr. Johnson has taken time from his business 
to serve in other concerns. He is a member of the 
Henrico Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Ma¬ 
sons. He is director of the St. Luke Penny Saving 
Bank, of Richmond, and a Director of the Crown 
Savings Bank, of Newport News. To these organi¬ 
zations he brings his great business ability and 
helps to hold the confidence of the public. Many 
honors have been shown to Mr. Johnson because 
of the great work he has done and is doing in the 
colored business world. Among these might be 
mentioned—he was President of the Negro exhibit 
of the Jamestown exposition and he is a trustee of 
the Negro Reformatory of Virginia. 

Mr. Johnson is a member of the National Negro 
Business Men’s League. He has been present at 
most of their gatherings. Most of the traveling 
that Mr. Johnson has taken the time to do has been 
in going from one section of the country to another 
while in attendance upon the National League. 

In May, of 1889, Mr. Johnson was married to 
Miss Maria Cooley, of Richmond, Virginia. To 
them have been born three children. Mrs. Tar- 
quinia A. Middleton is a daughter who now resides 
in Chicago. W. I. Johnson, Jr., is his father’s 
mainstay in the undertaking and livery business, 
and the other son, Jas. A. C. Johnson, is a Ser¬ 
geant in the United States Army. Mr. and Mrs. 
Johnson live in one of the new residences which 
they have recently built and the sons, with their 
wives, live in the other. It is a far cry from the 
poverty-stricken boyhood of this man to the place 
lie now occupies in the world of business and in the 
social world. He has shown what one who has 
made up his mind to succeed, can really do in thir¬ 
ty-two years. 



394 











Reverend John Franklin Drane 


HEN you think of Kentucky, your 
mind is likely to go out to the 
Cobbs, the Watersons, Brecken- 
bridges and others of that noble 
strain which makes the blue grass 
state so universally popular and 
lovable. When you add to this her fame for beau¬ 
tiful ladies you might well wonder why everybody 
doesn’t pull up and go down there to live. Per¬ 
haps this would be so were it not that men aie so 
devoid of the spirit of adventure and of romance, 
both being wholly eclipsed by the everlasting tug¬ 
ging after sordid gains. 

The Negroes of the state are no less famed 
among their brothers than are the whites among 
theirs. Kentucky has a high scale of general edu¬ 
cation, good taste and refinement. Perhaps in no 
other Southern state or semi-Southern state does 
one hear so little of that modern epedemic, race 
friction. This is without doubt due to the high 
standards of both the races, for almost without ex¬ 
ception, when misunderstandings come they are 
started by the lower element of one race or the 
other. 

Kentucky is a sort of Baptist strong-hold. In¬ 
deed the Baptists feel, and not without considera¬ 
ble warrant in this case, that they lead the race. 
They have more schools, better schools and hand¬ 
somer churches than do the others. They have 
keener competition for places of leadership in the 
schools, in the churches, in the clubs and civic bod¬ 
ies than do most of the other sects. Their papers 
and their journals are more numerous and are 
longer lived. 

Therefore, to be pastor of one of the largest and 
most costly churches in one’s state is no ditinction 
to be passed over lightly. Such is the good foitune 
of Rev. John F. Drane, of Bowling Green, Ky. The 
church ot which he is pastor is known as the State 
First Baptist Church, it has a seating capacity of 
eleven hundred and cost twenty thousand dollars. 

Rev. Drane’s ascent to his post has been steady 
and unwavering, though born in a state where the 
Baptists are legion and where the Baptist preach¬ 
ers are among the giants in the pulpit. He was 
born shortly after the war, in 1866. to be explicit, 


when the school house doors nor the theological 
school doors did not swing so easily on the hinge 
as they do now. Rev. Drane was born in Washing¬ 
ton County. He spent some time in the country 
schools and then went to Louisville, where he at¬ 
tended the Central High School for eight years. 
For a long time he worked and studied. It was not 
for him to go away to take formal courses in theo- 
logy and in the doctrines. He had to fight the bat¬ 
tle for daily sustenance where he was and study 
his theology when and where he could. 

To educate himself for the ministry, which he 
was resolved to enter, he made various shifts. For 
a good while he had a private tutor, J. T. Sullivan. 

1 hen he applied himself much alone; then he stu¬ 
died by correspondence, taking courses in the Mc¬ 
Kinley Extension University of Oak Park, Ill. Fin¬ 
ally when thirty years of age, feeling that he was 
in a measure prepared to do the work to which he 
aspired, he entered the ministry. He began at 
Louisville, Ky., in 1898, with the church of the 
Good Shepherd. In a few years he was in Cov¬ 
ington, where he purchased the Ninth Street Bap¬ 
tist church. From Covington he went to May’s 
Lick, where he inaugurated the Building Fund for 
a church there. On January 1st, 1915, he was called 
to take charge of the big church at Bowling 
Green. Thus in fifteen years, Rev. Drane has 
climbed to the highest round of the ladder as a pas¬ 
tor in his native State. 

As a pastor and as a citizen he has carried his 
full quota of extra duties outside of the church. In 
Lodge affiliations he is a Mason, an Odd Fellow 
and a Good Samaritan. In religious bodies he is a 
member of the Baptist Foreign Mission Board of 
the National Convention and chairman of the Un¬ 
ion District Association and Sunday School Con¬ 
vention. He is editor of the “Blaze,” a weekly pa¬ 
per of Bowling Green, and past Grand Chaplain of 
the F. and A. M. 

Rev. Drane has traveled much, having toured the 
whole country on business or pleasure trips. He 
was married in 1910, to Miss Mary F. Jordan, of 
May’s Lick, Ky. They have one son, Joseph Frank¬ 
lin Drane, who will soon be a pupil in the public 
school. 



J95 








JOHN B. KEY. 



HE life of John B. Key, should he 
an inspiration to any boy who has 
for his ambition the acquiring of 
a good share of this world’s 
goods ; for in this story we have 
a lad who earned his way in the 
common schools by shining shoes 
—advanced to the position of ow¬ 
ner of Real Estate and Oil Lease Business, and 
worth in his own right over one million dollars. 

John B. Key is a southerner by birth. He was 
born in Florence Alabama, June 10, 1867. Here 
he lived with his parents till he was nine years of 
age. Up to that time he was a little farm lad, at¬ 
tending school during the short sessions held in the 
rural districts. At the age of nine he was sent to 
his first cousin in Memphis, Tennessee, Mr. Ran¬ 
dall Clay, who was a finished mechanic in the 
James and Graham Wagon Factory. Here his op¬ 
portunities for getting an education were greater. 
He entered the Clay Street Public School. Here 
he remained, applying himself to the work in 
hand till he completed the English branches. 
In order to remain in school for this length of time 
he had to work at something that would take only 
out of school time. For this purpose he chose 
shoe-shining. After leaving school he tried work¬ 
ing successively in Foundry, Hotel and Wagon 
Factory. 

While still a young man, Mr. Key worked his 
way from the position of porter to that of clerk 


in one of the best white hotels of that period, and 
operated the United States Barber Shop, at Hot 
Springs, Arkansas. Later he moved to Port Ar¬ 
thur, Canada, and clerked in the Northern Hotel. 
But Mr. Key was not altogether satisfied with the 
life of a hotel clerk. He felt that there were big¬ 
ger things and better opportunities in store for 
him. So once more we find him moving. This 
time he moved out to the territory of Oklahoma, 
in 1891. Here he got a farm for himself and set 
for himself the task of learning to run it. This 
was a farm of 160 acres of land. Mr. Key has 
never since given up his interest in farms and farm¬ 
ing. At present he own 2800 acres of farm land. 
Later he engaged in the Mercantile business. In 
this business he continued till 1917, when he open¬ 
ed up a real estate and oil lease business. In 
this business he is still engaged and it is growing 
rapidly under his direction. He organized a com¬ 
pany with a capital stock of $100,000 under the 
corporate name of J. B. Key Oil & Gas Company, 
which has secured some of the best oil leases in the 
Peoner Oil Fields, and is now drilling in the fam¬ 
ous Willcox Pool, in the heart of production. In 
addition to this lease the company owns leases on 
several thousand acres. 

It is the purpose of this company to erect a re¬ 
finery and conduct a banking business in addition 
to boring for oil and gas. In addition to the 
land owned by Mr. Key he has several blocks of 
improved real estate and considerable interests in 
valuable oil production, to the amount of over one 
million dollars. He has just finished two more 
blocks of fine three-story brick buildings contain¬ 
ing 128 rooms and 6 stores, 25 by 100 feet. 

Mr. Key is a member of the A. M. E. Church, 
being a Trustee and Steward of the Church of 
which he is a member. But in religious matters, 
Mr. Key is broad and liberal. He visits all the 
Churches of the colored people of Okmulgee and 
contributes liberally to the support of them all. 
In this manner, Mr. Key shows that he is broad¬ 
er than any creed. In fraternal matters, Mr. Key 
is a member of the Knights of Pythias, of the Mo- 
siac Templars of America and of the United Bro¬ 
thers of Friedship. In the order of the Knights of 
Pythias he serves as Grand Master of EXQ. 

Mr. Key is the President of Flipper-Key-Davis 
University, he is also a member of the board 
of Trustees. This school is maintained by the 
A. M. E. Church in the State of Oklahoma. The 
school has his name as a part of its own. He is 
not only President and Trustee but a very liberal 
supporter of this institution of learning. 

As recorded in the first part of this sketch, Mr. 
Key went with his work from place to place. And 
so in travels he has gone over the whole of the 
United States, over part of Canada, and has trav¬ 
eled extensively in Mexico. 

Mr. Key was married to Miss Annie B. Collins 
on the 22nd day of February, 1888. She has 
been a true helpmate to him. In all his business 
undertakings he has asked for and gotten her ad¬ 
vice and very frequently it was the joint plans, 
rather than the plans of one that have made the 
successful business deals. 

There are no children in the family, but the 
Key’s have made up for this by loving and rearing 
the children of relatives. 


396 















Thomas F. Parks 


R. Parks was born in Albany, Ga., 
in 1864. When a child his parents 
moved to Greensboro, Ga., where 
he received his first school train¬ 
ing. This was very meagre and 
when he moved to Louisville, Kv., 
he brought with him the determination to succeed. 
Unable to go to school, in the day time as he was 
compelled to earn his living, he entered a night 
school where in a remarkably short time he became 
proficient in all branches necessary to business suc¬ 
cess. Quick to see and grasp an opportunity, Mr. 
Parks was impressed with the fact that there was 
a splendid field for the development cv an insurance 
agency that catered exclusively to the Negroes. 
He became identified with the Insurance business 
in 1899. and is today special agent for the National 
Benefit Association of Washington, D. C„ and one 
of the leading producers for that company. In 
settling the death claims incident to this business, 
he saw the need of a cemetery where his peoples 
last resting place would be a beautiful tribute of 
the love and affection of those left behind. It was 
with this idea in view that he organized a stock 
company and purchased the site for beautiful 
Greenwood Cemetery. A park located right in the 
city, and one that could hardly be purchased to- 

day. 

To quote the Company’s circular: “About twelve 
years ago the Greenwood Cemetery was opened; 
since that time more than three thousand of our 
relatives and friends have been buried there, a 
statement that shows what the cemetery has 
meant to the colored people of Louisville. 

Quite different were the impulses which prompt¬ 
ed Mr Parks to enter the real estate business. He 
was paying rent. He figured that if he could only 
get the first house he could make one building pay 
for the other. 

To accomplish this he joined a building and loan 
association, paying $50.00 per month for mem¬ 
bership fee, then he borrowed $800.00 from the 
company and $200.00 from a bank and put up for 
himself a two and a half story brick house. Then 
he began to put up other houses until today he 
owns and collects rents from eight houses, this in 
addition to his two and half story residence. 


Mr. Parks once started a dairy business, but 
about the time he was beginning this, he was ad¬ 
vocating that the city appoint a truant officer to 
look after absent colored children who stay from 
school. As he had been chief advocate, he was ap¬ 
pointed. Thus, he had to sell his dairy outfit. In 
working as truant officer he found that the child¬ 
ren were not only out of school, but were sadly ig¬ 
norant, they and their parents of the opportunities 
for an education. 

Thoroughly engrossed in business and uplift 
work, Mr. Parks has given but little time to other 
organizations. He is a Mason, an Odd Fellow and 
a Knight of Pythias. He once served for nine 
vears as Vice-President of the Board of Guardians 
for Children. 

Beyond membership in these bodies and his bus¬ 
iness, Mr. Parks devotes most of his time to his 
family. He was married in 1887, to Miss Tola May 
Lewis, of Louisville. Two boys and a Girl com¬ 
pose the family circle in the splendid Parks brick 
home on Chestnut Street. They are Lewis Parks, 
who was formerly a student at Ohio State Univer¬ 
sity, but had to cease studying on account of ill 
health; Miss Margaret, who was graduated from 
the Louisville High School, and from Fisk Univer¬ 
sity, carrying off at Fisk the highest honors, and 
Albert Paul, who is associated with the father in 
business. 

Mr. Parks realizes keenly that this is the day v>f 
the highly developed specialist and of the thor¬ 
oughly trained business man and is determined to 
hold what he has so successfully fought to gain. 
With this end in view he has taken his son, Albert 
Paul, into business with him and is giving him the 
advantage of his practical experience. Many boys 
are given the advantage of a thorough education, 
and many are given the advantage of a practical 
training, but fortunate is the boy that has the ben¬ 
efit of both under the care of a loving father. 

Desirous of securing a first hand estimate of Mr. 
Parks as a public servant from the officers of the 
city of Louisville, the authors interviewed several, 
which resulted in convincing them that Mr. Parks 
record had given the officials a very high regard 
for him both as an officer and a man. 



397 




GEORGE CLAYTON SHAW, D. D. 

HE Mary Potter Memorial School, 
founded in 1910, by the present 
principal, Rev. G. C. Shaw. Rev. 
Shaw is a graduate of Lincoln 
University, (Pa.), class of 1886, 
and of Auburn Theological Semi¬ 
nary, Auburn, N. Y., in 1890. He also studied one 
year at Princeton, Theological Seminary, N. J. He 
was born at Louisburgh, N. C., in 1863, being next 
to the youngest of six children. His parents were 
slaves but his mother was given a fairly good edu¬ 



cation by her mistress. Also his two oldest sisters 
who were eight and six years old, respectively, at 
the close of the war, were taught to read and write 
and were among the first colored teachers of 
North Carolina, having begun to teach in 1872. 
Each of the six children began to teach as soon as 
they were old enough and there has not been a 
year since 1872 that some of them have not been 
teaching in North Carolina. 

Rev. Shaw married, in 1890, Miss Mary E. Lewis, 
of Penn Valley, Pa., a highly educated woman. 
She has been a faithful worker with her husband 
in establishing and developing Mary Potter School. 

While a student at Auburn, Rev. Shaw attracted 
the attention of Mrs. Mary Potter of Schenectady 
who became very much interested in him. Through 
her influence he went to Oxford, N. C. In addition 
to establishing the school which bears the name of 
his friend Mrs. Mary Potter, he organized a Pres¬ 
byterian Church. He is still pastor of the church and 
has organized in the county two other Presbyter¬ 
ian churches and one in the adjoining county 
(Vance). Mrs. Potter died soon after the work 
was started. Through her friends and the Freed- 
men’s Board of the Presbyterian Church, Rev. 
Shaw has been able to develop the work to its pres¬ 
ent proportions. It has 485 students. 

The school is conducted by Rev. Shaw along 
carefully conceived lines that not only equip the 
students for business and home, but impress upon 
them the beauties of a Christian life. A born ped¬ 
agogue, and a forceful speaker, Rev. Shaw is at all 
times the kindly gentle leader and instructor of 
youth. His sound judgment and wise policies have 
made him a capable leader of the older element in 
his community, and Dr. Shaw has the respect and 
esteem of both races. No man of any people could 
wish for a higher eulogy than was paid him by a 
prominent white citizen of Oxford, N. C., who said, 
“Dr. G. C. Shaw is a citizen that any town would 
be proud to claim.” 


































Reverend Mansfield Temple Cooper 


EVEREND Mansfield Temple 
Cooper is a native of Mississippi. 
He was born in Hinds County, 
Mississippi, in the year 1866. 
His father lived in the country, 
and the early life of Mansfield 
was spent on the farm. While he did his share of 
the farm work and was being trained in handling 
the hoe and plow the training of his mind was be¬ 
ing neglected for want of the proper facilities for 
educational development. He early evinced a de¬ 
sire to learn and to the credit of his father, this de¬ 
sire was enlarged rather than held back. To give 
him the proper mental training meant the loss of 
a worker on the farm, but this wise father saw the 
possibilities of a greater life for his son, if he was 
trained for service, and he cheerfully made the sac¬ 
rifice in the interest of his son’s education. When 
about twelve years of age, his father sent him to 
town where he could obtain better educational fa¬ 
cilities than the country afforded. 

Leaving the farm, he went to the town of Ed¬ 
wards, where he entered the public school. He ap¬ 
plied himself diligently to his books and proved a 
good student. By hard work he passed through 
the public schools ending with his course in the 
high school. After finishing at Edwards he went 
to Jackson, Mississippi, the capital of the state, and 
entered the High School there. He finished his 
course at the Jackson High School when he reached 
the age of nineteen, and then entered college. He 
first attended the Granada and Zion College, then 
entered Princeton University and Tougaloo Col¬ 
lege. At all of these institutions he applied him¬ 
self diligently, paying his way by hard work. 

While his father helped him to secure an educa¬ 
tion he did not depend upon him altogether, but 
worked to help himself. During the progress of 
his education and for some years after his grad¬ 
uation he followed the profession of teacher and 
at one time it seemed that this would be his life 
work, but God had other work for him, and laid 
its call upon his heart and conscience and finally 
led him to the ministry. He began to teach when 
he was sixteen years of age, and before he had fin¬ 
ished his High School Course. He left school when 
he was about twenty-two years old and first took 
up the occupation of teaching. His first appoint¬ 
ment was that of principal of the public school at 
Charleston, Mississippi, which he served for four 
years. He next served the school at Harrison 
Station, Mississippi, as principal for three years. 
This station is now known as Einid. His work at 
these schools was of the best and the- schools 
flourished under his management. 


From Harrison Station he went to Memphis, 
Tennessee. There he continued teaching for a 
short while, but gave it up to engage in manual 
labor. He continued at hard labor for sometime 
when he recognized the call to preach and then 
gave it up to prepare for the ministry. 

He entered the ministry in the year 1895 and 
since that date has been actively engaged in church 
work. When he gave himself to the work of the 
ministry he made a complete surrender of all per¬ 
sonal ambition and sought only to serve God and 
humanity. He went where duty called and regard¬ 
ed not the field from the standpoint of self. He 
was satisfied it he could serve and the larger the 
service the greater joy he experienced. In the 
course of his labors he has served some of the 
humblest mission stations and some of the leading 
churches in the State of Tennessee. 

Thirteen years out of the twenty-one years he 
has spent in Tennessee, he-has lived at Memphis. 
There he was pastor of Providence three years 
and accomplished a good work for his charge. He 
paid ofif a mortgage on the church property of over 
$2,000. During his pastorate at Tyler Chapel, he 
built a church edifice at a cost of $1500. He was 
pastor at St. Andrews for five years, and when he 
retired from that pastorate he had raised $5,000 
with which to erect a new building. 

In 1917 he returned to Providence church and 
is today the pastor of that people. 

It is not often that a pastor can return to a 
church that he formerly served and do his best 
work, but Rev. Cooper is an exception. He not 
only keeps up the interest of his flock in many 
lines of church work, but has reduced the debt on 
the church property from $4,000 to $1500. In 1916 
he was a delegate to the General Conference which 
met in Philadelphia. 

He has served on the board of trustees of Wil¬ 
ber force University, and is now a trustee of Tur¬ 
ner College, and has held the position for ten years. 
He was the Statistical Secretary of the West 
Tennessee Conference for seven years and could 
have continued, but resigned in favor of another. 

In 1892, he married Miss Clara Key, of Rober- 
sonville, Mississippi. They haye one child, Mans¬ 
field Temple Cooper, Jr. Rev. Cooper’s travels 
have been confined to the South and East. His 
extensive labors in connection with his church life 
have not. prevented him from taking an active in¬ 
terest in a number of fraternal organizations. 

He is a member of the Masons, Knights of Py¬ 
thias, Odd Fellows and the Knights of Tabor. For 
several years he was the Chancellor Commander 
of the Knights of Pythias. 



399 









ON. Harry C. Smith, the subject of 
this sketch, a native of West Vir¬ 
ginia, has lived for half a cen¬ 
tury in Ohio, at Cleveland, where 
he secured his education in the 
public schools of that city. It 
was in August, 1883, that Mr. Smith and three 
other members of the race started The Cleveland 
(Ohio) Gazette, which he has edited and managed 
from the beginning and owned for more than twen¬ 
ty-five years. It is the one race weekly newspaper 
in this country that has been issued every week on 
time since its birth twenty-six years ago—and has 
done such good, consistent and constant work for 
the colored people that it is known to Afro-Amer¬ 
ican readers throughout the country as one of 
their truest and best race newspapers and advo¬ 
cates, and its editor as one of their most aggress¬ 
ive and successful race leaders. 

When Senator Joseph Benson Foraker was Gov¬ 
ernor of Ohio, many years ago, he caused Harry C. 
Smith to be appointed a Deputy State Oil Inspect¬ 
or, the first time in their history the colored race 
had been so honored in this country. 


This position he held for four years. In 1893 
Mr. Smith was elected a member of the Ohio Leg¬ 
islature ; in 1895 and 1899 he was re-elected to a 
second and third term ,serving six years in all. His 
most conspicious work as a Legislator in the inter¬ 
est of his people was the passage of Ohio’s Civil 
Rights’ Law, in 1884, and Ohio’s Anti-Lynching 
Law in 1896. New York State’s “Malbv Civil 
Rights Law” and Illinois’ Anti-Lynching Law are 
largely copies of Ohio’s. Illinois and Ohio are the 
only States in the Union that have affective laws 
against mob violence and both were introduced by 
Afro-American Legislators. 

Editor Smith, though a member of the Legis¬ 
lature and a very busy one, too, continued his 
newspaper work. In recent years thrice Mr. Smith 
has successfully called upon the State Railroad 
Commission of Ohio to stop Southern railroads 
from running coaches bearing “Jim Crow” car 
signs into Ohio. 

The following tribute was paid to him by W. S. 
Scarborough, President of Wilberforce University: 

“This paper (Mr. Smith’s paper—The Gazette) 
has proven a success and is now by far the best 
Colored paper published in the State of Ohio, and 
is one among the best edited by Colored journalists 
in the United States. It is vigorous in tone, fear¬ 
less in its defense of right, a strong advocate of 
equal rights to all men without any distinction, an 
uncompromising enemy of prejudice in all its 
forms, and a staunch Republican in politics—with 
principle rather than expediency as the basis. 

Mr. Smith has always wielded an able pen for 
right and truth. He has fought squarely in be¬ 
half of his race, demanding for it recognition wher¬ 
ever denied. No other proof of this is needed than 
The Gazette itself.” 

Hon. Frederick Douglas pays him this tribute 
a few years prior to his death: 

“In the midst of hurried preparations for a long 
tour in Europe I snatched my pen and spend a few 
moments to tell you how completely I sympathize 
with your political attitude.” Then again he adds: 
‘I do exhort your readers to stand by you in your 
efforts to lead the Colored citizens of Ohio to wise 
and successful political action.” 

Tributes such as the above are well worth striv¬ 
ing for, and when deserved, speak volumes as to 
the character and ability of the one to whom they 
are paid. Mr. Smith is eminently deserving of the 
tribute. 



400 

















Charles 


Banks 



HE fact that he 


engineered 


the 

tour of the Tuskegee “Wizard” 
through Mississippi is sufficient 
proof that Mr. Banks stands far 
above the ordinary man. Booker 
T. Washington made mistakes, as 
who does not, hut in some things he was exceed¬ 
ingly sure. It is doubtful if the Founder of Tuske¬ 
gee ever made a bad speech or made a bad select¬ 
ion of a man to do a particular job. Banks is cer¬ 
tainly a demonstration of Dr. Washington’s ability 
to select men who could combine action with 
thought. He was Dr. Washington’s special choice 
because the Tuskegean discerned that Charles 
Banks could stem the tide of prejudice of the white 
Mississippian, the tide of superstition of the black 
Mississippian, the tide of competition of the Negro 
banker and the tide of jealousy of the politician. 

Another reason Dr. Washington clung to Charles 
Banks was that the latter was an instance of one 
of Dr. Washington’s theories. Not a pure blooded 
Negro himself, he nevertheless believed in the abil¬ 
ity of men of genuine African blood, so that he 
could point to these and no one could say, “An well 
it’s the white blood that’s in him that accounts for 
his success.” Thus it was he was fond of having 
ever ready men like Dr. Moton, Bishop Clinton, and 
Charles Banks to prove beyond a doubt that the 
Negro race, regardless of individual complexion 
was capable of the highest degree of civilization 
and refinement. 

There is as great a variety of business men as 
there are differences in men generally. Some men 
have only one idea and bend all of their energies 
to working it out; some men can only see beyond 


their nose, and are too timid to venture out of their 
sight—some men have visions of large ventures, 
but lack the ability to work them out; others have 
the visions and the skill to execute and become the 
founders of great enterprises. Of this latter class 
belongs Charles Banks, the subject of this sketch. 

Mr. Banks was born at Clarksdale, Mississippi, 
March 25, 1873, and has spent his life in his native 
State. He is the son of Daniel A. and Sallie Ann 
Banks. He received his education in the public 
schools and at Rust College, Holly Springs, Miss¬ 
issippi. 

In 1893, he married Miss Trenma O. Booze, of 
Natchez, Mississippi. She has contributed largely 
to the wonderful success of her husbands cateei. 
She is a woman of high character and culture and 
deservedly takes a position of leadership among 
the women of her race in Mississippi. From 1889 


to 1903, Mr. Banks was engaged in a mercantile 
business in Clarksdale, under the firm name of 
Banks & Bro.; they r did a general merchandise bus¬ 
iness. 

In 1903, he made his home in Mound Bayou, and 
organized the Bank of Mound Bayou, which is 
capitalized for $100,000. He served the bank as 
Cashier for eleven years. In 1907, he organized 
the Mound Bayou Oil Mill and Manufacturing 
Company, a corporation of $100,000 capital. It is 
the only manufactory of such proportion owned by 
the colored race in America. He is general man¬ 
ager of the company. 

He also organized the Mound Bayou Land and 
Investment Company, with a capital of $50,000, 
which has for its aim the keeping of the farm lands 
in and around Mound Bayou in the ownership of 
the Negro. 

He is a director of the Union Guaranty Company 
of Jackson, Miss., and of the Mississippi Beneficial 
Insurance Company, of Indianola. In a word he 
stands in the front rank of the progressive and in- 
fluencial citizens of the Negro town of Mound Ba- 
YOU. 

In 1901 he was elected third Vice-President of 
the National Negro Business League, and in 1907 
was elected first Vice-President. 

He is a trustee of Wilberforce University, and of 
Campbell College. 

Mr. Banks is a Republican and has taken an ac¬ 
tive part in politics. In 1904 and again in 1908, he 
was a delegate to the Republican National Con¬ 
vention, and in 1912 he was a delegate at-large. He 
was the original Taft supporter in Mississippi, and 
at the Chicago Convention was the choice of the 
Negroes to second the nomination of Mr. Taft. He 
had charge of the tour of the late Dr. Booker T. 
Washington, through Mississippi, which was con¬ 
sidered by many to be the most elaborate demon¬ 
stration ever given the distinguished educator. 

Mr. Banks is a member of the African Methodist 
Episcopal Church, and is active in its work and 
support. Mr. Banks owns the controlling interest 
in the Mound Bayou Bank and is a large owner of 
town property and of the surrounding farm lands. 

He is connected with the leading fraternal or¬ 
ganizations among the Negroes. He is a Mason, 
member of Odd Fellows, and of Knights of Py¬ 
thias. 

Mr. Banks is not only a business man of high 
character, and remarkable executive ability, but he 
is a public speaker of unusual talent, 


401 









WILLIAM A. CREDITT, A. B„ A. M„ S. T. B„ 
D. D., LL. D. 


ILLIAM A. Creditt was born in 
the city of Baltimore, July 14th, 
1864. His parents, Bushrod Cre¬ 
ditt and Mary L. Creditt, were 
considered people of means and 
they were also free born. Mr. 
Creditt had all the advantages of 
the public schools of the city of 
Baltimore. He was very studious, and at the age 
of seventeen he had finished the public school 
course. He then matriculated at Lincoln Univer¬ 
sity. From this institution he was graduated with 
honor before he reached his twenty-first birthday. 
All through his college course he was an honor stu¬ 
dent and he had the honor of the philosophical Ora¬ 
tion. 

Dr. Creditt looked forward to the Gospel Min¬ 
istry from his earliest childhood. After finishing 
his college course he entered the post graduate 
course of the same institution, and upon the com¬ 
pletion of this course entered the old Newton The¬ 
ological Institution of Newton Center, Massachu¬ 
setts. This is the oldest and most renowned The¬ 
ological Institution among the White Baptists of 
America. From this institution he was graduated 
in 1899, with the honor of delivering the Class Ora¬ 
tion to the Boston Social Union, at Tremont Tem¬ 
ple. 

Dr. Creditt then entered upon a long life of use- . 


fulness. He was President of the Normal Depart¬ 
ment and University Preacher for a year. He 
served as pastor for the Corinthian Baptist Church, 
Frankfort, Kentucky, during the same year. He 
next took examination for professorship at the 
State Normal Institution in 1890. He retained the 
pastorate at Frankfort and at the same time served 
as Professor at the State Institution. In 1892 he 
accepted the- pastorate of the Berean Baptist 
Church, at Washington, D. C., and held this posi¬ 
tion for five years. One of the things in which 
Dr. Creditt takes pride is that while pastoring in 
Washington he frequently had in his audience at 
the same time, Hon. Frederick Douglass, Hon. 
John R. Lynch, Senator B. K. Bruce, and men of 
kindred significance While in Washington he did 
not confine his efforts to his church. He was in 
charge of the LTniversity Extension Course of 
Wavland Institution and lectured frequently at 
Howard University. He organized an Evening 
Bible Class. Upon leaving Washington he turned 
this class over to Howard University. Out of this 
class has grown the present evening class, at How¬ 
ard, for the training of young ministers. 

In 1897 he became pastor of the old Cherry 
Street Baptist Church, of Philadelphia. Under his 
leadership the church grew and purchased new 
property on 16th and Christian Streets. This was 
a step in the development of the church and a 
step in the advancement of the colored people of 
Philadelphia as well, for this purchase opened up 
to them one of the finest residential sections. Dr. 
Creditt kept the charge of this church till 1915, 
when he gave it up to devote more of his time to 
the Downingtown School. During his pastorate he 
added to the membership of the church an average 
of 100 members per year. 

One of the characteristics of this church and 
school worker is that of an organizer. He or¬ 
ganized the Reliable Mutual Aid Society of Phila¬ 
delphia, one of the strongest Industrial Insurance 
companies of the country. He was also one of the 
founders of the Cherry Building and Loan Associa¬ 
tion. Through these organizations he influenced 
a great number of people to buy their own homes. 
Not satisfied with working with the older people, 
Dr. Creditt with Mr. John S. Trower, his faithful 
friend, decided to found an Industrial School for 
the training of Colored Youths of the North, along 
industrial lines. Elsewhere in these pages the 
story of his school is told. It stands as a monu¬ 
ment to this man, who has never once lost courage 
during the years of the development of this school. 

Many honors have been showered upon Dr. 
Creditt because of his long years of usefulness. He 
has the degrees A. B., A. M., S. T. B., D. D., and in 
the year 1909 Lincoln University, his Alma Mater, 
conferred upon him the degree LL. D. Dr. Creditt 
was the fifth man in the institution to receive this 
degree. The National Baptist Convention invited 
him to deliver the Booker T. Washington Oration 
before that body in 1917. He is noted for his ser¬ 
mons and orations and is much in demand as a lec¬ 
turer and preacher. He has potential influence 
with the white citizens of this country and espe¬ 
cially the people of Pennsylvania ,and is one with 
marked influence among his own people. 



402 









DOWNINGTOWN INDUSTRIAL AND AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL 


OWNINGTOWN Industrial and 
Agricultural School grew out of 
the recognized need of training in 
these subjects for the colored 
Northern Youth. In the year 
1905, John S. Trower and William 
A. Creditt of Philadelphia, called together a number 
of leading colored men of various religious deno¬ 
minations from every section of the state of Penn¬ 
sylvania, and laid before them this great need. Af¬ 
ter consideration those present decided that the 
school be established. The charter of the Down- 
ingtown Industrial and Agricultural School was 
granted the same year and Dr. Creditt was pre¬ 
vailed upon to accept the presidency. 

The property now owned by this school was 
paid for by Mr. J. S. Trower, and his heirs still hold 
mortgages on the property. The property of the 
school consists of 110 acres of land valued at $8,250 
—one hundred acres of this land is cultivated as a 
school farm and ten acres are used as a campus. 
There are two large stone buildings used for dor¬ 
mitories, administration, and class rooms; two 
small stone buildings; a stone barn and two frame 
buildings. The total value of the buildings amounts 
to $44,850.00. In addition to this property there 
is movable property owned by the school which is 
valued at $9,000.00. 

The institution receives some aid from the State, 
which therefore has supervision of the financial af¬ 
fairs of the school. The State of Pennsylvania do¬ 
nates to the upkeep of the school the sum of 
$10,000.00. This amount, with the general dona¬ 
tions received and the money received from the va¬ 


rious departments of the institution form the bulk 
of the income for this plant. 

The motto of the institution is “Self Help 
Through Self Work.” To further the aims of the 
school the courses are planned to give to the indi¬ 
vidual student the studies that will best fit him 
for what he plans for his life work. In this way 
the student who has for his object the work in 
trade is given more time in trade work and the 
minimum of work in the literary subjects. The 
reverse is true when the student is striving toward 
a vocation in the professional world. In this case 
the maximum of literary work is given and the 
minimum of trade work. 

The Downington Industrial and Agricultural 
School fills a unique place in the State in which it 
is located. All the opportunity necessary for a cer¬ 
tain kind of education was already provided by the 
State. But this institution has its place in the 
training of the Northern youth, along industrial 
lines. That the school is on the hearts of the col¬ 
ored people of Pennsylvania is shown by the num¬ 
ber of colored churches and organizations of one 
kind or another that help the school. The Auxi¬ 
liary that gives the greatest amount of help is the 
Fanny Coppin Association. This is a body of two 
hundred women. They have rallied to the needs 
of the institution and have been instrumental in 
getting a great deal of aid for it. 

There are a number of influential people who are 
personally interested in the success of this venture 
to give industrial training to the colored youth of 
the North. 



403 

















REVEREND CALVIN SCOTT BROWN 


E\ . Calvin Scott Brown was born 
in Salisbury, N. C., March 23, 
1857. His early days were spent 
amid the trying scenes which fol¬ 
lowed the Civil War, a period of¬ 
ten referred to as “Reconstruct¬ 
ion da\s, and which was fraught with grave prob¬ 
lems for white and black to solve. His father died 
when he was a mere lad, leaving his mother depen¬ 
dent upon hei son for a support. To assume such 
a responsibility at such a time was a man’s work, 
but young Brown went to his task with a brave 
heart and a strong affection for his widowed mo¬ 
ther. 

When the soldiers were relieved of the care of 
the Federal Cemetery at Salisbury, this young 
boy was employed to look after it, which he 
did, among his duties being that of keeping the re¬ 
cord of those buried there. The placing of such a 
task upon such young shoulders speaks highly of 
his ability no less than his reliability. 

The first school he attended was one opened by 
the Friends Association of Philadelphia, at Salis¬ 
bury. Here he made remarkable progress and in 
the end of his course he received a first grade 


teacher’s certificate. This was in the year 1878. 
when he had reached his twenty-third birth-day. 

In 1879 he entered Shaw University and gradua¬ 
ted from both the college and theological depart¬ 
ments in 1886. When he entered Shaw University 
he had only $5.00 in his pocket, but he made 
a start with this small sum and a brave heart and 
worked his way through. He took part in a de¬ 
bate which held out a scholarship as the prize and 
came out victor. This helped him through col¬ 
lege. 

His diligent and commendable demeanor won for 
him the close friendship of President Tupper, who 
made him his private Secretary. 

He started upon his career as a school teacher 
and in 1886 he founded and became President of the 
Waters Normal School, a rural school of elemen¬ 
tary grade. He is still the head of this Institu¬ 
tion. Rev. Brown is a Baptist, and for twenty- 
two years he has held the office of President of the 
Fott Carey Foreign Mission Convention and for 
thirty-four years he has held the position of Cor¬ 
responding Secretary of the North Carolina Bap¬ 
tist State Convention. He is pastor of four large 
country churches and moderator of the Baptist As¬ 
sociation of which his churches are members. 

His work in connection with the Fott Carey Con¬ 
vention has caused him to become a great traveler. 

He made an inspection trip to Hayti in an effort 
to organize the Baptist interest there; he visited 
Fiberia to bring about the centralization of the 
Baptist missions in that country; he attended the 
World’s Baptist Congress, which met in London, 
and made an address in Albert Hall. He made 
two tours of Europe and has visited the principal 
countries and cities of Northern Africa ; he has vis¬ 
ited Hayti, Santo Domingo and Porto Rico. He 
has served as Grand Secretary of the Good Temp¬ 
lars ; Grand Chief and Supreme Grand Secretary of 
the Good Samaritans; and is now officially con¬ 
nected with the Masons, Odd Fellows and Knights 
of Pythias. He was for several years a member of 
the County Board of Education. 

Rev. Brown was married in December, 1886 to 
Amaza J. Drummond, of Lexington, Virginia. She 
has borne him eight children, four of which are 
boys and four girls; William D; Flora B. Joyner; 
Julia A. Delaney; Calvin S. Jr.; Marie E.; Purcell 
T.; Enice H.; and Schley Brown. Those (that are 
grown) are filling useful places in life. No great¬ 
er joy can come to parents than to see their chil¬ 
dren walking uprightly and working industriously 
Rev. Brown owns his own home, situated in Win- 
ton, North Carolina, and worth $3500; also two 
farms, one valued at $6000, and one at $1500; in ad¬ 
dition to these he owns other buildings of less val¬ 
ue. 



404 






PARTIAL VIEW OF CAMPUS—INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE, 


N 1895 two colored workers seeing 
the need of some training for the 
very young colored children in 
and around Topeka founded a 
kindergarten and sewing school. 
The work was one that was need¬ 
ed. The children continued to come and still needed 
the training after they had passed the kindergarten 
age. In 1900 the work was placed under a board of 
trustees. Seven years later the State Agricultural 
and Industrial Department was created and appro¬ 
priations made for the erection of buildings. The 
schools were then taken over by the State and put 
under a board of regents appointed by the Gover¬ 
nor. There is still an independent board of trus¬ 
tees, but they act in an advisory capacity only. 

For a number of years Prof. Wm. R. Carter was 
at the head of this institution. But in 1918 he re¬ 
signed, and Prof. G. R. Bridgeforth was given the 
presidency. Mr. Bridgeforth’s training for the po¬ 
sition has been a very thorough one. 

His early training was received in the A. 
M. A. Schools of Alabama, the last of which 
was Talladega College. From Talladega he went 
to the Amherst Agricultural College, in Massachu¬ 
setts. After graduating from Amherst, Prof. 
Bridgeforth went to Tuskegee Institute, Alabama. 
Here for a number of years he served as the head 
of the Agricultural Department. In this work at 
Tuskegee he got all the training that is necessary 
for him to make a success of his new field. He had 
under him a number of teachers and had all the du¬ 
ties that devolve upon the head of such a large de¬ 
partment. Leaving 1 uskegee in 1918, Mr. Bridge¬ 
forth assumed the duties of the President of To¬ 
peka Industrial and Educational Institute. 

The enrollment of the Ransas Industr lal and Ed¬ 
ucational Institute ranges from 128, to 175 with 20 
teachers. Of this number about half are from Kan¬ 
sas, and the rest from other states. In this school 


only a few students below the seventh grade are 
admitted. There has been constantly an effort to 
keep the elementary work confined to the seventh 
and eighth grades. In the secondary work there 
are four years. 

In the Industrial courses, Laundrying, cooking, 
and sewing are provided, for the girls ; and tailor¬ 
ing, woodworking, printing, blacksmithing and 
auto repairing for the boys. In the Agricultural de¬ 
partment a genuine effort is made to give thorough 
instruction in Agriculture. All the pupils below 
the Senior class are required to pursue the full 
course in market gardening and poultry raising. 

The School was made a State Institution by the 
Kansas Legislature of 1919. The State made an 
appropriation of $90,700 for two years support. 
The value of the plant is estimated at $225,000. The 
sources of income are State appropriations, $90,700 
for two years; tuition and fees, $1,359; donations, 
$1,351; special receipts $408; miscellaneous $712. 
This money is spent wisely for the various needs of 
the school, and the accounts turned over to the 
board of regents. 

The school owns 105 acres of land, some two 
miles out of Topeka. Of this 80 acres are under 
cultivation, 15 acres are in pasture, and 10 acres in 
the campus. 

This land is valued at $21,000. The school has its 
own water system, and the whole plant is in a well 
kept condition. The buildings are well construct¬ 
ed and very attractive. They are all made from 
stone, which was quarried on the place. There are 
five buildings, three cottages and a stone barn. The 
cottages are used as homes for the teachers. The 
other buildings are Boys’ dormitory, Girls’ dormi¬ 
tory, Boys’ Industrial Building, Administration and 
Class room building, and Girls trade building. The 
first three named are three-story buildings, and the 
last two are only two-stories high. The plant is 
attractive, well kept, and used to good advantage. 



405 











BENJAMIN BRAWLEY 


HE subject of this sketch is class¬ 
ed by Dr. John Hope, President 
of Morehouse College, as the best 
posted English scholar of the 
Race. Not many young men with 
the great advantages of birth and 
education, enjoyed by Benjamin Brawley, have 
made the most of them in the thorough manner 
that he has. It was his good fortune to have for his 



father, Dr. E. M. Brawley, who was at that time, 
and still is, one of the greatest teachers the race 
has produced. 

Although his training was not confined to the 
home, this added to his public school instruction, 
accounts for the early age at which Mr. Brawley 
finished his college work. 

Born in Columbia, S. C., April 22, 1882, Mr. 
Brawley’s parents moved with him to Nashville, 
Tenn., then to Petersburg, Va., when he was a 
mere lad, and in both places he was sent to the 
public schools. Mr. Brawley proved such an apt 
pupil, that he soon entered Morehouse College, 
where he graduated with the degree of A. B., in 
1901. Although he had not reached his 20th birth¬ 
day the work done by him in the class room was 


so exceptional, the president of the college asked 
him to return to the school as instructor in En¬ 
glish. This ofifer was accepted by Mr. Brawley and 
this position held by him for five years. 

Mr. Brawley then took a literary course in Chi¬ 
cago University. On receiving his degree of A. B., 
in 1906, he returned to Morehouse as professor of 
English, which position he held until 1910. Mr. 
Brawley then accepted a position as professorship 
of English at Howard University, Washington, D. 
C., and at the same time served as head of the de¬ 
partment of English for two years. The President 
of Morehouse, however, had no idea of losing this 
brilliant young instructor, so persuaded him to re¬ 
turn to his Alma Mater in 1912, as Dean, which 
position Mr. Brawley still holds. 

In 1907, 1908, Mr. Brawley studied a year at Har¬ 
vard University, where he won his Masters De¬ 
gree. Since that time he has spent a year of study 
in Chicago University. While serving as Dean of 
Morehouse, Mr. Brawley has spent the summers 
of 1912, 1914, 1915 as an instructor in the summer 
school at Hampton Institute. 

He is a lecturer of note and a man interested in 
all the problems pertaining to college work and col¬ 
lege life. At present he is serving as President of 
the Association of Colleges of Negro Youth. In 
this capacity he has the opportunity to influence 
for good the work of all the institutions for the 
higher training of young people of the colored race. 

Not only is Mr. Brawley known to all educated 
Negroes as a good teacher and an authority on 
cpiestions of English, but be is widely known as an 
author. His “History of the American Negro is be¬ 
ing used as a text book in some of the schools 
where the wish is to have Negro children know all 
about the lives and the works of their people. 
Among the works published by Mr. Brawley, are: 

“A Short History of the American Negro,” Mac¬ 
Millan, 1913-revised 1919; “History of Morehouse 
College,” 1917; “The Negro in Literature and 
Art”, Dufifield & Co., 1918; “Our Negro Neigh¬ 
bor,” MacMillan, 1918; “Africa and the War,” Duf- 
field, 1918; “New Era Declamations,” Sewanee Un¬ 
iversity Press, 1918; “Women of Achievement,” W. 
A. B. H. M. Society, Chicago, 1919. This is a not¬ 
able list of work from the pen of one so young as 
Mr. Brawley. He has given himself unreservedly 
to the work of a man of close studious habits. 

In July, of 1912, Mr. Brawley married in Wash¬ 
ington, D. C., Miss Hilda Demaris Prowd, of 
Kingston, Jamaica, B. W. I. Mrs. Brawley is 
a woman of great personal charm and one who 
takes pride in the literary attainment of her hus¬ 
band, giving to him the moral support that has 
helped him in his achievements in recent years. 


406 












TINGLEY MEMORIAL HALL—CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY 

of land, seven brick and five frame school buildings 
all valued at about $300,000. 

The Institution employs 25 teachers and enrolls 
about 600 students annually. 

On account of the lack of rural schools for color¬ 
ed youth, the Institution, like most others of its 
kind, is obliged to maintain Grades for the majority 
of its students. These are followed by two paral¬ 
lel courses, Teacher Training and College prepara¬ 
tory. Then follows a four years College course 
leading to the degrees A. B. and B. S. 

The Institution also maintains a large Industrial 
plant, a business course, and cultivates a well 
equipped farm. 

RESOURCES 

Claflin University is supported in part by Annual 
appropriations from the Freedman’s Aid Society of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church, by the John F. 
Slater fund, by the S. C. Annual Conference of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church and by special dona¬ 
tions from friends North. 

The Institution now has a productive endow¬ 
ment of $60,000, and has on hand a lively campaign 
for an additional forty thousand. It is probable 
that no school in the South has a stronger local 
backing. The friends of higher Christian education 
in South Carolina are determined to place the Insti¬ 
tution not only in class A, but among the very best 
of its kind. L. M. Dunton has been its President 
for thirty-four years. 


T the close of the war between the 
States the Methodist Episcopal 
Church was foremost in establish¬ 
ing missions and schools both 
among the Freedmen and the ru¬ 
ral white people. As a result the 
Methodist Episcopal Church now has one or more 
Conferences in each of the Southern States and 
more than forty schools. 

Claflin University, founded in 1869 by the Claflin 
family of Boston, is one of this system of schools. 
Courses of study have been provided with wise ref¬ 
erence to the needs of the many in the most useful 
subjects. 

Teacher training, manual training and Christian 
training have been especially emphasized. A full 
College course, however, has been maintained for 
the few who desired to enter professional life. 

Claflin University being under the control and 
supported very largely by the Methodist Episcopal 
Church has stressed the training of its youth for 
efficient service in the Church as well as in the 
world. Its motto has been, “ 1 raining for Charac¬ 
ter”. This is in accordance with the teaching of 
the Book of Books. “Seek ye first the Kingdom of 
God and his righteousness and all these things shall 
be added unto you.” Learning, wealth or promi¬ 
nence are of little value unless they are re-inforced 
by enlightened and sturdy character. 

The Claflin University plant consists of 220 acres 



407 







































G. W. FRANKLIN 


few years ago a colored undertak¬ 
er, of Chattanooga, Tenn., sold a 
piece of city property for four¬ 
teen odd thousand dollars. He 
took some of the payments in 
cash, the others in notes. As the 
notes fell due the undertaker cashed them at the 
bank. “What, you mean to say, you are holding 
those notes and cashing them when they fall due? 

They had been used to having colored business 
people cash their notes at a discount, not to hold 
them for time and interest. The owner of these 
notes was G. W. Franklin of Chattanooga, Ten¬ 
nessee, undertaker, business man, farm-owner and 
President of the Negro National Undertakers’ As¬ 
sociation. 

Mr. Franklin began his career as a poor farm lad 
in Georgia. His education was meagre. Singu¬ 
larly enough his system of training was like that 
now in vogue in Tuskegee Institute. Mr. Frank¬ 
lin’s father was a blacksmith. He was ambitious 
to educate his two sons, and at the same time to 
train them in some useful occupation. Thus he 
employed them on alternate weeks paying the one 
who worked 50c per week. 


Having learned his trade, Mr. Franklin came to 
Chattanooga, and began the struggle for himself. 
While following the blacksmith trade, he took up 
the study of undertaking. In a little while he 
was starting his business on a small scale. Now 
he added a horse, now a vehicle, most of the vehi¬ 
cles however he made himself, as they were too 
expensive for his very small purse—small at that 
time. 

Though he made most of the vehicles, Mr. Frank¬ 
lin found with buying lumber the process was very 
expensive. Thus instead of purchasing lumber, 
he turned his attention to farms. He searched 
out a farm with plenty of timber on it, bought the 
tools for his shop and began the task of making 
hearses and carriages, indeed practically every 
kind of woodwork used in his business, 

‘A es sir,” said Mr. Franklin, “I lie on my bed at 
night and work out all my designs. I rent my 
farms and use the timber as lumber for my vehi¬ 
cles.” 

Mr. Franklin keeps a stable of 40 odd horses, 
with plenty of carriages and hearses to match. He 
has educated his son and so taught him the bus¬ 
iness that the son can manage almost as well 
as the father. A New York paper places Mr. 
Franklin’s worth at $52,000, which is very conser¬ 
vative. 

But G. W. Franklin is a good deal more than 
a maker of money. He is a most useful citizen. 
Every Sunday finds him in the choir of the Chat¬ 
tanooga M. E. Church, where he faithfully plays 
the cornet for religious services. He has been 
President of the Negro Undertakers’ Association 
for many years. More than this he is a good 
speaker. 

“Dr Washington swung me off,” he says, “I 
was timid, afraid, but Dr. Washington told me to 
just get up and tell what I did. I followed his 
advice and I have been speaking to all kinds of 
audiences ever since. 

Mr. Franklin has continually improved on his ed¬ 
ucation by travel and contact until he is not only 
one of our best business men, but a man of edu¬ 
cation and refinement. 

Working up from a boyhood of poverty and 
want to a manhood where command of thous¬ 
ands of dollars is his, to a manhood where the 
respect and the esteem of the people of his 
community are given unreservedly, this is the 
life of Mr. Franklin in a nut-shell. A man with 
the determined character of G. W. Franklin would 
make good in any line he cared to undertake for 
his life work. One of the things that has contri¬ 
buted largely to the success of this man in his line 
of business is his careful attention to detail. 



408 














BYRD PRILLERMAN, B. S., M. A., LITT. D. 


YRD Pillerman was born in Frank¬ 
lin County, Virginia, October 19, 
1859. He now lives at Institute, 
West Virginia. He was born a 
slave, being the youngest of the 
seventeen children of Franklin 
and Charlotte prillerman. He 
takes his surname from his ma¬ 
ternal grandfather, Jacob Prillerman, who was 
the owner as well as the father of his mother. 



The Prillermans came from Holland about 1760, 
and settled in Franklin County, \ irginia. 

In 1868, young Prillerman, then eight years of 
age, walked with his parents and other membei s 
of the family from Franklin County, Virginia, to 
Kanawha County, West Virginia, and settled on a 
farm near Charleston. The distance walked was 
250 miles. The journey was taken in March. 

Byrd first attended school in Charleston, in 1872, 
after the death of his father. He then attended 
school at his home, Sissonsville, West Virginia, un¬ 
til he was twenty-years of age, when he became a 
teacher of the same school November 10, 1879. Af¬ 
ter teaching three or four terms he entered Knox¬ 
ville College, Knoxville, Tennessee, September 3, 
1883. He graduated from this institution with the 
deo-ree of Bachelor of Science in May, 1889. He 
returned to his home in West Virginia, and became 
a teacher in the public schools of Charleston, West 
Virginia. He was largely instrumental in the 


409 


building up of the West Virginia Collegiate Insti¬ 
tute and became the first assistant teacher in this 
institution in 1892. He has been connected with 
this institution as teacher and president since that 
date. On the death of President J. McHenry Jones, 
September 22, 1909, he was the next day made 
President of the State Board of Regents, in which 
capacity he has served with a marked degree of 
success. Under his administration the course of 
study has been so improved that graduates from 
the secondary course of the institution enter the 
best colleges and universities of the West without 
examination. The name of the school has been 
changed from the West Virginia Colored Institute 
to the West Virginia Collegiate Institute, and was 
raised to college rank by an act of the Legislature 
in 1915. 

He owns a farm near Sissonsville, where he was 
reared, a house and lot in Charleston, a small farm 
at Institute, and several vacant lots. He is a lay 
member of the Baptist Church. He has served as 
moderator and clerk of the Mount Olivet Baptist 
Association, of which Booker T. Washington was 
clerk from 1872 to 1875. Mr. Prillerman has the 
distinction of being the only lay-man in West 
Virginia to serve as moderator of an association. 
He is now President of the West Virginia Sunday 
School Convention. Mr. Prillerman became a 
member of the Executive Committee of the West 
Virginia Sunday School Association in 1918. In 
the same year, he was made a member of the Ex¬ 
ecutive Committee of the International Sunday 
School Association and attended the session in To¬ 
ronto, Canada, February, 1919. 

He is a Republican and was an alternate Delegate 
to the Republican National Convention in Chicago, 
which nominated Theodore Roosevelt for Presi¬ 
dent. He has served as a Notary Public since 
March 17, 1897. 

He has taught some in each year since 1879. He 
was largely instrumental in organizing the West 
Virginia Teachers’ Association, which he served as 
President for nine years. He is a trustee of the 
National Training School for Women and Girls at 
Washington, D. C. In 1895, Westminster College 
New Wilmington, Pa., conferred upon him the de¬ 
gree of M. A. In 1916 Selma University (Ala¬ 
bama) conferred upon him the degree of Litt. D. 
He has been an active member of the National Ed¬ 
ucation Association since 1891. 

Mr. Prillerman’s travels have been principally 
connected with the work of education. He has 
visited most of the schools in this country for the 
education of Negro youth and has been a regular 
attendant upon the National Education Association 
and the Association of Agricultural Colleges for a 
number of years. He attended the reception of 
President McKinley, in the White House in 1898, 
and of President Woodrow Wilson in 1914, where 
he was introduced to the President by President 
W. O. Thompson, of the Ohio State University. 
He was an honorary pall-bearer at the funeral of 
Dr. Booker T. Washington, with whom he was 
very intimately associated. 

Mr. Prillerman married Miss Mattie E. Brown, 
a graduate of Wayland Seminary, July 24, 1893. 
They have two boys, Delbert McCullouch and 
Henry Laurence, and two girls, Ednora Mae and 
Myrtle Elizabeth. 









JAMES C. NAPIER 




AMES C. Napier, was born in 
Tennessee, near Nashville, June 9, 
1848. He received his early edu¬ 
cation in the public schools and in 
1859 went to Wilberforce Univer¬ 
sity, Ohio, and thence to Oberlin 
College, Oberlin, Ohio, where , he remained until 
near the completion of his junior college year, 
when he left school to accept a position in the gov¬ 
ernment service war department, in Washington. 

While in Washington he took a course in the law 
department of Howard University, and graduated 
from that Institution in 1873. His residence in 
Washington also gave him an opportunity to study 
the methods of the world’s greatest debaters and 
to note the different styles of oratory. It would 
be difficult to conceive what influence they had 
upon his future career. 

While still in the government service he passed 
a civil service examination and became a clerk in 
the bureau of the sixth auditor, the first of his race 
in that branch of the government service. 

After one promotion he was appointed revenue 
agent for Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee, and 


Louisiana, and later returned to Nashville to be¬ 
come an internal revenue department gauger. 

When Grover Cleveland was elected President 
of the United States, the change in administration, 
brought about his retirement from office. 

Immediately after his retirement he began the 
practice of law in Nashville, and has been engaged 
therein ever since. He has taken a conspicuous part 
in the municipal affairs of Nashville, and was four 
times elected a member of the City Council. While 
a member of the Council he succeeded in securing 
the appointment of Negro teachers in the Negro 
public schools, and the erection of new and ad¬ 
ditional school buildings, and the increase of the 
educational and financial condition of the colored 
people. 

Mr. Napier reached the height of his govern¬ 
ment service when he was appointed Register of 
the Treasury at Washington, D. C., which position 
he held for a long period. 

Mr. Napier is not only a lawyer of high standing 
and ability, but a business man of judgment and 
fine executive turn. He is cashier of the Penny 
Savings Bank, of which Rev. Dr. R. H. Boyd is 
President, and he has been for several years chair¬ 
man of the Executive Committee of the National 
Negro Business League. 

He is a large property owner in Nashville, and 
is regarded as one of the most substantial colored 
citizens of Tennessee. 

In 1878 he married a daughter of Hon. John M. 
Langston, then United States minister to Hayti. 
Air. Napier is active in political affairs. He has 
been a member of the Republican State Executive 
Committee nearly twenty years, and has four times 
been a delegate to the Republican National Conven¬ 
tion, an unusual honor. Mr. Napier is not only in¬ 
terested in the. business movements of his race, but 
is keenly alive to every movement which has for 
its object their uplift and betterment. 

Though pushing his three score alotment of 
years, J. C. Napier is still exceedingly active in all 
his work. He runs his bank, keeps up his business, 
church and social relations, and still carries heavy 
cares of the race. Along with all his daily routine, 
which is tedious even for a young man, Mr. Na¬ 
pier took over the Presidency of the National 
Negro Business Men’s League, the largest organi¬ 
zation of its kind among colored people in the 
world. Booker T. Washington, the founder and 
till his death the president of this organization, has 
let this part of his mantle fall upon the shoulders 
of his life long friend. And he upon whom even 
the hem of the mantle of Booker T. Washington 
falls, needs to be a patient and stalwart worker. 
Mr. Napier is this. As president of this organi¬ 
zation he has been able to keep the organization 
in all of its units thoroughly alive and active and 
this too in the turmoil of war times when counter 
interests shut the door of so many men’s shops. 


410 









M iss Nannie H. Burroughs 


OW is the age when woman is 
coming into her own, and the 
world is fast recognizing her ca¬ 
pacity for labor in all depart¬ 
ments of life, religious, mental 
and physical. In that department 
of life which requires physical strength and endur¬ 
ance man has the advantage but in religious and 
mental endeavor she is his equal. Because of long 
training man may appear to excell woman in these 
departments but in reality he does not, and he is 
being brought face to face with that fact. 

Miss Nannie H. Burroughs is a striking illustra¬ 
tion of woman’s capacity for labor in these new 
fields. She is Corresponding Secretary of the 
Women’s Convention, Auxiliary of the National 
Baptist Convention and President of the National 
Training School for Women and Girls at Washing¬ 
ton, D. C., the only vocational training school for 
colored women in the world and is a writer and 
lecturer of rare powers, and a leader of unusual 
gifts and influence among the colored Baptists, 
who number nearly two thirds of the membership 
of the Negro churches in the land. 

Miss Burroughs was born in Orange, Va., May 
2, 1878. Her parents had been slaves, and her 
grandfather was known as “Lizah, the Slave Car¬ 
penter.” 

At the age of seven she was striken with typhoid 
fever, and remained out of school four years. On 
her return, for several years she made two grades 
a year, graduating from the high school and from 
the academic course in the Washington High 
School, making a good record in deportment and 
scholarship in both departments. 

On account of her remarkable oiatorical powers 
and executive ability, she was soon after head of a 
Girls’ Literary Society, and participated in all pub¬ 
lic debates. She took an active part m the chuich 
and Sunday School work. 

Leaving Washington, she became associate ed¬ 
itor of the Christian Banner, of Philadelphia. Re¬ 
turning to her home, she took a position as book¬ 
keeper for a manufacturing house. 

Her interest in the work of the Church brought 
her in contact with the officers of the National 
Baptist Convention. She was for several yeais 
private Secretary for Dr. L. G. Jordan, Secretary 
of the Foreign Mission Board,, and when the Wo¬ 
men’s Convention Auxiliary was organized, Miss 
Burroughs was selected to take part in the work. 
She lectured in various parts of the country, and 
wrote very much for denominational papers. New 
life came into the churches, and Missionary work 


was stimulated as never before. In the ten years 
since the Auxiliary was organized much good has 
been done, and in 1908, the colored women gave 
more than $13,000 for missionary and educational 
work. Many girls and boys have been brought 
from Africa to be educated by the National Bap¬ 
tist Convention and have returned home to work 
among their own people. Miss Burroughs says: 
“We do this because it strengthens our sympathy 
and makes us more convinced of our duty to our 
brothers who are bone of our bone and flesh of our 
flesh.” 

The work that perhaps will reflect the greatest 
credit upon this young woman as leader and or¬ 
ganizer, able to bring things to pass, is the estab¬ 
lishment of the National Training School for Wo¬ 
men and Girl’s, at Washington, D. C. This school 
was opened October 19, 1909. It is national in 
scope, and opened to women and girls of all de¬ 
nominations. Miss Burroughs is President, gnd 
directs the affairs of this school. She says the 
prospects are very bright for its success. 

“Two thirds of the colored women must work 
with their hands for a living, and it is indeed an 
oversight not to prepare this army of breadwinners 
to do their work well. 

In July, 1905, Miss Burroughs attended the 
World’s Baptist Congress, in London. She gave 
an address at the Congress on “Woman’s Part in 
the World’s Work,” which caused favorable com¬ 
ment from delegates from all parts of the world. 
The London Mirror said: “She was one of the most 
notable personages at the meeting. She addressed 
thousands at a great mass meeting in Hyde Park, 
London.” 

A friend writing of Miss Burroughs, says: “She 
lives a simple life, and is free from vanity and af¬ 
fection. She has a head full of common sense, and 
that head is well pinned on. Success does not turn 
it. Women in all walks of life admire her. She 
is not affected by praise. Here is a story of a young 
woman who is just beyond thirty and has come 
from the bottom of the round to the position of 
President of the only school of national character 
over which a Negro woman presides.” 

Miss Burroughs is part owner of the Douglass 
Building, Walnut Street, Louisville, a fine office 
building, headquarters of the Women’s Auxiliary, 
the Foreign Mission Board, and other work of the 
National Baptist Convention. She is the origina¬ 
tor and successful promoter of the “Negro Picture 
Calendar,” which, with its pictures of homes and 
incidents in the lives of colored people, has met 
with large success. 



411 






BISHOP GEORGE WYLIE CLINTON 


NE of the self made men of our 
race, is Bishop George Wylie 
Clinton. He was born of poor 
parentage, slave parents as a mat¬ 
ter of fact, and his father died 
when he was but two years of 
age. This put the matter of his education squarely 
up to the young fellow. But attend school he did 
and for a number of years. 

During his early life he lived on a farm doing the 
chores of a farm lad and taking advantage of the 
country schools that were near him, both public 
and private. Part of the time he walked to the 
nearest school, a distance of seven miles. This dis¬ 
tance seems great, but when you remember that 
he was a farm lad and that he had to milk the cows, 
three in number, before he could start on the jour¬ 
ney it seems a little harder. But Bishop Clinton 
was even then a man of determination. In order 
to get a chance to study he had to gather pine 
knots that he might have light to read. Part of the 
time he attended night school. This work went on 
till the young man was fifteen years of age. 


Under the tutorage of J. H. Stewart, Bishop 
Clinton was prepared for college. In October of 
1874 he entered South Carolina University, where 
he took up the classical College Course, going as 
far as the Junior Class. He also studied at Brain- 
ard Institute, at Chester, South Carolina, and for 
two years in Theological Department, in Living¬ 
stone College, Salisbury, N. C. Because of lack of 
funds Bishop Clinton through all these years had 
to work and work hard. He worked before and 
after school, he taught school during the summer 
vacations, he studied hard and entered the com¬ 
petitive examinations of scholarship in the State 
school at the age of fifteen. This he won and so 
his education was assured. 

At the age of sixteen years Bishop Clinton taught 
his first school. At the age of eighteen years he 
began the study of law under a white firm. This 
he gave up, however, when he felt that he was 
called to be a minister of the gospel. He then took 
up the study of the ministry and at the age of nine¬ 
teen was preaching. For thirteen years Bishop 
Clinton served as a pastor, for six years he served 
as an editor and for twenty-three years he has 
served as a Bishop in the African Methodist Epis¬ 
copal Zion Church. 

Bishop Clinton for the past twenty-five years has 
taken an active part in every movement for the 
betterment of the Negro race. He is widely known 
as a lecurer. He has for years lectured at Tuske- 
gee Institute, Alabama, he worked in the Campaign 
for War Funds, he has served in Educational Com- 
paigns conducted by his church, he has served three 
times in the Ecumenical Conference, he has served 
as President of Atkinson College, Madisonville, 
Kentucky. Everywhere he has gone and at all 
times he has worked for the betterment of the race. 

Bishop Clinton has been twice married. There 
is one son in the family, Geo. William Clinton, who 
is now a student in the Dental College of Philadel¬ 
phia. Bishop Clinton has traveled extensively, both 
in this country and abroad. He toured five states 
with Dr. B. T. Washington, has traveled in Canada, 
and while in Europe he visited Belgium, France, 
England, Ireland, Wales and Holland. 

It is estimated that the property holdings of 
Bishop Clinton amount to between $18,000.00 and 
$25,000.00. The home is valued at $10,000.00. 

Bishop Clinton has interested himself in all the 
lines of work taken up by the Colored people. He 
has also interested himself in the organizations 
that are conducted by them. He is a member of 
the Odd Fellows, and of the Masons. He is a man 
full of energy that he puts to work for his people 
and for his church. 



412 




George C. Hall, M. D. 


TARTING out in his public life with 
“A man can be whatever he 
chooses to be if he is willing to 
pay the price,” for a motto, Dr. 
George C. Hall has made the 
statement come true. The thing 
that he chose to make of himself was a great sur¬ 
geon, a surgeon that would be known for his good 
work regardless of color. He was willing to pay 
the price, the price of constant attention to duty, 
the price of never ceasing to study, the price of 
taking great care in the smallest detail, the price of 
serving all who came—he was willing to pay this 
price and he is today one of the most eminent sur¬ 
geons in the country. So far has his fame spread 
as a great surgeon that in every part of the coun¬ 
try there are persons who bare the mark of his 
knife on their bodies, and because of these scars 
they enjoy good health. 

Not only has Dr. Hall developed himself along 
the line of the surgeon, but he is a great teacher 
of surgery as well. To so many of the young men 
of the colored race who are aspiring to the medical 
profession, he is an inspiration. It is an inspira- 
toin to them to watch this great surgeon at his 
task. He has the patience to show and to teach 
them just how each step is taken in the work. Dr. 
Hall even goes one step farther—he can write in 
detail just how he has accomplished an end. 1 his 
gives him a place among the few great surgeons in 
the country, for from three standpoints he can see 
and perform his work—for himself alone, the swift, 
clean, sure work: for the student standing by and 
watching him—each step distinct and yet not slow; 
for the medical journals—where older doctors may 
see just how he has done the work and come back 
to him with criticisms and suggestions. 

Dr. Hall was born in Ypsilamti, Michigan, m 
1864. His father was a minister of the gospel in 
the Baptist Church. When the subject of this 
sketch was but five years old his father moved to 
the city of Chicago. Here he had advantages of 
good educational systems that gave him habits of 
close studiousness. From the Chicago High School 
he went to Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. 
From this school he was graduated with honors m 
the year 1886. The young student had his mind 
already made up as to the calling he wished to fol¬ 
low and so he lost no time when he returned to 
Chicago, in matriculating at the Bennett Medical 
College. He was not from a family that had wealth 
enough to support him through school for this 
great number of years, and so we find him working 
his way through college. For half the day he 


worked, the other half he devoted to study. So 
well did he apply himself to the tasks that were 
set for him that at the end of the course he was 
at the head of his class. This rank made him best 
out of a class of fifty-four young men who were 
about to begin the practice of medicine. 

After completing the course of study, Dr. Hall 
spent a great deal of time in the practice of his 
profession before he decided to specialize in surg¬ 
ery. For this work he studied under Dr. Byron 
Robinson and later under Dr. T. J. Watkins. He 
has operated in Chicago and out of the city. He 
has been before a number of the state Medical As¬ 
sociations where he has held surgical clinics, thus 
bringing to a great many of the doctors in the 
South, opportunities, here-to-fore denied them. 
Among these states are Alabama, Tennessee, Ken¬ 
tucky, Virginia, Georgia, and Missouri. Wher¬ 
ever Dr. Hall has gone his work has been eagerly 
received. 

Since the founding of Provident Hospital, Dr. 
Hall has been one of its main supporters. While 
still a physician he took his patients to the hospital 
and then helped plan for places for them. He 
has been an active member of the board of trust¬ 
ees since 1897, he was twice elected president of 
the medical staff and later he was chosen a mem¬ 
ber of the surgical staff. The hospital is dear to 
the heart of Dr. Hall and he gives to it some of his 
very best work. 

Not only is Dr. Hall interested in the Negro and 
his welfare from the standpoint of his health, but 
wherever there are movements for the improve¬ 
ment of the colored man, Dr. Hall is ready and will¬ 
ing to take a part. He is a director and treasurer 
of Frederick Douglass Center; a member of the 
Western Economic Society; chairman of the com¬ 
mittee in charge of the erection of the Y. M. C. A. 
Building; a member of the Chicago Association of 
Commerce; one of the organizers of the Local 
Medical Association and for a number of years a 
willing worker in the National Medical Associa¬ 
tion of Colored men. One of the pieces of work 
for which he deserves great credit is the organiza¬ 
tion of the Civic League of Illinois. Through this 
organization he has been enabled to bring about 
many improvements in the housing conditions of 
the colored people of Chicago. 

Dr. Hall has managed to save and invest some of 
the money he has earned in the practice of his pro¬ 
fession, and he is considered one of the substantial 
Colored citizens of the city of Chicago. Working 
with the advancement of his people ever in his 
mind and the development of his own skill as a sur¬ 
geon ever before him, Dr. Hall has made a place 
for himself that is enviable. “A man can be what¬ 
ever he chooses if he is willing to pay the price,” 
was in the case of Dr. Hall, an excellent motto. 



413 







REV. R. H. BOYD 

HE work of Rev. R. H. Boyd, for 
the development of his people is 
one of the most remarkable 
achievements in the history of the 
Race. Although past 74 years of 
age he is still active in all the 
affairs of the National Baptist 
Publishing House, which is the 
outgrowth of his well laid plans. This mammoth 
institution, owned and controlled and operated by 
Negroes stands as a monument to this ex-slave. 

Rev. Boyd does not like to talk about himself 
so a great deal of the personal history of the man 
is not to be had. He was born a slave. He stood 
by and watched the dying groans of his master. He 
had left the home in Texas and gone with the mas¬ 
ter into the army. Here he saw some of the 
struggle between the North and the South that 
was the battle for his freedom. When his master 
died, he took the body and returned to Texas with 
it. He then took upon himself the man’s tasks of 
disposing of the farm produce and making the 
necessary purchases for the family of his dead 
master. It is this slave, this property of a Con¬ 
federate soldier, this man unlearned in books with¬ 
out the knowledge of the textbook itself, but true 
to every principle of the Southern home ; this slave 
who stood by his master till his death and then 
went to the assistance of the widow; it is this 
slave who had the sterling qualities needed to es¬ 


tablish such a wonderful organization 
as the National Publishing House. 

Rev. Boyd was married to Miss Har¬ 
riet Moore, of Texas, in 1868. Mrs. 
Boyd has been to him in every sense of 
the word a helper. Through her very 
strict economy the education which 
Rev. Boyd had the privilege of secur¬ 
ing late in life was made possible. She 
even surpassed most of her sisters in 
this respect and was one with her hus¬ 
band in all his efforts. From this union 
there came six children: Mrs. Annie 
Boyd-Hall, Galveston, Texas, wife of 
undertaker and embalmer; Mrs. Mattie 
Boyd-Bennefield, Nashville, Tenn.; 
Rev. Henry Allen Boyd, Nashville, 
Tenn., Secretary Sunday School Con¬ 
gress, Assistant Secretary National 
Baptist Publishing Board, Manager 
Nashville Globe, Secretary National 
Negro Press Association; Mrs. Lula 
Boyd-Landers, Nashville, Tenn. Mr. 
J. Garfield Blaine Boyd, Nashville, 
Tenn., general foreman National Bap¬ 
tist Publishing Board’s plant; Mr. The- 
ophilus Bartholomew Boyd, Nashville, 
Tenn., Linotype operator and machin¬ 
ist at the National Baptist Board’s 
plant. 

The plant itself fills a niche in the 
commercial life of Nashville, that is a 
credit to the city, the State and the 
nation. All who know Dr. R. H. Boyd, 
regardless of race, regard him as a con¬ 
scientious, honest, well-thinking, well 
meaning, industrious citizen who 
knows how and who really does make 
the conditions between the races more tolerable, 
for he spends no time in attempting to solve the 
race problem. He abhors any inference at social 
equality, believes implicitly in the fact that the 
Negro should work out his own salvation and be¬ 
came a worthy citizen in his own city, in his own 
community and in his own State, and that he 
should uphold the flag of the nation and march un¬ 
der the principles of their respective denomina¬ 
tions. 

It is interesting to note the achievements of the 
institution of which this ex-slave is the founder. It 
in inspiring to see his devotion, even to the cause 
that his old master fought so nobly for. Without 
any show of demonstration, he has fought the busi¬ 
ness fights that must be fought by large concerns, 
succeeding without any philanthropic effort, with¬ 
out a donation of as much as one dollar from the 
treasury of the National Baptist Convention for 
the maintenance and operation of the plant or the 
purchase of property and machinery, he has in 
some way and somehow managed to keep this in¬ 
stitution going and to make steady and constant 
improvements from time to time and from year to 
year. The past quarter the institution broke all 
former records in the receipt of mail and the dis¬ 
patch of the output of the product of the institu¬ 
tion. For instance, from Monday morning, March 
20, up to Saturday afternoon, March 25, the letter 
carrier on that route delivered to the National Bap- 


414 














PLANT OF NATIONAL BAPTIST PUBLISHING HOUSE 


tist Publishing Board, of which Rev. R. IT. Boyd is 
Secretary, 7,657 letters. On one of the days, Wed¬ 
nesday, March 22, 2,221 of these letters were de¬ 
livered. This is a record unequaled during the 
years that the concern has been in operation. 

There are many interesting facts about the plant 
managed by Dr. Boyd which make it one of the 
plants of interest for the sightseer and visitor to 
this city. The secretary and the employes are in¬ 
tensely religious in their work and in their every¬ 
day life, but the most interesting feature about the 
work of the National Baptist Publishing JTouse is 
the steady and persistent advancement that it has 
made as a substantial institution, measuring up to 
similar concerns operated in this, the capital city 
of the Volunteer State. It is interesting to read of 
the National Baptist Publishing Board’s success. 
To know what has been accomplished by an ex¬ 
slave for the Negro Baptists of the United States 
within a decade, and an inside glimpse of the life 
of a constructive genius and his contribution to 
race development; to see what he has been able to 
do for the Baptist Churches and Sunday Schools, 
at the same time soliciting their patronage to an 
institution where members of his race have made 
good as skilled artisans, and then to see the gigan¬ 
tic scores of members of the race who send out 
millions of copies of religious literature annually, 
is inspiring to the Negro youth. The success that 
the Rev. R. H. Boyd has achieved is nothing less 
than marvelous. 

Tall and commanding of stature, very intelligent 
in conversation, he makes friends and holds them. 
In a recent publication there appeared the follow¬ 
ing concerning the institution: 

Were some one to put the National Baptist Pub¬ 
lishing Board’s plant in this city on a moving pic¬ 
ture film, showing the wonderful achievements and 
the accomplishments of the gigantic institution 
that has been built up for the Negro Baptists of 
the United States, and for their posterity, it would 
take a film hundreds of yards long, which would 
entertain thousands of people. The National Bap¬ 
tist Publishing House has come into existence 
within the past twenty-one years, and today tow¬ 
ers magnificently over anything which has been 
accomplished by the race, whether it be in the re¬ 
ligious, educational or in the business world. 

“It has furnished and is furnishing employment 


to scores of Negro boys and girls 
that hitherto were shut out of what 
is commonly known as the art pre¬ 
servative among printers and pub¬ 
lishers. It has given a rating in 
the commercial world to the race 
and denomination that has no par¬ 
allel. It has put the Negro Bap¬ 
tists on an equal footing with the 
denominations of other races be¬ 
cause of the creative genius dis¬ 
played in operating and maintain¬ 
ing the institution. It has forged a 
link in racial pride that has brought 
together more support for one in¬ 
stitution than has ever been at¬ 
tempted before. It has outstripped 
Jack’s bean stalk story in its 
growth and development. It has 
served as an opener of the “door of 
hope to the ambitious and deserving members of 
the race that has been closed to them by labor un¬ 
ions, which refuse to allow members of the race 
to acquire certain knowledge in printing and book 
b.nding. It has put the race on the map in the 
theological world as producers of a religious litera¬ 
ture distinctively their own. It has installed and 
is operating printing machinery of the most com¬ 
plicated and intricate designing and this, too, with 
amateur help that has been found in the race. It 
has helped to make intellectual lights out of what 
has been regarded as a race of hewers of wood and 
drawers of water. 

“This institution was founded by an ex-slave, 
the Rev. R. H. Boyd, who still lives, and who is 
secretary and manager. Many say that Rev. Dr. 
Boyd saw the invisible in his early pioneer days, 
and that after operating on a very small scale in 
his Texas home he succeeded in convincing the Ne¬ 
groes to see the wisdom of supporting a plant on 
a national scope. It was the latter part of 1896, 
when he began his pilgrimage to Nashville, Tenn., 
after having looked all over the United States for 
a location that would be suitable for his work. It 
has been said that he was directed by God from his 
Texas home, like Abraham, of the Chaldeans, when 
God said to him: “Get thee out of thy country 
and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, 
unto a land that I will shew thee.” Whatever way 
it was, it is a known fact that the Negro Baptists 
had no publishing plant and were preparing and 
sending out no Sunday school literature; they 
were giving no employment to the Negro boys and 
girls, doing nothing tangible until Dr. Boyd came 
upon the scene. 

“His book, ‘The Story of the Publishing Board,’ 
which has just been issued and is now in great de¬ 
mand has proven one of the most interesting nar¬ 
ratives that has come from the lips of any man. 
Stranger than fiction, and yet as real as the gos¬ 
pel itself, the story is told and then the thousands 
of wheels that revolve at the plant and the millions 
of copies of books and publications that are sent 
out each quarter, together with the magnificent 
institution, standing like the pyramids of Egypt, 
attest the substantial part of the story. The 
founder of the institution has often been referred 
to as a giant oak in a forest among the Negro 
Baptists of the United States. His far-sighted 


415 












































REVEREND HENRY ALLEN BOYD 

business tact in building up the institution has at¬ 
tracted the attention of the entire business world 
as well as the entire race to which his denomina¬ 
tion belongs, and who feel indebted to him and are 
standing loyally by the institution which has been 
built up for them, and which will stand for ages to 
come by the support that is being given from every 
quarter of the globe. At the close of the last fiscal 
year, Dr. Boyd showed in his report the work of 
the institution for the past eighteen years. The 
figures themselves are staggering. In this num¬ 
ber of years the institution has written and circu¬ 
lated 136,794,339 copies of religious literature, 
which does not include the thousands of volumes 
of books which have been made up and distributed 
throughout the civilized world. They have writ¬ 
ten and received 3,684,149 letters, and it is said that 
sometimes as high as 2,000 letters are received in 
a single day.” 

“It developed that the National Baptist Publish¬ 
ing Board furnishes employment to more Negro 
men and women, boys and girls, than any other 


institution of a commercial nature ope¬ 
rated by the race. Very little is said to 
be known of Dr. Boyd, who has refused 
all along to allow anything to be written 
about his life. He knows that he was 
born a slave and he was 40 years old be¬ 
fore he went to school, and that his 
mother, who died only a few months ago, 
was over 95 years of age. 

“The publishing house, his life’s work, 
is looked upon as a monument that he has 
built as an humble worker in his denom¬ 
ination and as his contribution to the race 
as a constructive genius. Nashville, Ten., 
the home of the institution, is now as 
well known as a religious publishing cen¬ 
ter as it is an educational center, having 
been made possible by the millions of 
pages of religious tracts and literature 
that have been issued from this gigantic 
religious and commercial business institu¬ 
tion.” 

Upon investigation it has been found 
that one of the great achievements of Dr. 
Boyd was the bringing out and setting to 
music the Negro plantation melodies, the 
songs that were sung in the days of slav¬ 
ery by his parents and their ancestors. In 
the preparation of this work, Dr. Boyd 
says that he has given a rich heritage to 
unborn generations. Thus National Jubi¬ 
lee Melody Song Book, as it is called, has 
met a popular demand. 

Other publications turned out by the institution 
include a full line of literature, a complete line of 
church helps for Baptist Sunday Schools and 
churches, among which are to be found Boyd’s Pas¬ 
tors’ Guide, Boyd’s Church Record, Theological 
Kernels, a National Baptist Sunday School Lesson 
Commentary, Boyd’s Record and Roll Book, An 
Outline of Negro Baptist History, and twenty- 
three different song books. In fact, the plant is 
able to print anything from a calling card to an 
encyclopedia, or from a postal card to a Bible. 

The plant is estimated to be worth over a quart¬ 
er of a million dollars. The operating expenses 
are estimated at $400.00 per day. Dr. Boyd de¬ 
clared that the prayer service held each morning at 
9:30 o’clock in their own chapel, where each em¬ 
ploye is required to be present, and which costs 
$17.50 per day, is his collection to the Lord. This 
“hour of prayer,” as they call it. has proven of 
great benefit to the employees. At these meetings 
Dr. Boyd often delivers an address, the Bible is al¬ 
ways read, and good singing is indulged in. 

As a religious publishing plant their printing de¬ 
partment is complete in every particular. 


416 






WILLIAM TAYLOR BURWELL WILLIAMS, A. B. 


1LLIAM Taylor Burwell Williams, 
was born at Stonebridge, Clarke 
County, Virginia. He attended 
the public school at Millwood, in 
this county, and at seventeen, be¬ 
came a teacher in one of its pub¬ 
lic schools. Later he spent two years at Hampton 
Institute, Hampton, Va., graduating in the 
class of 1888. He then taught a year in the Whit¬ 
tier School, the elementary department of this in¬ 
stitution. His next step was to enter Phillips Aca¬ 
demy, Andover, Mass., from which he was gradua¬ 
ted in the class of 1893. From Phillips Academy 
he went to Harvard University, where he took his 
A. B. degree with the class of 1897. 

Upon the completion of his college course, Mr. 
Williams was appointed principal of School No. 24, 
subsequently named the McCoy School, Indian¬ 
apolis, Indiana. Here he served with conspicious 
merit for five years, when he resigned to accept 
work at his Alma Mater, Hampton Institute, as 
field agent for the school and for the Southei n Ed¬ 
ucation Board. His first duty was to make a study 
of educational conditions in Virginia, and in the 
other Southern States, and to help relate llamp- 
,ton Institute effectively with its field. 


He soon became the field agent also of the Gen¬ 
eral Education Board, the John E. Slater Fund, and 
finally of the Negro Rural School Fund, popularly 
known as the Jeanes Fund. Since all of these foun¬ 
dations are either primarily for Negro education 
or are greatly interested in promoting education 
among colored people, Mr. Williams’ work has 
brought him constantly for years into direct con¬ 
tact with every phase of Negro education in the 
South. And he has played a helpful constructive 
part in the education of Negro youth. He has been 
especially active in promoting industrial training 
in the private schools and colleges, in directing 
the work of the Jeanes Industrial teachers, and in 
building up the recently created County Training 
Schools in all the Southern States. 

Mr. Williams’ work has also brought him into 
direct, sympathetic contact with such noted white 
educators as Dr. Wallace Buttrick of the General 
Education Board, Dr. H. B. Frissell, of Hampton 
Institute, and Dr. James H. Dillard, President of 
the Jeanes and Slater Funds as well as with the 
leading Negro schoolmen of the country. 

Mr. Williams has been one of the most active 
and serviceable members of the National Associa¬ 
tion of Teachers in Colored Schools. He served 
this organization as President for two terms and is 
a member of its executive committee. He is also 
a member of the National Education Association. 
And he is a leader in the work of the Virginia State 
Teachers’ Association. He was one of the organi¬ 
zers of the Negro Organization Society, of Vir¬ 
ginia. He served this body as Secretary, and is 
now its treasurer. And in addition to his regular 
duties as field agent for Hampton Institute, direc¬ 
tor of the Jeanes and Slater Funds, Mr. Williams 
has, during the fall of 1918, acted as Assistant sup¬ 
ervisor of vocational training in colored schools for 
the Committee on Education and Special Training 
of the War Department, and aided in the work of 
establishing vocational units of the Students Army 
Training Corps. 

Mr. Williams is thoroughly a school man. It is 
safe to say that he is the best informed man there 
is on the subject of Negro education. Mr. Wil- 
liams has gotten this information at first hand. 
He has for a number of years traveled all over the 
United States in the interest of Negro education. 
He has visited all the schools, has met and known 
personally the teachers in the schools and colleges. 
Wherever men are gathered together in the inter¬ 
est of Negro Education there Mr. Williams is sure 
to be giving freely of his advice and store of infor¬ 
mation when he is asked, but never trying to show 
that he is superior in knowledge of facts on the 
subject. He is an Associate Editor of the Cyclo¬ 
pedia of the Colored Race. 



417 










HUBBARD HOSPITAL—MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE 


HE Meharry Medical College was 
organized as the medical depart¬ 
ment of Central Tennessee Col¬ 
lege, in 1876, with two teachers 
and eleven students. It was the 
first institution in the South to 
for the education of Negro physi¬ 
lt was named for the five Meharry Brothers who 
contributed largely to its establishment and sup¬ 
port. 

The Dental Department was opened in 1886, and 
the Department of Pharmacy in 1889. 

The Medical Faculty consists of 26 members, 
Dental 10, and Pharmacy 4, making a total of 40. 

During the 40 years of its existence there has 
been 1450 graduates in medicine, 325 in dentistry, 
233 in pharmacy and 55 in nurse training, making- 
2063 in all. These graduates constitute about one- 
half of the regular colored members in these pro¬ 
fessions in the Southern States. They have been 
well received by the white professional brethren, 
and they have met with good success both pro¬ 
fessionally and financially. A large proportion 
have comfortable, and many elegant homes, and 
they have been potent factors in establishing kind¬ 
ly feeling between the two races. 

A unique feature of Meharry is the perfect re¬ 
cord kept of all the alumni after they leave school. 
One can get a complete professional record of the 


success of nearly every man and woman that holds 
a diploma from this school. 

The courses are well planned, and the addition 
of the Anderson anatomical laboratory makes the 
equipment as complete as is possible with the funds 
available. 

Medical: The medical department requires for 
admission graduation from an approved high 
school and one year of college work in physics, 
chemistry, and biology. The regular course for 
the degree of M. D. covers a period of four years 
of 32 weeks each. 

Dental: The dental department requires for ad¬ 
mission graduation from an accredited high school. 
The degree of D. D. S. is granted upon the satis¬ 
factory completion of the course, which covers 
four years of 28 weeks each. 

Pharmacy: The pharmacy department requires 
for admission two years of high school work, in¬ 
cluding one year of Latin and physics. Three years 
of 28 weeks each are required for graduation from 
this course. Those who comply with the require¬ 
ments receive the degree of pharmaceutical chem¬ 
ist (Ph. C.) 

Nurse Training: A good nurse-training course 
is provided at Hubbard Hospital. The requirement 
for admission is graduation from a four-year high 
school. The course covers three years of eight 
months each. 

Every one of these departments furnished their 
quota of graduates in the world’s war. 



open its doors 
cians. 


418 

























































MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE 

The buildings, 5 in number, consist of the Me- 
harry Medical College, the Meharry Dental and 
Pharmaceutical Hall, the Auditorium, the Dormi¬ 
tory and the George W. Hubbard Hospital. The 
Geo. W. Hubbard Hospital is of sufficient size to 
accommodate from 75 to 100 patients. 

The Anderson Anatomical Hall, the gift of Dr. 
J. W. Anderson and wife of Dallas, Texas, was 
completed in time for use for the session of 1917- 
1918. This gift is of especial interest because it 
was given by one of Meharry’s own sons, and be¬ 
cause it is among the few buildings of the kind to 
be given by any colored person. The value of the 
buildings and grounds is about $140,000.00. 1 he 

Library, furniture and apparatus $10,000.00. 

Meharry Medical College is a member of the 
Association of American Medical Colleges, of the 


MEHARRY MEDICAL & PHARMACEUTICAL HALL 


MEHARRY AUDITORIUM 

In 1876 he was appointed by the Freedmen’s Aid 
Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, to or¬ 
ganize a Medical Department at Central Tennessee 
College, Nashville, Tenn. This school was opened 
in October, 1876, and was the first school establish¬ 
ed in the South for the education of colored physi¬ 
cians. More than one-half of the regularly educat¬ 
ed Negro physicians of the South are graduates of 
this school. He served as Dean for 40 years. 

Dr Hubbard was Professor of Natural Science 
at Central Tennessee College, from 1876 to 1891, 
and from 1889 to 1894 was acting Dean and Pro¬ 
fessor of Hygiene and Toxicology in the Medical 
Department of New Orleans University. 

In 1916 a Separate Charter for Meharry Medical 
College was procured and in October, 1916, he was 
inaugurated as its President, 


National Association of Dental Faculties and of 
the American Conference of Pharmaceutical Fa¬ 
culties. 

GEORGE WHIPPLE HUBBARD 

George Whipple Hubbard, the President of 
Meharry, was born in North Charleston, N. H., 
August 11th, 1841. Was educated in the public 
schools of New Hampshire, New Hampshire Con¬ 
ference Seminary, and New London Literary and 
Scientific Institute. 

He was delegate of the Christian Commission 
in the Army of the Potomac and also in the Army 
of the Cumberland in 1864. Taught a regiment 
School in the 110th U. S. C. I., in 1865-6, Principal 
of the Belle View public School of Nashville, 1867 
to 1874 

Graduated from the Medical Department of 
Nashville University, 1876, and from Vanderbilt 
University 1879. 


419 































NATHAN B. YOUNG 


ATHAN B. Young, President of 
the State School for Negroes, at 
Tallahassee, Florida, like many 
other of our prominent men had a 
poor start in life. He was born 
in Newbern, Alabama, in 1862. 
Here on a farm he worked in the fields and with 
the stock, and enjoyed at the same time the simple 
pleasures of country life. When there was nothing 
urgent to be done on the farm he was permitted 
to attend school, provided there was a school in 
session within walking distance. Even though he 
attended school but irregularly he got a taste for 
knowledge and when the chance came for him to 
attend better schools he had the desire within him. 

In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, he attended a private 
school, getting all he could from the course of 
study offered there. Later he matriculated at Tal¬ 
ladega College, Talladega, Alabama. Here in Tal¬ 
ladega, he obtained a real thorough training in the 
branches he chose. Later he entered Oberlin Col¬ 
lege, Ohio. As Mr. Young went through these 
schools he gathered not only a knowledge of books 
and things, but a knowledge of men. Because of 
this in his life as a teacher, he has been able 
to gather around him some of the best teachers 


that the race affords and he has been able to so 
organize them that the work goes on in such a 
manner as to be a pleasure to all, both teachers and 
pupils. In speaking of the difficulties that con¬ 
fronted him in obtaining his education, Mr. Young- 
said “I had no special difficulty to speak of—I 
worked a bit, paid in cash a bit, borrowed the rest.” 

Practically all of the life of Mr. Young has been 
spent in the school room. First as a student, then 
as a teacher. While making up his mind as to his 
life work between his work at Talladega and his 
work at Oberlin, Mr. Young taught in Mississippi. 
Since his graduation he has worked in Alabama, 
Georgia, and now he is located in Florida. Where- 
ever he was working there he was a leader among 
the school people. He was at one time President 
of the Alabama State Teachers Association, and 
later of the Florida State Teachers’ Association. 
So high was Mr. Young held in the educational cir¬ 
cles of our people that the National Association of 
Teachers in Colored Schools also had him as its 
President. 

In church affiliation, Mr. Young is a Congrega- 
tionalist. He was educated in the schools support¬ 
ed by that denomination and has at all times been 
a faithful worker in the churches. He is now serv¬ 
ing as the acting President of the Congregational 
Workers. Through his work in the church and 
through his work in the schools, Mr. YYung comes 
in direct contact with thousands of people during 
the course of several years—but through his lead¬ 
ership in the national organizations his influence is 
greatly enlarged and widened. In the cause of ed¬ 
ucation and for pleasure he has traveled over the 
greater part of the United States. 

Mr. Young has been twice married. His first 
wife was Miss Emma M. Garrette, of Selma, Ala¬ 
bama. They were married in 1892. In 1905, Mr. 
Young was married to Miss Margaret Bulkly, at 
Charleston, S. C. There are five children in the 
Young family. Nathan B. Young, Jr., is a lawyer 
in Birmingham, Alabama. Frank Deforest, Wil¬ 
liam Henry, Emma Garrette, and Julia Bulkly are 
in school in Tallahassee. The young people make 
the home a happy and an interesting one. 

Through the Presidency of the Florida Agricul¬ 
tural and Mechanical College for Negroes, Mr. 
Young has done his greatest work. He has the 
work thoroughly organized and his knowledge of 
men and women has enabled him to choose a good 
faculty and to get them to work with him for one 
end. Through the school he is awakening an in¬ 
terest, not only in the study of books, but the prob¬ 
lems that will confront the students when they go 
out from the school. Mr. Young might be taken 
for an example of a good organizer, and thorough 
school man. 



420 






















John Mitchell, Jr. 


OHN Mitchell, Jr., is one of the 
Negroes who should be known to 
all our young people. One of the 
reasons that his life should be 
known to them is his fearless¬ 
ness. Another is his manner of 
using one step to go on up to a higher plane. Born 
of slave parents, he has steadily made his way to 
the front till, today, he is a man of affairs, both 
in the financial world and in the world of journal¬ 
ism. 

John Mitchell, Jr., was born in Henrico County, 
Virginia, in 1863. He received his early education 
in the public schools of the State, graduating from 
the High and Normal School at Richmond, in 1881. 
Like most men who received training, he went 
through the period of teaching. This period with 
Mr. Mitchell lasted but three years. At the end 
of that time he gave up the work to connect him¬ 
self with the Planet. The Planet is a weekly jour¬ 
nal that is published in the interest of the Colored 
Race. After working on the staff of the Planet for 
some time, Mr. Mitchell became the owner of the 
sheet. Through this means some of the best things 
in the life of Mr. Mitchell have come and through 
it some of the hardships. 

At one time when a lynching had taken place, 
xvi r . Mitchell condemned tiie act in no uncer cam 
terms, through the commits of his paper, this of- 
tended the persons most concerned in the lynching. 
One result was a threat to Mr. Mitchell. An un¬ 
signed letter containing a piece of hemp and a 
drawing of a skull and cross bones was sent to him. 
This m no way kept Mr. Mitchell from doing his 
duty. He visited the place where the lynching had 
occured, in this way showing that he did not re¬ 
gard the threat on his life. Mr. Mitchell was for 
a number of years President of the National Afro- 
American Press Association. All through the 
South Mr. Mitchell is known to the reading public 
through his paper, and one of the things that stamp 
him a man is the fearless manner in which he 
speaks out where the interest of the colored man is 
at stake. 


The interest, next to the Planet that marks Mr. 
Mitchell a man of action is the Mechanic’s Savings 
Bank. This bank was organized by Mr. Mitchell 
in 1901. The need of the bank was felt by him. 
This m itself was reason enough for its establish¬ 
ment. The bank owns property valued as high as 
six figures, and the aggregate deposits of this bank 
when written run into seven figures. The building 
in which this business is housed is owned by the 
institution and is one that is a credit to the race and 
an ornament to the city in which it is placed. Just 
as Mr. Mitchell was a leader among newspaper 
men, in just the same manner is he a leader in the 
banking world of the colored people. At one time 
he attended the banking association in New York 
City. He was asked to make an address. This 
was favorably received and was commented upon 
all over the country. He is the only colored mar 
who has had the honor of occupying a seat in the 
body. 

In church affiliation, Mr. Mitchell is a Baptist. 
He brings to the church that same enthusiasm that 
has characterized his efforts in the financial world 
and in the world of journalism. Mr. Mitchell is a 
large property holder and through his life and 
works he has won the esteem and the good will of 
all the people who know him, be they white or 
black. Some one in writing about Mr. Mitchell 
says of him that his success is due to three things— 
his application to business, his strict integrity and 
to his always keeping his word and his engage¬ 
ments with others. Any one who can have these 
three things truthfully said concerning him, is in¬ 
deed a person who is worthy of emulation. 

Mr. Mitchell, born of slave parents has this long 
line of accomplishments to his credit: President of 
the Mechanic’s Savings Bank, proprietor of the 
Richmond Planet, former President of the Nat¬ 
ional Afro-American Press Association, member of 
the Common Council for two years, member of the 
Board of Aldermen for eight years, worker in the 
interest of the colored man, man of means, a man 
of great fearlessness and a man of his word. 



421 








PANORAMIC VIEW -AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL STATE NORMAL SCHOOL 


HE State Normal Schools •— one 
each in East, Middle and West 
Tennessee, and the Agricultural 
and Industrial State Normal 
School for Negroes—were autho¬ 
rized by Chapter 26 of the Acts of 
known as the “General Education 
Bill this bill set aside twenty-five per cent of 
the gross-revenue of the State for public Educa¬ 
tional purposes, and was amended by Chapter 23 of 
the Acts of 1913, by the increase of this appropria¬ 
tion to thirty-three and one-third per cent. 

PURPOSE: It is the purpose of the Agricultural 
and Industrial State Normal School to practically 
train its students that they may better grasp their 
great economic opportunity in becoming commun¬ 
ity leaders, farmers and teachers. 

The school recognizes the fact that scientific 
farming and other industries pursued on a scien¬ 
tific basis is the hope of the South, and it is en¬ 
deavoring to fulfill its place in furnishing better 
farmers and mechanics as well as teachers who 
are able to instruct the children of our different 
communities in both literary and industrial pur¬ 
suits. 

The Academic Department will take those who 
have finished the grammar grades in the county 
or city schools and prepare them for the Normal or 
Professional courses. In the Normal or Profes¬ 
sional Department the prescribed literary course is 
taken with the choice of electives. The electives 
are d eaching, Agriculture, Domestic Science, Do¬ 
mestic Art. Manual Arts, Trades and Business. In¬ 
dustrial training is given all students. Instruction 
m domestic science and domestic art is given ac¬ 
cording to the latest scientific methods with special 
reference to their practical application in the home. 


The buildings of the Agricultural and Industrial 
State Normal School are ideally located on a bluff 
overlooking the Cumberland River. The campus 
proper, consisting of 35 acres is within the corpor¬ 
ate limits of the city of Nashville, “the Athens of 
the South,” and is furnished with water and elec¬ 
tric lights. 

The fa rm is located just outside the city limits 
at the foot of the bluff on which the buildings are 
situated and slopes gradually to the Cumberland 
River. The farm consists of 135 acres adjoining 
the campus. Students taking Agriculture do not 
have to waste an hour or more of time in goiitg 
to a farm a mile or two away, as is the case in a 
great many agricultural schools, but can change 
clothing and go immediately from the class room 
where the theory is taught, to the farm where they 
learn also the practical side. 

I he control of the Colored Normal as in the 
case of all Tennessee’s State Normal Schools, is 
vested in the State Board of Education and it is 
due to their wisdom and liberal spirit that this 
school is so well located and its material equipment 
is so thoroughly modern and well appointed that 
the general health of the student body is well con¬ 
served. 

BUILDINGS AND EQUIPMENT: The buildings 
include a main or Academic Budding, two dormi¬ 
tories for women and men, the trades building with 
heating plant, residence for the President, two cot¬ 
tages, three barns and several farm houses. The 
main building is a modern brick and stone structure 
three stories in height. In it are the offices, lab¬ 
oratories, recitation rooms, Library, reading room, 
auditorium, dining hall, kitchen, laundry and wo¬ 
men’s rest room—in all forty rooms. 

The Auditorium, with gallery will accommodate 



1909, popularly 


422 

















*■ 



PANORAMIC VIEW—AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL STATE NORMAL SCHOOL 


nine hundred persons. The class rooms are fur¬ 
nished with modern desks and recitation seats and 
the laboratories are fully equipped with all needed 
apparatus and supplies. The Industrial Training 
Department occupies commodious quarters. The 
Manual Training rooms are fitted up with the most 
modern initial equipment, and the students in this 
department are taught to make additional equip¬ 
ment as it is needed. The Trades building is fitted 
out with its necessary machinery which is run by 
two big electric motors. A large dairy barn with 
modern equipment was built by students during the 
school term of 1915, and a dairy herd has been pur¬ 
chased. The school is well fitted to teach scienti¬ 
fic methods in dairying. 

The school has more than 2000 books listed in its 
library. These books have been selected to meet 
the peculiar needs of instruction and to suit the 
conditions of the rural communities from which the 
students are selected. Over seventy-five leading 
magazines and periodicals are on file for the use 
of the students. A spacious, excellently lighted 
and ventilated reading room is accessible to all who 
use the library and a competent librarian has been 
placed in charge. The young men and women aie 
exceptionally fortunate in having modern and com¬ 
fortable quarters. Ihe dormitory buildings ate 
three-story brick with steam heat, electric lights, 
bathrooms, with hot and cold water, laige, bright 
and well ventilated outside bed rooms. 

All the work in the building is done by the stu¬ 
dents under the supervision of two excellent ma¬ 
trons. who rotate the work so as to give complete 
round of housekeeping and nurse training exper¬ 
ience to each student, and at the same time hold 
before them a high standard of living. 


The laundry, which is under an experienced ma¬ 
tron, has been fitted with machinery, steam wash¬ 
er extracter, mangle, and electric irons. The ma¬ 
chinery is operated by the students. 

Special attention is given the girls in order to 
train them in matters pertaining to dress, health, 
physical development and the simple rules of good 
manners. They are under the constant care of 
the preceptress and other female teachers who give 
them kind and helpful instruction as needed. 

The men’s dormitory is also in charge of an ex¬ 
perienced preceptress who sees that the rights of 
the young men are carefully guarded and their 
needs faithfully met. A school physician may be 
called whenever necessary. 

It has an “Aesthetic Club” to promote correct 
standards of life. 

Societies: It has four Literary Societies; an 
Athletic Association; society of Agricultural and 
Mechanical Students; and numerous clubs organ¬ 
ized for mutual welfare and enjoyment of the stu¬ 
dents. 

The school gives special attention to the religi¬ 
ous training and life of the students. Every third 
Sunday services are held at the school and Sunday 
school is held every Sunday. A Bible Training 
Class is maintained in connection with the Sun¬ 
day school. 

W. J. HALE, the President of the Institution, has 
the honor of being the first president of the First 
State Normal School for Negroes in the State of 
Tennessee. He was elected again last year for an¬ 
other term, which was a year before the expira¬ 
tion of his previous election. President Hale stands 
high not only as an educator, but as a man of ster¬ 
ling worth, a genuine friend of his race, and a wise 
and safe leader. 


423 











HARRY T. BURLEIGH, A. M. 

ELF made men in this country are 
not so rare in the business world, 
but in the world of music the self 
made man is an object of wonder. 
Harry T. Burleigh has the dis¬ 
tinction of being a self made mu¬ 
sician. He was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, where 
he attended the high school of the city. Here in 
Erie Mr. Burleigh was fired with the ambition that 
has never died within him, the ambition that has 
spurred him on and on to higher endeavor in his 
line till today, he is not only a great singer, but a 
great composer as well. The opportunity to hear 
real music came to him through service. His mo¬ 
ther worked in the family of a lady who was fond 
of music and who often entertained the great mu¬ 
sicians when they visited that city. He heard them 
at times and realized that music was in his soul 
and that he wanted to hear and to produce good 
music. On one occasion when a great artist was 
coming to town, young Burleigh stood out under 
the drawing room windows in order that he might 
hear the concert at any cost. The snow was deep 
—up to his knees. As a result of this exposure for 
the love of music he became ill. When questioned, 
his mother found out what he had done. After 


that she obtained for him the permission to help 
serve the guests in order that he might hear the 
music. 

Through serving in this home there came to 
Harry Burleigh a few years later the great chance 
for his advancement in the musical world. Hear¬ 
ing that there were to be scholarships in the Na¬ 
tional Conservatory of Music, he went up to try for 
one. After trying out his voice, he went away to 
await the decision of the judges. He went back 
the next day for the decision. He had fallen a little 
below the mark required. The registrar was a 
lady whom he had served at one of the musical 
festivals back in his home town of Erie. He re¬ 
cognized her, told her who he was and she was not 
only interested and sympathetic, but she went to 
work and secured for him the scholarship that he 
so much wanted, the scholarship that gave him his 
chance to become the great musician that we now 
know. 

Although his tuition was free, his living expenses 
caused him much concern, and it was through hard 
work that he was enabled to continue his studies. 
In 1894, competing with sixty applicants, he won 
the position of baritone soloist at St. George’s 
Church in New York—a position which he has held 
for twenty-five years. Speaking of his work on 
the completion of his twenty-fifth year, the Bul¬ 
letin of the church said of him—“Through all these 
years, with their inevitable changes, he has been 
a faithful and devoted helper, friend and worker in 
the varied activities of this church.” 

Although Mr. Burleigh says of himself that he is 
a singer, not a composer, he is known to more peo¬ 
ple as a writer of music than as a singer of songs. 
Thousands of people who have never heard him 
sing, who do not even know that he is a man of 
color, sing his compositions and enjoy them. One 
of these in particular has won for him great pop¬ 
ularity—“Deep River.” It is one of the most pop¬ 
ular of the concert pieces. Many of the songs from 
his pen are popular. Among these are “The Grey 
Wolf,” “Ethiopia Saluting the Colors,” “The Young- 
Warrior,” “The Soldier” and “Jean.” These are 
only a few of the songs that have been arranged 
by Mr. Burleigh. In choosing his texts he is al¬ 
ways careful to choose poems with big meanings. 
He says “The text determines the character of 
the song.” Mr. Burleigh has remembered this 
himself in his own musical compositions. 

February 1898, Mr. Harry T. Burlegh was mar¬ 
ried to Miss Louise Alston in Washington, D. C. 
There is one son in the family, Alston Waters Bur¬ 
leigh who is a student in Howard University. 

Mr. Burleigh has traveled in England, in 1908 
and 1909. In 1917 he was awarded the Springarn 
prize. Another honor that has come to him is the 
Master of Arts Degree from Atlanta University. 



424 







Austin M. Curtis, 

R. A. M. Curtis is a man who while 
he has won distinction in the pro¬ 
fession of his choice has also had 
time to engage in other duties 
that make for the uplift of the 
whole people. Thus while a man 
whose time has many calls upon it for its skilled 
work, we still see him with time to go to the va¬ 
rious churches and deliver lectures to the masses 
on “Sanitation and Hygiene.” In this manner he 
has done much to bring about better health con¬ 
ditions in all the communities in which he has lived. 
Another phase of work that has taken much of his 
time is the Y. M. C. A. In Washington, District 
of Columbia, when funds were needed to complete 
the $100,000.00 building that they had under way, 
it was Dr. Curtis who was made chairman of the 
campaign committee, because of his ability to or¬ 
ganize men and get them to respond to his plans. 

Dr. Austin M. Curtis was born in Raleigh, North 
Carolina, in 1868. He was one in a family of ten. 
The schools of Raleigh were pretty good and in 
them Dr. Curtis proved himself to be a pupil so apt 
and so willing to apply himself that through the 
kindness of a Northern lady teaching in the schools 
of Raleigh, he obtained a scholarship in Lincoln 
University, Pennsylvania. Although this scholar¬ 
ship made life a little easier for the ambitious 
young man, he still had to work, and work hard to 
keep himself in funds during the winter month. 
Thus we find him during the summer months en¬ 
gaged in some sort of lucrative work. 

After four years of college work in Lincoln Uni¬ 
versity, Dr. Curtis was graduated with the well 
earned degree of A. B. Later, because of the good 
work that he had done after leaving school the Un¬ 
iversity conferred upon him the degree of A. M. 
But on leaving Lincoln, Dr. Curtis was still unsat¬ 
isfied with his training. He wanted to be a profes¬ 
sional man. Once more he matriculated, this time 
in Northwestern University Medical School, Chi¬ 
cago. From this institution he was graduated in 
1891 with honors. 

For seven years after his graduation he practiced 
his profession in Chicago. 

During this time he served as attending surgeon 
to Provident Hospital and for one year he served 
on the staff of the Cook County Hospital of that 
city, Dr. Curtis was the first physician of the Negro 


A. B., A. M., M. D. 

race to hold the position on the Cook County Hos¬ 
pital Staff. In 1898, Dr. Curtis was appointed Sur- 
geon-in-C hief of Freedmen’s Hospital, Washing'- 
ton, District of Columbia. He gave up the work 
in Provident Hospital in Chicago and took the 
work in Freedmen’s, the most noted of all the hos¬ 
pitals in the country. Here at Freedmen’s Dr. 
Cmtis made a national reputation as a surgeon, 
many of his cases receiving mention in surgical lit¬ 
erature. After four years Dr. Curtis gave up the 
work to take up a private practice. He still serves 
Ti eedmen s in the capacity of attending Surgeon, 
however, .and at the same time is consulting sur¬ 
geon at the Provident Hospital, Baltimore, Mary¬ 
land, and of Richmond Hospital, Richmond, Vir¬ 
ginia. In addition to these duties, Dr. Curtis 
makes fi equent trips into the South to perform op¬ 
erations in various cities. 

Dr. Curtis also serves as a teacher of his science. 
He is Associate Professor of surgery, Howard Med¬ 
ical School, and clinical professor of surgery in the 
Post Graduate School of Howard University. In 
this manner, Dr. Curtis has hopes of passing on 
some of the knowlege that he has gained from his 
extensive practice. And those who see the work 
of the young men who go out from under his di¬ 
stinction realize that he has had his hopes come 
true. 

At the Jamestown exposition, Dr. Curtis had 
charge of the medical exhibit of the Negroes. He 
installed a model hospital and had it in good work- 
mg ordei. Here he was able to show the progress 
of the medical science among his people and to 
show the best methods of management of the hos¬ 
pital. 

Dr. Curtis has an interesting family. The sons 
in the family are following in the footsteps of their 
father and are one by one taking up the practice 
of medicine as a profession. To the father this is 
most gratifying for it shows that to his own fam¬ 
ily he has been their ideal of a man. No greater 
honor can be done any man than to have his own 
children take him for a model. 

Dr. Curtis is a man who has traveled extensively 
and the contact that he has gotten from this travel 
shows in his bearing, he is thoroughly at home in 
any emergency, is a good friend and is always 
ready to help those who need him. 



425 






MAJOR ROBERT R. JACKSON 



AJOR Robert R. Jackson was born 
in Malta, Illinois, September 1st., 
1870. At an early age he entered 
the public schools of Chicago, and 
remained in them till he complet¬ 
ed the High School Course. While 
still in school, Major Jackson served as a newsboy. 
From this work he gained a business training that 
has served him in all his after life. After leaving 
school. Major Jackson took the Civil Service Ex¬ 
amination and was appointed to a clerkship in the 
Chicago Postoffice. In this capacity he served for 
twenty-one years. For twelve years he served as 
Assistant Superintendent of the Armour Station 
Post Office. This is the highest position ever held 
by any member of the Colored Race, in the Post 
Office System of Chicago. 

During his life as a public man Major Jackson 
has served in a number of capacities. He has 
worked in the Civil Service, he has served as a sol¬ 


dier and he has done good work as a politician. As 
a soldier he has made a splendid record. He served 
in the Spanish-American War in 1898, and on the 


Mexican border in 1916. In all he served his coun¬ 
try as a soldier for twenty-five years. He was 
given his honorable discharge in 1917. Major Jack- 
son did his part to bring fame to the Illinois Nat¬ 
ional Guard, Eighth Regiment. Of this regiment 
he was a charter member and with it he worked for 
the twenty-five years that he put in the service. 

* In the political life of the city of his adoption 
he has for a number of years been very prominent. 
He was elected to the forty-eighth General Assem¬ 
bly and was seated just a short time before the 
Legislature adjourned sine die. He was re-elect¬ 
ed to the forty-ninth General Assembly and once 
more to the Fiftieth General Assembly. He had 
the opportunity to get in some good work for the 
colored people while serving these three terms. 
For one thing, the fiftieth anniversary of the em¬ 
ancipation of the slaves claimed his attention and 
he supported a bill appropriating $25,000.00 for that 
purpose. After his re-election he passed a bill for 
an additional $25,000.00 for the Half Century Ex¬ 
position. It was through his tireless endeavor that 
the famous Jackson law was passed which put the 
Birth of a Nation out of business. In 1918, Major 
Jackson was elected Alderman from the Second 
Ward to the City Council of Chicago. This elec¬ 
tion was for two years. 

In church affiliation Major Jackson is an African 
Methodist Episcopal. His membership is in the 
Quinn Chapel, of Chicago. He is a Knight of Py¬ 
thias, a Mason, An Odd Fellow, an Elk and a mem¬ 
ber of the United Brothers of Friendship. In the 
first named of these secret orders he holds high 
rank, being the Major General Uniform Rank of 
Knight of Pythias. This position he has held for 
the past twenty years. 

Major Jackson owns a Fraternal Press, Printing 
and Publishing, which is conservatively valued at 
$55,000.00. This is one of the largest printing es¬ 
tablishments of Chicago. Through his press he is 
able to reach many people. 

In May, 1888, he was married to Miss Annie 
Green, of Chicago, Illinois. To them two children 
have been born. George Jackson is a clerk in the 
City of Chicago, and the daughter, Naomi, is now 
married and busy making a home of her own. 

In the interest of his work, and a soldier, Major 
Jackson has traveled all over the United States. 
To him came the chance to train during his twenty- 
five years of service, forty thousand men for mil¬ 
itary service. This work he did willingly and well. 
In summing up what he had tried to do in his long 
life of usefulness Major Jackson says that the prin¬ 
cipal episodes of his life have come in “Fighting 
for the Race and for the Flag of our Country.” 


426 










William A. Warfield, M. D. 


R. Warfield is a good example of 
the man who has stayed in one 
place and steadily worked his way 
up from the ground floor to the 
top. That he has done this has 
been due to perseverance and to 
real merit. Dr. Warfield was born at Hyattstoen, 
Maryland, in 1866. In the public schools of his 
county he received his early training, and then he 
entered Morgan College, Baltimore, Maryland. 
From Morgan he was graduated in 1890 and ever 
since that time he has done honor to the school that 
gave him his grasp on things. And Morgan is just¬ 
ly proud of this son of hers that has won so much 
distinction in the profession that he made his life 
work. After completing the course at Morgan Dr. 
Warfield entered the Howard School of Medicine 
and was graduated with the degree M. D., in 1894. 
Since that time Freedmen’s Hospital, the hospital 
connected with the medical school of Howard Un¬ 
iversity has been the scene of Dr. Warfield’s labors. 

He first entered the hospital as an intern. In 
this capacity he served in 1894 and 1895. His next 
step in the ascent was to that of school assistant 
surgeon. At this post he served from 1895 to 1896, 
when he was once more promoted, this time to the 
work of First Assistant Surgeon. As first assist¬ 
ant surgeon he served from 1897 to 1901. At this 
time he was appointed surgeon-in-chief, which po¬ 
sition he still holds. When Dr. Warfield was serv¬ 
ing his internship at Freedmen’s he was under Dr. 
Dan Williams, of Chicago, who was at that time 
surgeon-in-chief of Freedmen’s Hospital. He could 
not have chosen a better man to work under if he 
had had the power of choice, for Dr. Williams has 
given to the medical science some points that will 
make him a name forever in the medical and sur¬ 
gical world. 

Since 1901, Dr. Warfield has been at the head of 
Freedmen’s. During that time the work of the in¬ 
stitution has grown, the plant has been enlarged, 
and the work strengthened. Much of the credit for 
this is due Dr. Warfield. With untiring effort he 
has wisely administered the affairs of the Hospital 
and has brought it up to the point where it serves 
a large number of persons, not only pei sons from 


the District of Columbia but people from all over 
the United States, who go there to take advantage 
of the skill of the staff employed in the work there. 

Dr. Warfield is Professor of abdominal surgery 
at Howard Medical School. Indeed Dr. Warfield 
is inclined to make a specialty of this line of work 
and has won rank among the most noted of our 
clever operators in this work. The interest of Dr. 
Warfield is in all lines of work of his profession as 
is easily shown by the organizations with which he 
has affiliated himself. He is a member of the Am¬ 
erican Hospital Association, he is a member of the 
National Medical Association and he is a member 
of the Medico-Chururgical Society of the District 
of Columbia. 

Dr. Warfield has found time to serve in other 
capacities that are not strictly in his profession. 
He is a member of the Board of Childrens’ Guard¬ 
ians in the District of Columbia and he is a member 
of the Masonic order. In church connection, Dr. 
Warfield is a Methodist and in political belief he is 
a Republican. During the crisis through which 
our country has just passed, Dr. Warfield gave 
freely of his time and energies and ripe wisdom to 
the service of his country. Early and late, even 
when he was needed to see after the affairs of the 
Hospital he was off to serve on the Exemption 
Board, or to help with a drive or in some way to 
help keep the work of the war under way. 

In Baltimore, Maryland, Dr. Warfield was mar¬ 
ried to Miss Violet B. Thompson, in 1891. From 
this union two children have been born to help the 
parents enjoy life and to make the life worth living 
for them. These two young people, William and 
Violet are being given opportunity to take advan¬ 
tage of all the educational facilities that are afford¬ 
ed in such an abundance in the Capitol City. 

Dr. Warfield still remains in the place where he 
begun the practice of his profession. He started 
at the bottom, as an intern. Step by step, and 
through years of self development and self applica¬ 
tion he has continued up, till now he is at the head 
of Freedmen’s and since Freedmen’s is the largest 
and best institution of her type, we might say that 
Dr. Warfield stands in the medical profession to¬ 
day without a peer. 



427 







C. H. JAMES 

ISTORY centers around the name 
of C. H. James of Charleston, 
West Virginia. His father was a 
soldier in the Union Army. Hon¬ 
orably discharged in West Virgi¬ 
nia in 1865 the father set to work 
to make a career for himself and for his family. 
Before entering the war he had made up his mind 
to preach. He now began his chosen work. He 
was the first colored ordained minister in West Vir¬ 
ginia ; and he and his sister Lucy were the first 
public school teachers of West Virginia. Thus does 
the son, C. H. James come into an envious heritage. 

Mr. C. H. James was born in Gallia County, Ohio, 
The father having gone to the war, the son lived 
with and was reared by his grandfather. 

He remained with his grandfather until he 
reached the age of eighteen, when he, with other 
members of the family, joined the father in West 
Virginia. When he reached his new home he 
thought to follow the steps of his father and so en¬ 
tered upon a career of teaching but the school room 
was not to his liking, his taste and inclantion lead¬ 
ing in another direction. The game of buying and 
selling appealed to him and the counter and cash 


register held a facination for him, so he determined 
to become a mercant. 

There being no money to back him and no stores 
in which he could get an apprenticeship, he bought 
such articles as he could afiford from his teacher’s 
wage, packed them in a sack and started forth a 
peddler. The thing was a novelty, goods were 
scarce; and so the business prospered. It grew 
too large to carry on his back. Profits increased 
until the young peddler felt able to pay rent and 
to buy a fairly large assortment of goods. Thus 
was begun on a small scale the well known firm 
of C. H. James and Sons, wholesale commission 
merchants. 

The business has been continuous in its growth 
and while he has kept a stock adequate to meet 
the greater demands of his business, he has been 
enabled to use a good per cent of his profits in en¬ 
joying the comforts of life and in making good real 
estate investments. He owns his residence, which 
is a handsome structure and has invested largely 
in other real estate. His possessions embrace im¬ 
proved and unimproved lots valued at $130,006 

Mr. James is every inch a business man and he 
has made such a great success of his business by 
giving it his strict and constant attention, so much 
so, that he has resisted the temptaton of outside 
attractions. In early years there was no part¬ 
ner, no one to share the responsibilities, hence 
he must needs be on hand by day and by night. In 
later years his son has come in to share the bur¬ 
dens as well as the earnings of the firm. He is a 
good and loyal Baptist, a Knight of Pythias and a 
Mason. Here and there lie has had a few hours 
to devote to political interests. Of course he is a 
Republican. In 1912 he was a delegate to the con¬ 
vention at Chicago, to nominate Colonel Theodore 
Roosevelt on the Progressive Ticket. This was one 
of the big events of his career, not only in politics, 
but in being away so long and care-free from his 
business. 

In civic life, however, he never permits politi¬ 
cal prejudice to influence him in the least and al¬ 
ways stands for the right regardless of party af¬ 
filiation. There is no public movement started in 
Charleston without his being consulted. 

Mr. James was married to Miss Roxie A. Clark, 
of Meigs County, Ohio, September 24. 1884. Three 
children have been born to and reared by Mr. and 
Mrs. James. Mr. Edward L. Jaimes is the partner 
in the firm of C. H. James and Sons. Miss Estella 
A. is a teacher in the public schools of Ch irleston, 
Miss Carrie B. is now Mrs. B. A. Crichiow, being 
the wife of Dr. B. A. Crichiow of the Crichiow 
Hospital. Mrs. Crichiow was formerly of the C. 
H. James and Sons, having served as the bookkeep¬ 
er for this firm for several years. 



428 













RICHARD H. BOWLING, D. D„ LL. D„ AND FIRST 
BAPTIST CHURCH—NORFOLK. VA. 


EV. Richard Hausber Bowling, D. 
D., LL. D., church builder, preach¬ 
er and religious leader, was born 
Sept. 4, 1864, in a rude cabin be¬ 
tween Old Point and Hampton, 
Va. The first fifteen years of his 
life were spent in farm work, fishing and helping 
out in his father’s little store. It was then his 
good fortune also as a student to come under the 
influence of the noted General Armstrong, found¬ 
er and principal of the Hampton Normal School. 

When about fifteen years old in December 1879 
“Fighting Dick,” as he was then called, ran away 
from his home in Hampton. From Norfolk he got a 
chance to work his way on a boat to Boston, Mass. 
After a year in Boston he went West for some 
eighteen months. The next year he spent in New 
York working as butler and attending school. Dur¬ 
ing the next three years he worked in the Summer 
as a waiter on Shelton’s Island and in the Winter 
as a farm hand in Connecticut. That he did not 
relax in his efiforts for an education, however, is 
evident in the story he used to tell of himself, of 
how he fell asleep one night while studying and 
awoke to find that his candle had burned low and 
set fire to his little soap-box bookcase and all its 
precious contents. 

It was during these last few years that he recog¬ 



nized the call to the ministry and announced his 
purpose to enter the sacred office. He joined the 
then famous Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, pastured 
by Dr. Daniel W. Wisher, who took note of the 
young man and gave him frequent opportunities 
lor the exercise of his gifts. It was apparent from 
t ie stai t that he was endowed with unusual gifts 
as an orator and he was encouraged to go forward 
in lus chosen profession. Although a young man 
us reputation began to spread and it was not lono- 
before he received a call to a church. Returning 
home when about twenty-one or two years old the 
young Mr. Bowling received his first call to a 
church from the little Baptist church in Waynes¬ 
boro, Virginia, at a salary of but $15 per month. 

followed in quick succession brief pastorates 
m Harrisonburg, Va., where he drew great crowds 
of both races to hear his eloquent preaching, and in 
Steelton, Pa., where he built a comfortable church 
house. 

While on a visit to his old home in Hampton in 
December 1889, he heard of the efforts then beiim- 
made Dy the historic old First Church of Norfolk, 
Va., to secure a pastor. His engagement with 
them was filled so acceptably that on Jan. 1st 1890 
lie received a unanimous call. The twenty-three 
years that followed the acceptance of this call un¬ 
til his death in July 1913 were busy and filled with 
successful labors. During his Norfolk pastorate he 
conducted a number of unprecedented revivals, 
added large numbers to the church, encouraged his 
people by precept and example to buy homes, edu¬ 
cate theii children and live soberly, served as 
President of the V. M. C. A., helped organize a col- 
oied insuiance company, and gave himself unsel¬ 
fishly to eveiy civic and philanthropic movement. 

In October, 1890, he married Miss Haynes 
whom he had met some years before. Being a 
graduate of Fisk and also a young woman nat¬ 
urally endowed with a sweet disposition and the 
power of convincing speech she proved to him a 
helpmate indeed. To them were born seven child¬ 
ren, four of whom are still living. His first wife 
having died in February 1905, he was married again 
in 1907 to Miss Grace P. Melton of Winton, N. C. 
To them were born three chidren. 


For fourteen years he was the president of the 
Virginia Baptist State Convention, which under 
him paid for and operated successfully the Virginia 
Theological Seminary and College at Lynchburg, 
Va. As an orator and preacher he was well and 
favorably known all through the South and in the 
larger cities of the East. 

The crowning achievement of his life perhaps 
was the building and paying for in the last seven 
years of his life of the beautiful stone church, now 
pastored by his son, Richard Hausber Bowling, Jr., 
at a total cost of a little over $72,000. 

He was a hard worker and a close student. He 
strove for a better feeling between the races and 
thereby won the love and respect of them both. 
Above all he was honest, dependable and of a spot¬ 
less character. 


429 
























HEMAN E. PERRY 


EM AN E. Perry, born in Hous¬ 
ton, Texas, March 5, 1873, his ear¬ 
ly experience was not unlike 
many of the colored men who 
have risen from the huts of pov¬ 
erty and traversed the roads of 
hardships to the high positions 
they have filled in the affairs of 
men. He did not enjoy a finished education, 
his schooling carrying him only through the 
seventh grade of the public school, but what he 
lacked in this particular he more than made up in a 
natural adaptibility for business, and in gifts along 
this line he seems to have received a double portion. 
Coupled with his keen, active business mentality, 
he possessed an indomitable will, which would not 
yield to the most discouraging conditions. His 
business career started when cpiite young as a clerk 
in his father’s grocery store, where he remained 
for two years. His father gave up the grocery 
business and went to the farm, taking his son with 
him. 

Here he engaged in general farm work and in the 
harvest season peddled the farm products from 
door to door. 

He was twelve years of age when he went to the 
farm, and he continued there for about two years, 
when he returned to the city and spent the next 
ten years working for a cotton firm, during which 
time he became an expert cotton sampler and clas- 


ser. Having learned the business he decided to 
shift for himself, so he gave up the position he had 
filled for so long a period, and offered his services 
to the trade as an expert in the lines above men¬ 
tioned. 

His ability as a sampler and classer was general¬ 
ly recognized and he had no trouble in securing 
contracts from the large and well known firms, 
such as George H. McFadden and Hooper & Co. 

He eventually gave up the cotton business and 
sought a wider field in which to develop his talent. 

He commenced as a life insurance solicitor and 
worked for the Equitable, Manhattan Life, Fidel¬ 
ity Mutual and the Mutual Reserve. He spent 
about twelve years as a solicitor and the experience 
he gained in the field was of great help to him when 
he organized the company which has established 
his reputation as an insurance man. To gain fur¬ 
ther knowledge of the business he went to Nerv 
York and obtained employment in the home offices 
of several of the companies he had worked for in 
the field. While thus employed he formed the ac¬ 
quaintance of actuaries of national reputation. 

When he worked he dreamed, and he saw in his 
minds eye an insurance institution owned and op¬ 
erated by Negroes. After a while his dream began 
to take concrete form, and he left New York and 
came to Atlanta, Georgia, to launch his enterprise. 

STANDARD LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY 

The organization of this company did not have 
easy sailing, in fact the first attempt met with fail¬ 
ure, and had another hand been at the helm instead 
of that of Mr. Perry, it would no doubt have sunk 
to rise no more. 

In 1908 he gathered together a group of bus¬ 
iness men in the Young Men’s Christian Associa¬ 
tion hall at Atlanta, and unfolded to them his pur¬ 
pose and plan to organize a Life Insurance Com¬ 
pany among the Negroes and to start with a cap¬ 
ital of One Hundred Thousand Dollars. Some of 
those who were present sat up and gasped, and 
others thought that the young man was crazy. 
Some of them did not hesitate to say so. They 
could hardly believe their ears when he told them 
in a frank, straight forward way, that the least 
amount with which they could begin business 
would be $100,000 paid in capital which must be in¬ 
vested in bonds and deposited with the State Trea¬ 
surer for the protection of the policy holders of the 
company. 

These men who had been in business and in the 
professions in Atlanta for many years, a number 
of whom had grown wealthy through real estate 
investments, and who had been accustomed to se^ 
things done on a large scale by the white citizens 
of Atlanta, were not prepared to see a Negro with 
an idea as big as this. They plied him with ques¬ 
tions and thought they must have misunderstood 
his proposition, that he meant $10,000, and not 
$100,000 and then they did not know the meaning 
of some of the technical insurance terms he used, 
which he had to explain. He finally convinced 
them that he was in sober, serious earnestness, and 
while he succeeded in enthusing them a little with 
the enterprise, they left the hall without committ¬ 
ing themselves, and went home to think it over. 

While it burned with but a faint glow at first the 
fire kindled at that meeting never went out. Lit- 



430 

















tic by little the idea grew and men and women in 
every walk of life became interested in what this 
stranger was trying to do. He opened a subscrip¬ 
tion list, which provided that not one penny of the 
money paid in should be used for the expenses of 
the organization; that if the Company was not 
launched every dollar received, with 4 per cent in¬ 
terest, should be returned to the subscriber. 

A charter of incorporation was secured in Jan¬ 
uary, 1909. Then began the real struggle, for the 
charter was granted with the provision that the 
company should begin business within two years 
from the date of issuance or the money received 
for subscriptions be refunded to subscribers and 
the charter revoked. January 28, 1911, was the 
last day on which the Standard Life Insurance 
Company could begin to do business under the 
charter. 

After two years of the hardest kind of w r ork, and 
the greatest of sacrifices, in the closing days of 
1910, there was little more than $60,000 in hand, 
and it needed $40,000 more before anything could 
be done. Mr. Perry was a man of faith as well as 
determination and energy, and by herculean efforts 
within the next thirty days he raised another 
$10,000, but when the 11th of January dawned, it 
became apparent to him that the remaining $30,000 
necessary could not be raised from subscribers, so 
he made an effort to borrow the amount. While 
those to whom he applied recognized his absolute 
integrity and honesty of purpose, and sympathized 
with his intense earnestness, he only found en¬ 
couragement from one banker, and as he required 
time to consult his lawyer and board, his enteipiise 
was placed in great jeopardy, for the 28th of the 
month was rapidly approaching, when either bus¬ 
iness must begin or the charter surrendered. The 
fatal day finally arrived and he had not accom¬ 
plished his purpose, and with a keen disappoint¬ 
ment, but a brave heart he gave up his charter and 
paid the subscribers back their money with 4% in¬ 
terest as promised. He had borne the burden of 
the fight, defrayed his own expenses, and hiied oth¬ 
ers to help him, using up his own resources and 
going in debt to others for means necessary to 
carry on the work. 

It’would seem that the end of the Standard Life 
Insurance Company had come. It would have been 
the end to an ordinary man. It would have crushed 
a weak man. But the man who had worked for 
two years making untold sacrifices was made of 

St After the' sting of the crushing defeat had lost 
its pain, he set about the task of doing it all over 
again, and this time he succeeded. 

Long before the time limit of his charter had 
expired, he had sold the 1000 shares of stock at 
$125 to $150 per share, collected over $50,000 
cash and had taken notes for the balance of $80,00 , 
and with the cooperation of his associates in ie 
organization had. borrowed on the notes of 
stockholders $50,000 more, and purchased and d 
posited with the treasurer of the Mate of Geo g 
$100,000 in bonds. The company was boi n, but it 
was ’only in its swaddling clothes, only a begmnm 
—much work still remained to be done and it a 
to be developed. The man who founded the e 
terprise was equal to the task of developing it. It 
has succeeded marvelously. The policy of the com¬ 


pany from the beginning was to give full publicity 
to its affairs, so that both the public and those fi¬ 
nancially interested might have complete confi¬ 
dence and security. It has been examined by a 
number of expert accountants and actuaries and 
their reports given wide publicity. 

The death claims paid in 1918 amounted to 
$79,733.47, and the total amount of beneficiaries 
paid since organization is $145,353.78. 

In 1913, the insurance in force was $381,500 and 
the premium income $10,293.68; in 1918 the insur¬ 
ance in force amounted to $8,208,720 and the Prem¬ 
ium income to $339,327.77. It bears the distinction 
of being the only Old Line Negro Life Insurance 
Company. 

OFFICERS: 

Heman E. Perry, President; Harry H, Pace, Se¬ 
cretary-Treasurer; J. A. Robinson, Auditor; C. C. 
Cater, M. D., Medical Director; Wm. H. King, Di¬ 
rector of Agencies; D. P. Cater, Cashier; C. A. 
Shaw, Director of Inspection ; I. S. Blocker, Supt. 
Policy Division; Geo. Dyre Eldridge, (Boston, 
Mass.,) Actuary; Candler, Thomson and Hirsch, 
Counsel. 

DIRECTORS: 

Henry A. Boyd, Nashville; E. C. Brown, Phila¬ 
delphia; Walter S. Buchanan, Normal; B. J. Davis, 
gusta; J. F. Dugas, Augusta; A. D. Hamilton, At¬ 
lanta; Thos. H. Hayes, Memphis; J. W. Huguley, 
Americus; R. L. Isaacs, Prairie View; Sol. C. John¬ 
son, Savannah; R. E. Jones, New Orleans; A. L. 
Lewis, Jacksonville; Harry H. Pace, Atlanta; J. Q. 
Ross, Atlanta; Emmett J. Scott, Washington; Wal¬ 
ter S. Scott, Savannah ; N. B. Young, Tallahassee. 

In addition to the officers mentioned the Com¬ 
pany has an advisory board composed of the lead¬ 
ing financiers, educators and religious teachers of 
the Negro race, who live in different sections of 
the country, where they are easily accessible for in¬ 
formation and advice. 

The organization of the Standard Life Insurance 
Company is not the only achievement of Mr. Perry. 

He organized the Citizens Trust Company, with 
a capital stock of $250,000, and a surplus of $250,- 
000. This Company is located in Atlanta, Georgia. 
The company bears the distinction of being the 
only one passing the Capitol Issues Committee, 
Sixth Federal Reserve District and in Washing¬ 
ton. 

He also organized “The Service Company,” with 
a capital stock of $100,000. The purpose of this 
organization is to equip and operate a chain of 
laundries and dry cleaning plants in different cit¬ 
ies. ■ It now has two plants in successful operation; 
one in Atlanta, another in Augusta, Ga. 

Mr. Perry organized the hospital association 
which purchased the Old Bishop Turner home for 
fifteen thousand dollars, and obtained the promise 
of $150,000 from Eastern Philanthropists contin¬ 
gent on a certain sum being raised by the associa¬ 
tion, for the erection of a hospital in Atlanta, Ga. 

He has recently purchased the Old Calico House, 
Atlanta, at present occupied by the Wesley Mem¬ 
orial Hospital, and the two adpoining lots, and will 
construct here a handsome office building for col¬ 
ored tenants. This project will involve several 
hundred thousand dollars. 



REVEREND FREDERICK LEE LIGHTS 


IKE many who have risen from 
the ranks of the colored race to 
occupy places of distinction, Dr. 
Lights was reared in the lap of 
poverty and passed through a 
stage of trial and tribulation be- 
his goal. He was born in the State 
of Louisiana, where his boyhood struggles began. 
His parents were poor, his father being a Baptist 
minister, whose labors extended back to 1859, who 
appreciated the value of an education but was un¬ 
able to give his son Frederick the benefit of one. 
Young Fredrick had the ambition and desire to 
learn and the grit and energy to seek an education 
which he finally secured by the labor of his hands. 

At the age of twelve, he left his native State and 
moved with his parents to Bayou, Texas. Here 
he enrolled in the public schools and was permitted 
to attend them for a while without undue anxiety 
and care. His respite from struggle was of 
short duration for in a little while his father died 
and placed upon his shoulders the care and respon¬ 
sibility, not of himself alone, but in a large meas¬ 
ure the entire family. He met the burden with 
fortitude and strength and at once addressed him¬ 


self to the problems thus thrust upon him. To 
meet the situation he found it necessary to devote 
his days to labor but he robbed work of its fatigue 
and night of its repose and spent many of the 
hours which should have been devoted to sleep in 
hard study. He finished his course in the public 
schools and then entered the Hearne Academy. He 
was among the first to enter this institution of 
learning, remaining there until he had completed 
his course. 

While at Bayou he was converted and joined the 
Baptist Church, being the church his father organ¬ 
ized. 

The deep religious impressions made upon him 
in his youth continued to grow until they finally 
decided him upon his life work. When he com¬ 
pleted his work at the Hearne Academy he went to 
Edge, Texas, and was there ordained as a minis¬ 
ter. This was in 1882, and immediately after his 
ordination he began bis ministerial work. Among 
the churches he served as Pastor was the Baptist 
church, at Hearne, the church at Bayou, his old 
home ; the church at Franklin, at Dremond, at Can¬ 
non, at Rockdale, at Hamstead, at Hannon Colony, 
at Allen Farm, and at Wellsburn. At three of 
these—Edge, Franklin and Cannon, he built houses 
of worship. 

From the beginning of his ministerial career he 
has grown in wisdom and popularity and has been 
enabled to accomplish a large work. His record 
shows that he has received into the church more 
than five thousand members and has united in mar¬ 
riage more than one thousand couples. 

His labors have not been confined to the local 
church but have also been of an international char¬ 
acter. 

In 1905 he was a messenger to the World’s Bap¬ 
tist Congress, which met in England. 

He took advantage of the opportunity while in 
Europe to make a tour of England, Ireland, Scot¬ 
land and France. Again in 1910 he visited Europe 
as a delegate to the World’s Mission Congress, 
which met in Edinburgh. This time he visited 
Germany, Belgium and Wales, and revisited 
France. 

He also took an active part in the National meet¬ 
ings of his denomination and was instrumental in 
a large measure, for the National Baptist Conven¬ 
tion, being held in Houston Texas, in 1912. 

Dr. Light was married in 1895, to Miss Pearl 
Augustus Reed, of Houston, Texas. At the time 
of their marriage she was a teacher in the Public 
Schools of Houston. Six children have been born 
to them, five of whom are living. Freddie Lee, 
Ada Estelle, Emerson Augusta, Roger Williams, 
Pearl Emma Eduara, and Louise Venara, deceased. 



for he reached 


432 










S. VV. Bacote, B. D., M. A., D.D., and Second Baptist Church 


HOEVER visits Kansas City, Mis¬ 
souri, for any length of time will, 
if he wishes to know anything at 
all about the religious life of the 
people, come very soon to the Se¬ 
cond Baptist Church and its pas¬ 
tor, Rev. S. W. Bacote. The Second Baptist Church 
building is one that will make a stranger enquire 
about it, the pastor of the second Baptist Church 
is one who will make the stranger feel at home 
within his city. 

Rev. Bacote was born at Society Hill, South Car¬ 
olina. Here in the public schools he received his 
earliest training for his life work. He next enter¬ 
ed Benedict College, where he remained for five 
years. Benedict is one of those schools supported 
by the Baptists of the North in which such thor¬ 
ough training is offered to our young people. Rev. 
Bacote next entered Shaw University, Raleigh, 
North Carolina. Here he remained for one year 
and then entered Richmond Theological Seminary, 
from which he received the degree of B. D., in 1891, 
he received his master’s degree in 1900 and the 
degree of D. D. in 1904. Thus, Rev. Bacote went 
from one school to another, from one degree of 
training to another till he was fitted for the work 
he had in his heart and in his mind to do. 

In 1902 Rev. Bacote married Miss Lucy Jean¬ 
ette Bledsoe, of Topeka, Kansas. Mrs. Bacote is 
as much of a help to her husband as his very thor¬ 
ough training. She is active in every line of work 
that is taken up by the church, knows just how to 
make the people feel at home in the church and 
stands in all matters right with Rev. Bacote, ready 
to help him wherever a woman’s help is needed. 
To the Bacote home four children have come; 
Samuel and Geraldine (deceased) ; and Clarence 
and Lucille. 

Rev. Bacote is a man who has chosen to work 
in a few places and who has done his work so well 
in those places that he is wanted there permantlv. 
His first pastorate was in Alabama, where he pas- 
tored the Second Baptist Church, at Marion, and 
at the same time served as President of the Marion 
Baptist College. He left this work to enter the 
field at Kansas City, Mo. Here he is pastor of 
the Second Baptist Church. The history of this 


church is in a way the history of the work of Rev. 
Bacote. 

When he took charge of the work of that church 
in 1895 the basement of the new church was built 
and had been built for some time, but there it stood, 
doing good to no one, depreciating in value with 
the passing of time, yet the people of the church, 
without the proper leader, had not the will to carry 
the structure to completion. Rev. Bacote, like the 
good business man that he is, said to his people— 
W e will pay as we go.” So they set to work to 
raise the funds for the church. WLen thev had 
funds the.y were spent carefully, so that all might 
see the work go up another step. So with each 
rally of the people the building went up. Not till 
they came to the roof did they seek aid from bor¬ 
rowed money. But when they reached this point, 
the money necessary to hurry it through was bor¬ 
rowed and the congregation moved in. But they 
did not wait to get the money together to pay off 
this bill. That was one thing that Rev. Bacote ab- 
hored and it was one of the things that he tried to 
teach his people to look upon with disfavor. So 
the sum that was necessary to cover the Second 
Baptist Church was soon paid back. 

The edifice stands as a monument to the tireless 
endeavor of this man and his faithful workers. It 
is well planned, well built, and is kept in the best 
of order. The church is worth $100,000.00. 

Rev. Bacote does not spend all of his energies 
in the work of the people of Kansas City. He has 
also a national interest in the affairs of the Bap¬ 
tists. He was elected statistician of the National 
Baptist Convention in 1902. In this work he con¬ 
tinued for a number of years organizing it so thor¬ 
oughly that all the facts could be seen at a glance. 
Among the things that have been written by Rev. 
Bacote are “Who’s Who Among the Colored Bap¬ 
tists of the United States,” and The National Bap¬ 
tist Year Book. The interests of Rev. Bacote are 
in the work. He has the work in his heart as can 
be seen from his talks, his work in his church and 
his work in the national organizations and in his 
writings. Rev. Bacote is the type of minister to 
whom we can point with pride and say: “There is 
a man, thoroughly trained, with the interest of the 
work and the people upon his heart, Let us take 
him for an example.” 



433 








EDWARD RANDOLPH CARTER. D. D. 


ROM the shoemaker’s bench there 
has gone forth many illustrious 
men who have made themselves 
felt in the world’s progress. 
Since the days of William Carey, 
men have turned from their work 
upon the soles of shoes to labor for the salvation of 
the souls of men. 

Rev. Edward Randolph Carter, D. D., was once 
a cobbler, but like Carey, he cobbled for a living 
while his real work was the carrying on the work 
of his Lord. Dr. Carter was born in Athens, Geor¬ 
gia, about the year 1867, being the son of Thomas 
and Sibble Carter. 

After the foundation of his education was 
laid in the public schools, he attended Morehouse 
College. The degree of D. D. was conferred upon 
him by this college and the Gaudeloup College, 
Texas. 

He took a course in Hebrew at the Chicago Uni¬ 
versity. While securing his education he followed 
the shoemakers trade and gave some time to teach¬ 
ing. Atlanta, Georgia, has been the seat of his 
ministerial work and in fact the center of his active 
life. 


Since 1882 he has been the pastor of the Friend¬ 
ship Baptist Church, Atlanta, and while serving this 
church as pastor he has been actively identified 
with a number of denominational institutions and 
enterprises. He is a trustee and secretary of the 
Board of Trustees of Morehouse College; for a 
number of years he has been President of the Bap¬ 
tist Educational Convention of Georgia; was Pres¬ 
ident o{ the Baptist State Convention, of Georgia 
a number of years; is editor of Reflections of Nat¬ 
ional Baptist Convention Teacher. 

Through his efforts a home for the old folks was 
established in Atlanta, and he is now building a 
home for boys and girls. 

For nine years he was Vice-President of the In¬ 
ternational Baptist Association. 

He was a pioneer in the prohibition campaign in 
the South among the Negroes. He made speaking 
tours in all of the counties of Georgia, Tennessee, 
the Carolinas and Virginia. He is a member of 
the National Baptist Publication Board, and of the 
founder’s committee of this board. 

He is a member of the Southern Sociological 
Congress. He was a delegate to the World’s Mis¬ 
sionary Congress, which met in Edinburgh Scot¬ 
land in 1910. He is Lecturer of West side Baptist 
Ministers' Union, Atlanta, Georgia. 

Dr. Carter has been a great traveler and has seen 
more of the world than is the privilege of but few 
men. He has visited the countries of Europe, Pal¬ 
estine, Syria, Asia, Asia Minor, Africa and Egypt. 

In 1876 Dr. Carter married Miss Obeie Ceicil 
Brown, at Athens, Georgia. She has borne him 
five children: Edward Randolph, Jr., M. D.; Capt. 
Raymond H., M. D.; Earnest Mays, Ph. D.; James 
B. Electrician; and Madam Iola Rogers. 

Dr. Carter’s manifold duties have occupied so 
much of his time that he has had but little oppor¬ 
tunity to devote to his secular interests though he 
has accumulated property to the value of $5000. 

A recent honor conferred upon Dr. Carter and 
one which speaks highly of his ability and worth, 
was being selected by the personal war council to 
go to France to lecture to the colored soldiers. 

I he offices held by Dr. Carter are not mere posi¬ 
tions of honorary distinction, but call for much lo- 
bor, and the fact that he fills them so acceptably 
goes to show that he is a man of work. 

1 o be elected to an office and then neglect the 
duties connected therewith, is to strip the position 
of its honor, for the honor lies in duty well per¬ 
formed. 

Taking this view of place, Dr. Carter is entitled 
to all the honors attaching to the positions he holds. 
Dr. Carter is yet in his prime and hopes to accom¬ 
plish much for his people before he encounters the 
feebleness of old age. 



434 











JOSEPH HAYGOOD BLODGETT 



HAT a man of energy and talent 
should rise above his obscure sur¬ 
roundings and become a factor in 
the world’s progress and make a 
name for himself, is no argument 
against education but is an en- 
those who are denied the great 


are 

benefits of an education. 

Joseph Haygood Blodgett was denied the ad¬ 
vantages of a mental training, such as is supplied 
bv the common schools and colleges and yet he has 
made a success of his life. 

He spent his early years upon the farm where 
the strength of his youth was employed in tilling 
the soil. 

He was born in Augusta, Georgia, February 8th., 
1858, and remained on the farm until young man¬ 
hood when he moved to Summerville, South Caro¬ 
lina. Here he began as a common laborer but soon 
branched out for himself. His first venture was a 
hauling contractor for delivering phosphates from 
the mines and then for four years he furnished 
cross-ties and wood to the South Carolina Railroad 
Company. After this he engaged in farming upon 
an extensive scale and succeeded in sinking all the 
money he had saved. 


1 he loss dissapointed him, but did not discourage 
him—it only served to stimulate his energies for 
another effort. Leaving Summerville, he went to 
Jacksonville, ITorida, and arrived there with onlv 
one dollar and ten cents in his pocket. For six 
months he worked for the Railroad Company at 
one dollar and five cents per day after which he 
again ventured for himself. He went into the dray- 
age business and started with one team. He added 
to this a wood yard and ran a farm. He also ope¬ 
rated a restaurant. From this he went into build¬ 
ing contracting, which he began in 1898. The great 
fire of 1901 swept away his buildings and left him 
only vacant lots. 

The State Bank of Florida, came to his rescue 
and loaned him five thousand dollars to improve his 
vacant lots, payable in five years. With this assist¬ 
ance he went to work and was soon doing a large 
business in improving vacant lots and selling them. 
He has built two hundred and fifty-eight houses, 
one hundred of which he now owns. 

To J. H. Blodgett is due the credit for the beau¬ 
tiful residence section of elegant homes for Jack¬ 
sonville’s colored population—a section that is un¬ 
surpassed for beauty. 

His home, “Blodgett Villa,” is one of the show 
places of Florida. It is a fine two story brick 
residence, beautifully finished inside and out and 
is elegantly furnished in the best of taste. HJs 
home is one of the finest owned by colored people 
anywhere. In it he has entertained the late Book¬ 
er T. Washington, and many other notables. It is 
his ruling passion, and since his retirement from 
active business, he spends most of his time with 
his garden and flowers. Although ill health keeps 
him at home, of recent years, he is still a power in 
the business world of Jacksonville, and his advice 
is eagerly sought on nearly all matters of busi¬ 
ness. He is a great lover of the State of his adop¬ 
tion, and is fond of recounting his conversations 
with John Wannamaker and that merchant prince’s 
astonishment at a southern Negro being able to 
accumulate a fortune in the South. Whthout capi¬ 
tal and without education. It is a remarkable fact 
that there are very few men of any race in Jack¬ 
sonville today who could borrow more from the 
banks on an unendorsed note, than J. H. Blodgett. 
In fact he has so conducted himself and his busi¬ 
ness that his credit is almost without limit. 

Mr. Blodgett’s business engagements do not con¬ 
sume so much of his time that he cannot give at¬ 
tention to religious matters. He is a member of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church and contributes to 
its support, both in time and money. 

In 1894, he married Miss Sallie O. Barnes, of 
Bamburg, South Carolina, who has been a potent 
factor in Mr. Blodgett’s success. 


435 


















ROBERT C. WOODS, A. M. 


1RGIN1A Theological Seminary 
and College, located at Lynch¬ 
burg, Virginia, was founded in 
1887, as Virginia Seminary. In 
a session of the Virginia Baptist 
State Convention, convened in Al¬ 
exandria, Va., May 1887, the plans for the estab¬ 
lishment of the Institution were perfected, the 
Trustee Board elected and immediate work start¬ 
ed. It was incorporated February 24, 1888, by the 
act of the General Assembly. July, 1887, the cor¬ 
ner stone of the Main Building was laid. The class 
room work began in 1890 and the first class was 
graduated in 1894. In 1899 the charter was revised 
and college and theological departments were 
added. The name rvas then changed to Virginia 
Theological Seminary and College. 

COURSES: The courses offered are Normal-In¬ 
dustrial, Academic, College and Theological. The 
Normal-Industrial Course is especially adapted to 
the work of teacher training, the course being the 
uniform course recommended by a committee, un¬ 
der the supervision of the State Board of Public 
Instruction. The Academic Course is four years in 
length, modern in its appointments and prepares 
for College and Professional schools. The College 


Course is a standard Bachelor of Art Course, (A. 
B.), covering a period of four years, doing special 
work in the Social, Moral and Physical Sciences, 
Languages, with other standard college outlines. 
The Theological Course embraces three years, 
leading to the degree of Bachelor of Theology (B. 
Th.) and Bachelor of Divinity (B. D). 

The Bachelor of Divinity Degree is award¬ 
ed only to those who offer as entrance units a min¬ 
imum of two years college work and upon com¬ 
pletion of the full outline course. The Bachelor of 
Theology degree is awarded to those that have not 
the college credits and who do not cover the lan¬ 
guage courses in the department. 

Among some of the comments of educators on 
the class of work done at this institution is one 
submitted from Junior Dean G. W. Fiske of the 
Graduate School of Oberlin College. 

“Allow me to say that I held Mr. * * * * ’s 

application in abeyance for about ten weeks, dur¬ 
ing the summer, while I investigated the standing 
of the institution at Lynchburg (Virginia Theolo¬ 
gical Seminary and College.) Having satisfied my¬ 
self the course which Mr. * * * * completed 

was of college grade. His scholarship is fully 
equal to that of graduates from Fiske University 
and Lincoln University.” 

The work of the Institution receives full credits 
from the leading universities of the country. Stu¬ 
dents go from here to such universities as Oberlin, 
Syracuse, University of Michigan, Bucknell and 
others, to do professional and graduate work and 
receive the very best rating. 

FACULTY: Beginning with the Academic year 
of 1917-18, the faculty numbers twenty-one active 
professors and instructors, fifteen male and six fe¬ 
male, who come from the leading American insti¬ 
tutions. Among the institutions represented in 
the faculty at present are, Yale, Oberlin, Univer¬ 
sity of Pittsburgh, Hillsdale College, and other 
leading institutions. All members of the faculty 
are Christians, being well trained and with years of 
experience. 

GROUNDS AND BUILDINGS: The Institution owns 
on the City limits an immediate campus of six acres 
—in addition it has other properties consisting of 
houses and lots in this city and in other cities, left 
from estates to the Institution. The buildings on 
the grounds, which are all brick, consist first, of the 
Main Building, four story which includes recita¬ 
tion hall, with fine spacious class rooms, library 
and reception rooms, with two additional stories 
for dormitories used for young men. To this main 
building is attached an annexed three-story which 
includes laboratory for Physical and Biological 
Sciences, Domestic Science Department, the other 



436 
















MAIN BUILDING—VIRGINIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AND COLLEGE. 


story used as a dormitory for men. Fox Hall is 
three-story building above basement, which in¬ 
cludes Chapel, offices and dormitory .-for young 
women. The Board authorized for immediate erec¬ 
tion, in its past session, of dining hall and hos¬ 
pital. These buildings which were completed dur¬ 
ing the year 1917-18, are each two-story brick, 
with such facilities as are needed. The President’s 
home is a large frame structure. All these build¬ 
ings are modernly equipped with steam heat, elec¬ 
tric light, hot and cold water. Many members 
of the faculty live adjacent to the Institution on 
property owned by themselves. 

The Board authorizes the buying of a farm, 
where the Institution will begin upon a new field 
of endeavor, such as farming and dairying, etc. 

The valuation of the property at present is 
$175,000.00 (One hundred seventy-five thousand 
dollars) free of all indebtedness. The additional 
buildings added $25,000.00 (Twenty-five thousand 
dollars) to the property valuation. 

STUDENTS AND GRADUATES: The institution 
had on attendance in the 1916-17 session, three 
hundred ten students, one hundred sixty young 
men and one hundred fifty young women. 1 hese 
were distributed in all departments, with twenty- 
seven in College and sixty-seven in theological de¬ 
partments. These students represent twenty-two 
states and four foreign countries. There are four 
hundred graduates. Of this number 118 are activ¬ 
ely engaged in the ministry, pastoring leading 


churches in every city in Virginia and leading cit- 
ties of the United States, including many of the 
Southern cities in the far South. Eight are mis¬ 
sionaries of foreign fields, twenty doctors of med¬ 
icine, ten pharmacists, ten dentists, ten lawyers, 
thirty academy and college professors, two college 
presidents, two principals of academies, eighteen 
civil service workers, four trained nurses. Of the 
two hundred eight remaining, they chiefly fill posi¬ 
tions as teachers in the public school system in the 
cities and rural districts. 

The graduates hold prominent places as officials 
in leagues, conventions, and take active part in 
civic and religious life of the people. 

The first president was Phillip F. Morris, D. D., 
from 1888 to 1891, the second president was Greg- 
pry W. Hayes, A. M., from 1891 to 1906, from 1906 
to 1908, there was an acting president, Mrs. G. W. 
Hayes, the third president was Jas. R. L. Diggs, 
A. M., 1908 to 1911, the fourth and present pres¬ 
ident is Robert C. Woods, A. M., from 1911. 

SOURCES OF SUPPORT: The Institution is sup¬ 
ported by the Virginia Baptist State Convention of 
Virginia, the Baptist State organizatons from Vir¬ 
ginia to Maine and personal donations. The annual 
subscription for the present year will amount to 
twenty five thousand dollars. There is a small en¬ 
dowment and small income from properties. The 
Institution is denominational, but is open alike to 
students of all denominations. 

There are more than two thousand former stu¬ 
dents. 
























PRESIDENT L. E. WILLIAMS IN PRIVATE OFFICE—WAGE EARNERS SAVINGS BANK 


AGE Earners Savings Bank, of 
Savannah, Georgia, reputed to 
be the leading Negro Savings 
Bank in America, has truly served 
as a mighty stimulating agency. 
For the thoughful Negroes were 
only waiting for the formation of such an institu¬ 
tion to be promoted and led on by such men of 
their race as heads the Wage Earners Savings 
Bank today. 

Miraculously as it may seem, about ten or a doz¬ 
en ambitious Negroes met in the home of one of 
their number in the year 1900 for the purpose of 
organizing a bank, and the magnificient sum of 
One Hundred and Two Dollars was all they could 
raise. But it was a bank that these Negroes 
wanted for themselves and their race, and today, 
a bank they have, domiciled in their own build¬ 
ing, which is said to be the finest banking building 
owned by Negroes in the United States. 

Through the careful management of the officers 
of this Negro Bank, it has been able to declare a 
divident of 12 per cent per annum for a number of 
years. Deposits payable on demand earn 5 per 
cent, per annum, compounded quarterly. Deposits 
of One Hundred Dollars or over, when left for a 
year earn 6 per cent. The slogan of the Wage 
Earners Savings Bank to the Negroes everywhere 


is “Own Your Own Home,” and since this bank 
started in business they have built or otherwise 
aided the people of its race in Savannah to obtain 
more than 1000 homes. Its officers and directors 
are: L. E. Williams, President; Sol C. Johnson, 
Vice-President; R. A. Harper, Cashier; E. C. Black- 
shear, Asst.-Cashier; Mrs. R. L. Barnes, G. H. Bo¬ 
wen, E. Seabrook, J. M. Ferreebee, Thos. M. Holly, 
Dr. J. W. Jamerson, Jno. F. Jones, J. C. Lindsay, 
Nathan Roberts, A. B. Singfield, W. J. Williams, H. 
B. Wright. 

Through well directed plans and efforts, and 
down-right rugged honesty, the Wage Earners 
Savings Bank has grown from $102.00 in 1900 to a 
volume of business, as shown by the files of the 
State Bank Examiner of Georgia, of the condition 
of the Bank at the close of business November 21st, 


1917, as follows: 

RESOURCES 

Loans and discounts _$233,333.82 

Stocks, Bonds and Investments_ 37,828.08 

Banking House and Fixtures_ 72,554.20 

Cash on hand & due from Banks_ 33,016.66 


$376,732.76 

LIABILITIES 

Capital stock paid in_$ 50,000.00 

Surplus & undivided profits_ 25,066.33 

Unpaid dividends _ 271.20 

Deposits - 271,395.23 

Bills Payable _ 30,000.00 


$376,732.76 



438 


























Simmeon L. Carson, M. D. 


R. Simmeon L. Carson was born at 
Marion, North Carolina. His par¬ 
ents had been slaves and had 
been denied the advantages of 
education and the very fact that 
they had been deprived of the 
blessings and opportunities which come to the ed¬ 
ucated man, made them more determined that their 
children should have the proper chance to rise to a 
higher plane of usefulness and honor in the battle 
of life. 

After giving the matter mature thought they de¬ 
cided that they could best secure an education for 
their children in the State of Michigan, so they left 
their home in North Carolina and went to the State 
of Michigan and located in the City of Ann Arbor. 

It was here in Ann Arbor that Dr. Carson began 
that preparation which fitted him for his life work ; 
it was here that he discovered the possibilities that 
were wrapped within himself and it was here that 
he gave himself up to hard work and earnest study 
to fan into a flame the embers of genius which 
lay dormant in his soul. His entire educa¬ 
tional training was received in this city and that 
it was thoroughly done his after life has fully dem¬ 
onstrated. He was at first a student in the public 
schools, completing all the courses they had to of¬ 
fer and later entered the medical college of that 
place and graduated with honors. 

His ability as a physician was early recognized 
by those who were close to him and when the op¬ 
portunity offered he was not slow in convincing 
others of that fact. 

In 1904, Dr. Carson was appointed government 
physician to Lower Brule, Indian Reservation, at 
Lower Brule, South Dakota. He received this ap¬ 
pointment as a result of a competitive examination. 
For four years Dr. Carson remained on this reser¬ 
vation doing the medical work that was required 
of him and gaining much knowledge along his line. 
When he was appointed to this position his sei vices 
in the main were devoted to medicine and reliev¬ 
ing the sick of the ordinary ailments, but the time 
came when his ability as a surgeon was put to the 
test and he came out of the ordeal with flying col¬ 
ors and his surgical skill was generally admitted. 
His success as a surgeon has continued to grow 
until today he enjoys a national reputation. 
His first operation was the removal of an incipient 
cancer from the face of a woman on the reserva¬ 
tion. Having performed this operation successfully 
and receiving praise from the State Boaid of 
Health for removing the cancer while it was in that 
stage made Dr. Carson ambitious for other work 


along surgical lines. He made a close study of 
many books written about the science and thereby 
obtained a great knowledge of the theory of sur¬ 
gery to which he added the practical knowledge 
secured by experience. At first his operations 
were performed more from the standpoint of pro¬ 
fessional pride than of remuneration, the fee be¬ 
ing a secondary consideration, and it is no doubt 
due to this spirit that he has taken such high rank 
in the profession. 

In 1908 he once more entered a competitive ex¬ 
amination. This time it was for the position of As¬ 
sistant Surgeon in the Freedmen’s Hospital, at 
Washington, D. C. Once more he was successful, 
and in October of that year he received his appoint¬ 
ment to the position. Here for the past ten years 
Dr. Carson has labored, gaining experience every 
day and growing more skillful all the time. 

Today Dr. Carson stands as one of the best sur¬ 
geons in the country. He does not restrict his 
work to any one portion of the body, but pays spe¬ 
cial attention to neck, stomach and intestinal sur¬ 
gery. He is frank with his patients and treats them 
in such a manner that they have the utmost con¬ 
fidence in him. And through the trying period of 
convalescence, Dr. Carson still puts thought into 
the work he has done and by his general atmos¬ 
phere of good cheer and good will helps his patients 
on to a thorough recovery. At no place in the Un¬ 
ited States could a colored Surgeon get a greater 
amount of practice than he can get in Freedmen’s 
Hospital. 

Dr. Carson is just opening up for himself in the 
city of Washington, D. C., a sanitarium. To this 
work he brings a rich experience. With, this ex¬ 
perience he brings also to this endeavor pf his own, 
one of the most perfectly controlled jiervous sys¬ 
tems possible for man. He can go into an opera¬ 
tion without a quaver and without stimulant of any 
kind. This great steadiness of nerve he attributes 
to the clean, simple life that he has led. 

In June of 1905, Dr. Carson was married to Miss 
Carol Clark, of Detroit, Michigan. Mrs. Carson is 
a woman of great charm and pleasing personality. 
To the Carsons have been born twins, a boy and a 
girl, Carol Carson and Clark Carson. These two 
little folks are now twelve years of age and they 
are a great source of joy to their parents. 

In speaking of Dr. Carson, Dr. Kenney, in his 
book, “The Negro in Medicine” says: “He is among 
the best of the race in this field, and while he has 
already made his mark, we feel sure that great 
things are in store for him.” 



439 













0^ 


u 

o 

o 

z 

CD 

O 

O 

< 


d 

O 

h 

o 

UJ 
O' 
UJ ~ 

5° 

o< 

Q! o 

• Q 
O uJ 

*5 

Z 

< 

O' 


Q 

£ 

< 

PS 

c 




LODGE OFFICERS OF SOUTH CAROLINA PYTHIANS 







Tho mas H. H enry and South Carolina Pythians 



HO'MAS H. Henry, Grand Chan¬ 
cellor of the Knights of Pythias 
of South Carolina is pointed to by 
his fellow Knights as well as by 
his neighbors as the man who cre¬ 
ated and multiplied the Knights 
of Pythias as an organization in 
South Carolina, giving it confi¬ 
dence, popularity, and strength. This, however, 
was an instance of achieved distinction in this di¬ 
rection, as nothng was farther from his thought 
at the beginning of his career, than a Grand Chan¬ 
cellorship of the Knights of Pythias or of any 
other organization. 

Mr. Henry was born in Dallas, Gaston County, 
North Carolina, August 19, 1871. His education 
was acquired here and there as the opportunity 
presented itself he having been compelled to go to 
work at an early age. 

When he was twenty six years of age, in 1899, 
he entered the service of the United States Gov 
eminent, as a mail weigher. 1 his position he 
gained in Wheeling, West Va., running from 
Wheeling to Kenova. 

In 1901, changing his position and place of res¬ 
idence, he moved into South Carolina as a locomo¬ 
tive fireman on the Southern Railroad. The next 
year found him a letter carrier in Columbia, having 
made the highest grade of thirty-five who took the 
examination. It was at Columbia, and as a lettei 
carrier, that he began his active career as a Knight 


of Pythias. 

Ii/l902 he was appointed Deputy Supreme Chan¬ 
cellor by Supreme Chancellor S. W. Starks. In 
this position, he went into Greenwood, South Caro¬ 
lina, and organized the first lodge there, with thirty 
members. 1 his one act established lum immed¬ 
iately as an organizer. In a few years, being given 
free rein because of his aptness in organizing, he 
had organized 216 lodges, with a membei ship of 
8,000. No wonder his fellow Pythians elected him 
Grand Chancellor in 1906, and still honor him with 
this post, for who is so fit to hold an organization 
together as he who made it? . 

Mr. Henry was married in 1894, to Miss Rosa A. 
Davis, of Carlisle, South Carolina. Loys Ernest¬ 
ine, Mildred Anita, and Thomas Houston are their 
three children. The two younger are still m school. 
The oldest. Loys E., is a teacher in the public 
schools of Columbia. 

HISTORY OF THE PYTHIAN ORDER IN SOUTH 
CAROLINA. 


The first Negro Pythian Lodge in South Carolina 
was Ionic No. 1, at Charleston, organized by Prof. 
S. H. Blocker, of Augusta, Ga., June, 1888. Inis 
Lodge and Vashti No. 2, located at Charleston also, 
had among its membership some of the leading col¬ 
ored men of the race. A roster of the membership 
of these Lodges show that Dr. W. D Crum Mr. 
F. P. Crum, Col. W. H. Robertson, Colonel Com¬ 
manding a Regiment of State Militia, Rev. J. H. . 
Pollard, an Episcopal clergyman were prominent 
advocates of the principles of Pythianism. 

The Order soon after its advent m the State be¬ 
came one of the most popular in South Carolina, 


and in a short while nearly every town of any size 
boasted of a Pythian Castle. In the year 1891 there 
arose a controversy about the conduct of the En¬ 
dowment Department by the Supreme Lodge, the 
membership in this State was not satisfied with 
some features of the Endowment Law, this caused 
an upheaval in the State and resulted in the with¬ 
drawal of all the subordinate Lodges from the par¬ 
ent body. Under the leadership of Rev. J. H. M. 
Pollard, the seceding Lodges affiliated with an or¬ 
ganization known as the Knights of Pythias of the 
Eastern & Western Hemisphere, this name being- 
assumed to distinguish the organization from the 
parent body the “Knights of Pythias of North Am¬ 
erica, South America,” etc. 

For a number of years the E. & W. H. Order 
flourished and became a power in the coast counties 
invaded middle and Piedmont Carolina, establish¬ 
ed a Grand Lodge and numerically ranked with the 
Odd Fellows. 

The parent body was apparently dead and there 
was not a single advocate in the State until T. H. 
Henry, of Columbia, holding a deputy’s commission 
from Supreme Chancellor S. W. Starks, organized 
Greenwood Banner Lodge No. 1, at Greenwood, 
November 4, 1902. This date marks the renais¬ 
sance of Pythianism in South Carolina. 

Soon after the institution of Greenwood Banner 
Lodge No. 1, fifteen others were organized. The 
E. & W. H. Order began to decline and it was not 
long before the entire membership of this branch 
of Pythianism consolidated with the parent body. 
xA Grand Lodge was organized in Charleston, Nov. 
4, 1904, by Supreme Chancellor S. W. .Starks, as¬ 
sisted by Grand Chancellor Chas. D. Creswell, of 
Georgia, and the following Deputy Supreme Chan¬ 
cellors : F. M. Cohen; John Bollen, of Ga.; and T, 
H. Henry, with the following officers: Julius A. 
Brown, Grand Chancellor, Robt. P. Scott, Grand 
Vice Chancellor, Win. H. Houston, Grand Iv. R. 
& S. 

Mr. Brown served two terms as Grand Chan¬ 
cellor; T. H. Henry, was elected Grand Chancellor 
in 1906, and still holds this post. 

The growth of the Order since the organization 
of Greenwood Banner Lodge No. 1, has been phe- 
nominal. On the first day of October, 1907, the 
Grand Lodge assumed control of the Endowment 
Rank of Insurance without a penny and with a 
number of death claims due, determined to win its 
way into the hearts of the people by living up to 
the principles of the Order, has demonstrated its 
ability to redeem every promise by raising $203,- 
543.26 for the mortuary department, and have paid 
to the widows and orphans of its deceased mem¬ 
bers $131,431.48. 

There is connected with the Order a branch 
known as the Uniformed Rank, comprising twenty 
two companies and two cadet organizations and at 
their annual military display prizes are given. 

Another healthy branch is the Woman’s Auxil¬ 
iary known as the Court of Calanthe, with a mem¬ 
bership of thirty-five hundred. It has collected 
$30,000, since organization and has an Endowment 
Fund of $10,000.00 to its credit. 

441 










HOTEL DALE—CAPE MAY, N. J. 


HE Colored people have long felt 
the discomforts of traveling ac¬ 
commodations and adequate ar¬ 
rangements for their needs when 
visiting cities and pleasure re¬ 
sorts. The demand for better 
quarters has been met in at least one instance in 
the establishment of Hotel Dale, at Cape May, an 
ideal all the year recreation resort. 

About seven years ago the management of the 
Hotel Dale undertook the gigantic responsibility to 
submit to the traveling public the opportunity to 
choose as a place of abode, during their vacation in 
the summer season, a first-class hotel, to supplant 
the old custom of being crowded into small lodg¬ 
ing and boarding houses, where the sanitary con¬ 
ditions, as a rule, were not conducive to good 
health. In so doing the management was confront¬ 
ed with a number of problems to solve to insure 
the confidence of the public in general, that success 
might be attained. The Hotel Dale is not a pic¬ 
torial structure on paper, but, in reality, an archi¬ 
tectural building—a work of art, a monument to 
good taste. 

Every known device which makes for safety 
and comfort has been introduced to make this as 
complete a living place as possible, for the accom¬ 
modation of the colored race, where they can en¬ 
joy the pleasure of life, with pleasant surroundings 
and the demands of all classes met. The interior 
of the hotel, conceived in perfect taste, even in 
seemingly insignificant details, cannot be surpassed. 

I he rooms are light, airy and luxuriously furnished 
and contain every modern convenience, suites with 
bath. The dining room is operated on the Europ¬ 
ean system, and its cuisine rivals that of the finest 
hotels of record. It is a place where those who ap¬ 
preciate simple elegance of service and all that 
makes for ease of living may have their desires sat¬ 
isfied without extravagance. 

The Abyssinian Orchestra renders afternoon and 
evening concerts daily during the season. The op¬ 


en-air amusements are numerous, with lawn ten¬ 
nis courts on the premises. 

The moral status of the hotel is above reproach, 
and reflects credit on the management, who have 
passed the crucial period and stood the test of the 
most profound critics, and today it is the most pop¬ 
ular hostelry of color in the country. 

Until one has seen for himself the charming 
rooms in this palatial building, it is not possible to 
conceive the grace and elegance of the decorations 
-—lighting and furnishing of the room floors. The 
dining room, halls and public parlors are handsom¬ 
ely decorated and adorned with works of art. In 
the decoration of these rooms, an air of elegance 
has been maintained, that never has been attempt¬ 
ed at the shore. Another important feature of 
Hotel Dale is the large and spacious reception 
room, well furnished and a model of beauty and 
comfort. The hotel has fifty sleeping chambers 
and ten baths. The furniture of these rooms is 
of the best and they are equipped with hot and cold 
water and with telephones. Recreation features 
are provided for both in and out door pleasures. 

The success of his hotel enterprise has been very 
gratifying to Mr. Dale, and he realizes that he 
made no mistake in the opening of this gem of sea¬ 
shore resorts. The hotel is personally managed by 
Mr. Dale, with a corps of attendants, who are tho¬ 
roughly experienced in every department, and their 
efficiency of service enables them to give satisfact¬ 
ion to the guests without friction. 

Cape May is an ideal all-the-year recreation re¬ 
sort. It is at the extreme southern point of New 
Jersey; with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean on 
the South and East, and the Delaware bay on the 
west. Its proximity to the Gulf stream tempers 
the severity of the northern winter. The location 
of Hotel Dale is superb, on the highest point in 
Cape May, and directly opposite the Cape May Golf 
Club links, which are unsurpassed in the country. 
The golf games can be viewed from the hotel ver¬ 
anda. 



BED ROOM—HOTEL DALE 



442 

















Kelly Miller, A. K. 


man who is outspoken when the 
interest of the Negro is in ques¬ 
tion, a man who can speak upon 
any given subject with all the ease 
and grace of an accomplished or¬ 
ator a man, who in the class room 
and in all college activities is an inspiration to the 
young', a man who is thoroughly at home with all 
people, this is Professor Kelly Miller. 

Kelly Mill er was born in South Carolina, in 1867. 
His early training in schools was like that of most 
of our people who made their homes in the coun¬ 
try. 1 he schools lasted but a short time, three or 
four months a year, but for that time Kelly Miller 
was a studious person and used his mind. From 
his early childhood he showed a fondness for arith¬ 
metic and his mind developed unusual clearness 
from following his inclination in this direction. 
When school was not in session, Kelly Miller had 
to do the usual work of the farm boy. Here on 
the farm he learned to love the animals, the cows, 
the horses and the dogs. He was even as a child a 
good example of the kind of workman a really clear 
minded person can make. He did not leave his 
wits behind him in the school room but took them 
with him to his daily tasks. Through this applica¬ 
tion to the task in hand he earned the distinrtion 
of being the fastest cotton picker among the boys 
of his neighborhood. 

When Kelly Miller was thirteen years of age he 
left the country school that he had attended and 
went to the Fairfield Institute. Every morning 
and every afternoon he walked the distance of two 
miles in order that he might learn. From Fair- 
field he went to Howard University. In this justly 
famous school he was one of the banner pupils. He 
was graduated from Howard in 1886, with the de¬ 
gree of A. B. Still seeking knowledge he went to 
John Hopkins University, Baltimore, after com¬ 
pleting his course in Howard. Here he spent two 
years. We cannot say that his school days really 
ended here. Kelly Miller has never left the school 
room. And although his position now is that of 
teacher, he is himself a deep student of books, of 
men and of conditions. 

•In 1889 Professor Miller was appointed teacher 
of mathematics in the Washington High School. 
Here he served only one year for the next year he 
was asked to return to his Alma Mater. Here he 
was given the Chair of Mathematics. This posi¬ 


tion he still holds. In addition to this work in the 
mathematical courses of Howard Universty, Pro¬ 
fessor Miller has served as Dean of the College of 
Arts and Sciences since 1906. 

But the activities of Kelly Miller have not been 
confined to the work of Howard University. He is 
a man of great activity and a tireless worker. Be¬ 
cause of this he has found time to take a deep in¬ 
terest in the affairs of the race at large. He has 
taken up his pen in the behalf of our people and 
has w i itten some things that will live on and on. 
One of these is an open letter to Thomas Dixon, 
Jr., written in 1905, “A$ to The Leopard’s Spots.” 

I his is considered the greatest single contribution 
that has been made to the literature of the race 
problem. Through this work and through other 
similar works, through his many addresses in var¬ 
ious pai ts of the country. Kelly Miller has made 
his influence felt in all sections of the country. As 
a matter of fact he is called upon to travel all over 
the country, both North and South to fill engage¬ 
ments on the lecture platform. His contributions 
to the leading magazines and periodicals are ac¬ 
cepted and read. 1 his broadens his influence. One 
of his writings, ’’Race adjustment,” which is a book 
published in 1908 is referred to as an “authority 
to all sei ious students of the problems growing 
out of the contact and attrition of the races.” 

Kelly Miller was born in the South, but has lived 
in Washington, D. C, longer than in any other sec¬ 
tion of the country. He has had the oportunity to 
study the facts concerning the relation of the races 
at fiist hand. He has had the clear brain develop¬ 
ed by years of study along general lines and spe¬ 
cial training in mathematics, to see these facts in 
their right relationship. He has the literary skill 
to give these facts in a pleasing and logical manner. 
All that he has written in the interest of the race 
has been right to the point, and all that he has 
written has been for the uplift of the Negro and to 
help him bear his burden. 

The influence of Kelly Miller is far reaching. 
Hundreds of young people come under his direct 
instruction during the year and hundreds of 
others hear him talk and see him in every day life, 
thousands of people go to hear him lecture and 
others, by the thousands read his articles in the 
magazines and read his books. Surely he has done 
what he could to help in the uplift of the Negro 
race. 



443 







THIRKIELD SCIENCE HALL—HOWARD UNIVERSITY. 


N 1865 General W. T. Sherman 
wrote Major General O. O. How¬ 
ard assuring him of sympathy 
with his projects for the spiritual 
and intellectual redemption of the 
four million Negroes of America, 
confidence in his sincerity and abil¬ 
ity. “But,” said General Sherman, “you have a 
Hercules’ task.” In the light of this sincere but 
very discouraging letter, it is interesting to reflect 
that within less than two years from the date on 
which he received it, General Howard was instru¬ 
mental in establishing a University which on 
March 2, 1917, celebrated its Fiftieth Anniversary, 
a monument to the faith, the wisdom and the cour¬ 
age of its founders. 

The Institution was incorporated under an act of 
the United States Congress. 

Without one cent in the treasury, the normal 
and preparatory departments opened on May 1, 
1867, in a rented frame building, with five students, 
and the authorities arranged for the purchase of 
150 acres of land at $100 per acre. 

Like many similar institutions, the first ten years 
of its life, were of feverish growth. Its first struc¬ 
tures were the main building of the University, a 
woman’s dormitory, and dining - room, a men’s 
dormitory, the Medical Building, and the Profess¬ 
ors’ homes. The departments too, multiplied rap¬ 
idly, so that by 1872, the original Theological Sem¬ 
inary, which existed on paper only in 1866, had ex¬ 
panded into Normal, Preparatory, Military, Musi¬ 
cal, Industrial, Commercial, Collegiate, Law, and 
Medical Departments, with a Library and a Mu¬ 


seum. The money which later sustained the first 
decade of the work came by accident—through the 
refusal of another school to accept it. 

$500,000 received from the Freedmen’s Bureau, 
together with the income from the sale of much of 
the 150 acres of land at four times its cost, cleared 
the University of debt and started an endowment 
fund. Thus was faith justified. 

The panic of ’73 gave the University a severe 
set-back, but it soon recovered. Its first twenty- 
seven years was a period of consolidation; the last 
twelve a period of material expansion. This first 
period was inaugurated by Dr. Patton, the first 
President to give his undivided attention to the 
L T niversity. 

It was during his presidency that the United 
States Congress began to make annual appropria¬ 
tions to assist the University. 

President Thirkfield pursued a policy of mater¬ 
ial expansion. During his term of office, he se¬ 
cured from Congress $675,700. With this income 
a Science Hall, an Industrial Building, and a cen¬ 
tral heating and lighting plant were added. 




444 











































BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF HOWARD UNIVERSITY—WASHINGTON, D. C. 


In conformity with the spirit of the charter of 
the University, the Medical School, including the 
Medical, Dental and Pharmaceutical colleges, is 
open to all persons, without regard to sex or race, 
who are qualified by good moral character, proper 
age and suitable preliminary education. 

In addition to individual instruction in vocal and 
instrumental music, there are various classes in 
which careful trailing is given. A vested choir of 
about fifty voices is maintained. There are also 
Young Men’s and Young Women’s Glee Clubs thor¬ 
oughly drilled by instructors of the University. 
The University Chorus has given Mendelssohn’s 
“Elijah,” “Handel’s “Messiah,” and Coleridge-Tay- 
lor’s “Hiawatha.” 

The charter contains no religious test or limita¬ 
tion. The University, however, is distinctly Chris¬ 
tian in its spirit and work. It is not denomination¬ 
al, and its students are drawn from all churches, in¬ 
cluding the Roman Catholic. 

Washington has been called a university in itself. 
To live in such an atmosphere is a liberal educa¬ 
tion to an eager, receptive mind. Students of all 
departments have unusual opportunities for gen¬ 
eral culture and the larger outlook upon life gained 
through lectures, concerts and entertainments of 
an elevating' character. On the floors of the Sen¬ 
ate and House of Representatives, leaders in nat¬ 
ional thought and statesmanship may be heard on 
vital questions. Many lectures of fine order are 
given in the city, and not a few of them are free. 

The University buildings are all located on the 
main campus with the exception of the Law School 
building, which is on Judiciary Square. 1 hey ai e 
heated with steam and lighted by electricity. They 
are in charge of a superintendent of buildings and 


grounds and a competent engineer. Pains are tak¬ 
en to keep the buildings always in a sanitary con¬ 
dition, and the healthfulness of the campus and sur¬ 
roundings is well known. 

On the square adjacent to that on which the 
Medical College Building stands have been erected, 
hospital buildings at a cost of $600,000. 

The hospital has the advantage of being design¬ 
ed primarily for teaching purposes, as practically 
all the patients admitted are utilized freely for in¬ 
struction. 

Each student is obliged to attend 80 per cent of 
the exercises in every course of study for which he 
seeks credit. Students must obtain a passing 
grade in each study in order to receive credit for 
the same. A student whose work, for any reason 
is not satisfactory, will be notified, and if no im¬ 
provement is noted, he will be asked to terminate 
his connection with the school. The advantages 
stated and the strict rules governing the institu¬ 
tion have made Howard one of the best Medical 
schools in the land. Its lecture courses embrace 
many subjects and lists speakers and lecturers of 
national reputation. 

Howard University took a most active part in 
the establishment of an officer’s training camp for 
colored men during the Avar at Fort Des Moines, 
Iowa, and made a large contribution of men who 
entered the training. Approximately 200 Howard 
men joined the camp. Of the 659, who were com¬ 
missioned from this camp ninety-five Avere sons of 
Howard. 

It has sent forth nearly four thousand gradu¬ 
ates to every state in the Union, to the Islands of 
the Sea and to Africa, Asia, Europe, and South 
America. 









Judge Robert H. Terrell and Mary Church Terrell 


OBERT H. Terrell, Washington. 
District of Columbia, has a long 
line of achievements in the liter¬ 
ary world to his credit. He was 
born in 1857, in Virginia. His 
early training was received in the 
public schools of Washington, District of Columbia. 
He went to Massachusetts for his academic work 
and received his bachelor of arts degree from Har¬ 
vard in 1884. In 1889 he received the degree of 
LL. B., from Howard University, LL. M., in 1893., 
A. M., in 1900, and LL. D., from Livingstone Col¬ 
lege. Salisbury, North Carolina, in 1913. 

Robert H. Terrell is one of the Negroes to whom 
the rest of the colored people point with great 
pride. He is municipal judge and has held this po¬ 
sition since 1909. Under Roosevelt, Taft and Wil¬ 
son, he has received this same appointment. All 
the life of Judge Terrell is one of action. He be¬ 
gan his career as a teacher and was soon made 
principal of the Colored High School of Washing¬ 
ton. His next work was that of Chief of the Divis¬ 
ion of the Treasury. This position he held from 
1889 to 1893. At this time he was admitted to the 
Bar of the District. Lor five years he was in bus¬ 
iness with John M. Lynch. 

From 1902 to 1909 he served as Civil Magistrate 
and at that time he was appointed Judge in Muni¬ 
cipal Court. In this manner has the time of Judge 
Terrell been spent since completing his studies. 
One thing that might be pointed out as contribut 
ing to the success of Judge Terrell is this—his very 
thorough preparation before he entered any line 
of work. This was an uncommon thing in the day 
in which Judge Terrell began his work, and it is 
still rare for our people. But where the time and 
the means are to be had this should be encouraged 
and the success which has attended all the efforts 
of Judge Terrell could be pointed to as an example 
of the type of work that can be done by the thor¬ 
oughly prepared man. 

In church work Judge Terrell is a Congregation- 
alist. He is a member of the Sigma Pi Phil. He 
is a member of the Odd Fellows and of the Masons. 
Of the last named organization he has served as 
Grand Master of his lodge for four terms. 

In 1891 Judge Terrell was married to Miss Mary 
Church, of Memphis, Tennessee. 

Mrs. Mary Church Terrell was born of well-to- 
do parents and had therefore as her birthright 


many of the things denied most of our young wo¬ 
men. She was educated in Oberlin College, re¬ 
ceiving both the Bachelor and the Master of Arts 
Degree. After leaving schools, Mrs. Terrell was 
appointed teacher of languages in the Colored High 
School, of Washington. Here she worked for a 
short time and then went abroad to further pre¬ 
pare herself for the school work. She spent two 
years abroad spending the time in France, Switzer¬ 
land, Germany and Italy. In 1890 she returned to 
the work in the High School of Washington. The 
next year she was offered the position of Regis¬ 
trar of Oberlin. She was the first Colored woman 
to whom this work had been offered. She had to 
decline the position, however, because of her ap¬ 
proaching marriage. 

Mrs. Terrell has never given up her work for 
the public good. She was for three terms pres¬ 
ident of the National Asociation of Colored Wo¬ 
men’s Clubs and after that time she was made Hon¬ 
orary President of the organization. She has trav¬ 
eled all over the country as a lecturer and her 
speeches are listened to with great interest. She 
is the only woman who ever held the position of 
President of the Bethel Literary and Historical As¬ 
sociation of Washington, D. C., and this position 
she filled with such marked ability that it helped 
her in other work later. 

When it was decided to appoint two women on 
the board of Education for the District of Colum¬ 
bia, Mrs. Terrell was one of the women appointed. 
On this Board she served for five years doing credit 
to her own training and to the race in general. 

Mrs. Terrell is a woman in public affairs, but 
she has a home and a home life that is ideal. She 
is also a mother. The daughter is named for Phil¬ 
lis Wheatley. In this name, Mrs. Terrell shows 
honor to the Negro poetess who helped make an 
opening for the black women of America. Mrs. 
Terrell has done much for the advancement of her 
sisters. Through her many honors have come to 
the race that would not have come to us, but for 
her great tact and great ability. One thing that 
was said of her in the press when she was lectur¬ 
ing before the Chautauqua of Danville, Illinois, 
was “She should be paid to travel as a model of 
good English and good manners.” Mrs. Terrell is 
a woman of high ideals, thorough education, and 
action, when that action means the advancement 
of her sisters of her race. 



446 





Charles William Anderson 


HARLES William Anderson is a 
native of Ohio, and was reared 
under conditions quite different 
from those which faced many of 
the colored race living' in the 
South. He had better educational 
advantages and his surroundings were different 
He was born at Oxford, Ohio, April 28, 1866, where 
he spent his early life, passing through the public 
schools. From Oxford he went to Middleton, 
Ohio, and took a course in the Hig'h School. He 
took a course in Cleveland Spencerian Business 
College. He also attended the Berlitz School of 
Language, located at Worcester, Massachusetts. 

In 1890 he was appointed United States guager, 
for the Second District of the State of New York, 
which office he held for three years. For two years 
from 1893 to 5, he was the private secretary to the 
state treasurer of New York. From 1895 to 8, he 
was the chief clerk in the State Treasury. He 
was the supervisor of accounts for the New York 
Racing Commission during the years of 1898-1905. 
In 1905, he was made collector of Internal Revenue 
in the Second District of New York, and continued 
in this office until 1915. 

New York World pays him this glowing tribute: 

“Charles W. Anderson goes out of office today 
after holding for ten years this responsible post 
under the Treasury. Many millions of dollars have 
passed through his hands. His dealings have been 
practically all with white men of the keenest in¬ 
tellect and of substantial business standing. Ca¬ 
pacity and courtesy have been the qualities most 
remarked in his conduct of an office maintained al¬ 
ways in the highest efficiency. In Collector An¬ 
derson’s time, three complicated and important 
new revenue measures, in income tax, the corpora¬ 
tion tax and the war revenue tax, have made this 
office the most difficult, as it is the most important 
ever held by a colored man under the Government. 
He has stood the test. No race is fairly judged by 
holding up as types for reprobation its most de¬ 
graded speciments. Every race has the right to 
be judged by its patient, toiling, useful average, and 
its best.” 

He was President of the New York Commission 
to the Tennessee Centennial Exposition, at Nash¬ 
ville, in 1897, appointed by Governor Morton. 

When the Columbia Post, G. A. R. tendered a 
banquet to President William McKinley, at Buf¬ 
falo, N. Y., Aug. 4, 1897, he was selected as one of 
the speakers. 

He was also a member of the citizens committee 
of the Hudson Fulton Celebration Committee to 
welcome Admiral George Dewey and the fleet on 


its return from the Phillipine Islands, and a mem¬ 
ber of the citizens committee to welcome Admiral 
W illiam 1 . Sampson and Winfield S. Schley when 
the fleet returned from Cuba. 

He was a member of a committee appointed to 
welcome Theodore Roosevelt on his return from 
Africa. He was an honorary pall bearer at the fun¬ 
eral of Mayor William J. Gaynor, of New York. At 
the Peace Banquet of Citizens representing fifty 
foreign nations at Hotel Astor, New York, Jan. 4, 
1914, he was one of the speakers. 

He was a member of the citizens committee ap¬ 
pointed to receive the bodies of the United States 
Marines killed at Vera Cruz, Mexico, in 1914. He 
is a permanent member of the New York City In¬ 
dependence Day Commission; Director of the Col¬ 
ored Advisory Committee of The National Repub¬ 
lican Committee, 1916; member of the Mayor’s 
Committee to entertain the Right Honorable Ar¬ 
thur J. Balfour and the English High Commission 
at official banquet at the Waldorf-Astonia, in 1917; 
member of Mayor’s Committee to entertain Mar¬ 
shal Joffe, Mons. Viviani and the French Commis¬ 
sion, at official banquet at Waldorf-Astoria, 1917; 
member of Mayor’s Committee to entertain His 
Royal Highness, Prince Ferdinand, of Savoy, Sig¬ 
nor Marconi, Prime Minister Francesco Nitti, and 
the Italian Royal Commission, at official Ban¬ 
quet at Waldorf-Astoria, 1917; member of Mayors’ 
Committee to entertain Viscount Ishii, and the Im¬ 
perial Japanese Commission at official Banquet a: 
The Waldorf-Astoria, 1917; member of Mayors’ 
Committee to entertain the Russian High Com¬ 
mission at official Banquet at the Ritz-Carlton Ho¬ 
tel, 1917; member of the Catskill Aqueduct Cele¬ 
bration Committee, 1917; Chairman of Local Board 
(Draft) No. 139, from the beginning to the end of 
the draft; Honorary Colonel of the 367 Infantry, 
(The Buffaloes) ; now serving as Supervisory 
Agent of the Department of Farms and Markets 
of the State of New York. 

He served on the Republican State Committee 
sixteen years. He is a member of the National 
Geographical Society, the Metropolitan Museum 
of Art, Institute of Art and Sciences of Columbia 
University, Academy of Political Science, New 
York Peace Society, Japanese Franchise League. 

Appointed by Mayor Hylan, a member of “May¬ 
or’s Committee on Receptions to Distinguished 
Guests.’ Among those expected are: His Royal 
Highness, The Prince of Wales ; His Majesty, King 
Albert of Belgium, Marshal Foch; General Persh¬ 
ing, and Mis Majesty, the Shah of Persia. 

He married Miss Emma Lee Bonaparte, of 
Hampton, Va. 



447 






JOSEPH ALBERT BOOKER, A. B., A. M., D. D. 


IPT 3 


OSEPH Albert Booker, was born 
at Portland, Ashby County, Ark¬ 
ansas, before the Civil War. He 
was early left an orphan, his mo¬ 
ther dying while he was in his se¬ 
cond year and his father followed 
his mother to the grave when he was only four 
years of age. After the death of his parents he 
went to live with his grand-mother (Amy Fisher,) 
who had the care of him until he reached his six¬ 
teenth year. She reared him with the tenderest 
care and consideration and used he best endeavor 
to prepare him for life. 


She taught him the alphabet and spelling, which 
was as far, as she could carry him, which the chil¬ 
dren of her former owner supplemented by teach¬ 
ing him the elements of Geography, Arithmetic and 
Grammar. His high school training was received 
at the Branch Normal College, Pine Bluff, Arkan¬ 
sas, and his college and theological training was 
secured at the Roger Williams University, at Nash¬ 
ville, Tennessee. 

\\ hile those who taught him in his boyhood days 
were willing and did the best they could to instruct 
him he was greatly handicapped for want of books, 
etc., he frequenty used charcoal instead of pen¬ 


cils for writing and in working his sums in arith¬ 
metic. When he entered college he again encoun¬ 
tered difficulties for lack of funds and found it nec¬ 
essary to pay his way by manual labor. He washed 
the dishes, chopped the wood and made the fires 
at the college and in this manner he worked his 
way through. 

During his early years and in fact, until he was 
19 years of age, his life was spent on the farm. 
Here he learned to till the soil, look after the stock 
and perform other farm duties, but during this pe¬ 
riod his mind was active and was employed in the 
interest of his people. 

When only ten years old he taught a night school 
—giving the daylight hours to farm work. At the 
age of sixteen he was a teacher in the public school. 

After graduation he was ordained a minister of 
the Missionary Baptist Church, and for a while was 
pastor of a church, but Providence pointed to an¬ 
other sphere of work which has proved his life call- 
ing. 

For thirty two years he has been the President 
of the Arkansas Baptist College, and as he ex¬ 
pressed it himself, he has been so enthused with 
his work that he has had but little time to bestow 
upon his worldly affairs. For thirty years he has 
edited a paper known as the “Baptist Vanguard.-’ 

Dr. Booker has figured conspiciously in the 
councils of his denomination and is a frequent at¬ 
tendant of its conventions, both state and National. 
He was a messenger to the Baptist European Con¬ 
gress in 1913. He has traveled extensively over 
the United States and North Western Europe; 

June 28, 1887, he married Mary J. Cover, in Hel¬ 
ena, Ark., who has borne him eight children, four 
boys and four girls. 

While his time and talents have been devoted al¬ 
most exclusively to the development of the Arkan¬ 
sas Baptist College, Dr. Booker has acquired some 
property. He owns a few houses and lots in Fittle 
Rock, Ark., and a small farm. He has also iden¬ 
tified himself with a number of the secret orders 
of his race. He is a member of the Masons, Knights 
of Pythias, Mosiac Templars and others. Dr. 
Booker has been brought face to face with death 
on three occasions, and he attributes his deliver¬ 
ance to an over-ruling Providence. When a boy 
he was in bathing with his companions when he 
got beyond his depth and was going under for the 
last time when rescued; again he was in a burning 
building where a number were injured before being 
delivered; and on his way home from Europe, the 
train on which he was traveling, when nearing 
Malmo, Sweden, was wrecked, and about twenty 
around him were killed and he escaped with but a 
slight hurt. He felt that the Lord had a use for 
him and preserved his life. 


448 












REVEREND RICHARD CARROLL 


EV. Richard Carroll was born in 
Barnwell County, South Carolina, 
just when the slave regime was 
making place for the freedom 
which came to the black race af¬ 
ter the war. His mother was a 
trusted house-servant in the home of a prominent 
South Carolina family and as was often the case an 
attachment grew up between the servant and the 
family she so faithfully served. The interest in 
the mother extended to the son and no doubt ac¬ 
counts, in a measure, for the influence he exerted 
in later life in bringing about a better understand¬ 
ing between the two races. 

Richard Carroll grew up on the plantation and 
was afterwards educated at Benedict College, South 
Carolina. He developed early unusual gifts of elo¬ 
quence in public speech. When he came to man¬ 
hood, he distinguished himself by his interest in all 
that contributes to the welfare of his race and in 
bringing about a better and more helpful under¬ 
standing between the whites and the blacks. 


1 le became a Baptist minister and developed at 
Columbia, South Carolina, a home for Negro or¬ 
phans and youthful delinquents. In order to do 
this he resigned his commission as chaplain in the 
army during the Spanish-American War, which in¬ 
fluential white leaders desired him to hold. He 
took up the scheme of the orphanage without a 
dollar in sight with which to build it. He proposed 
to mild it on faith and through prayer to God. He 
did build it on this foundation, and accomplished 
ou^h it a gieat amount of good, confirming - the 
good opinion which both white people and black 
people were forming of him in his native State. 

During this period, it was my privilege to help in 
opening the way for the subject of this sketch to 
appear before the white Baptist District Associa¬ 
tion m South Carolina and present his Institution 
and also make an appeal for better race relations. 

J his campaign strengthened and confirmed his 
hold among white people and he became one of the 
most influential Negro leaders in South Carolina 
or the South. He made frequent trips to the North 
foi funds to aid his uplift enterprises, but he always 
seemed to prize most the good will and encourage¬ 
ment of Southern white people. He had learned 
that they were the friends of his people and that 
they really had their interest at heart and were 
willing to aid him in his efforts to help them. 

It was about 1908 when Mr. Carroll instituted a 
race conference in South Carolina which has since 
met annually. The propaganda which eventuated 
in this conference was conducted in the paper the 
“Plowman,” which he edited for a number of years. 

"1 his Annual Conference is still conducted and is 
accomplishing most helpful results. 

In 1913 Bi other Carroll accepted a position as 
Evangelist to Negroes of the South under the pay 
of the white Baptist Home Mission Board of At¬ 
lanta. He is holding this position still and has add¬ 
ed to his reputation as a wonderful organizer of 
men and as a trusted Negro leader. His outstand¬ 
ing popular gift is that of oratory and there are 
surely few public speakers in the South more gifted 
It is a difficult thing for a Negro leader to tell 
white people the truth about certain significant 
things in the relation of the two races without giv¬ 
ing offense. Dr. Carroll has done this repeatedly 
and with such wonderful tact that his white aud¬ 
iences always want to hear him again. Mr. Vic¬ 
tor I. Masters, Supt. of Publicity, of the white Bap¬ 
tist Home Mission Board of Atlanta, Ga., prepared 
this sketch by special request, as a token of the es¬ 
teem in which the subject is held. 



449 







WILLIAM HENRY HOLTZCLAW 


T is no mean distinction to be call¬ 
ed a “Second Booker T. Washing¬ 
ton,” for it argues great poise of 
mind and intellectual ability and 
carries with it the idea that the 
man who has this distinction, like 
the illustrious head of the Tuske- 
gee Institute, has devoted his life 
to the uplift of his race. William Henry Holtz- 
claw is so designated. Having come into personal 
touch with Booker Washington he no doubt caught 
his spirit and went forth from the Tuskegee Insti¬ 
tute to follow his example. 

Professor Holtzclaw was born in Roanoke, Ala¬ 
bama, but the date of his birth is unknown. His 
father and mother could not write and for this rea¬ 
son a record of his birth was not kept. 

He received his education in the main from the 
Tuskegee Institute and Harvard College. While 
at the Tuskegee Institute he was greatly impressed 


with the work being done for the colored race by 
that institution and the spirit of it remained to in¬ 
fluence his life work. After completing his edu¬ 
cation or rather graduating, for he is still a learn¬ 
er, he set about the establishing of an educational 
institute somewhat after the pattern of his alma- 
mater. 

He established his school, the Utica Normal and 
Industrial Institute, in 1903, and has been its prin¬ 
cipal since its organization. It is an elementary 
school with a few pupils in secondary subjects. It 
is located in a rural community and has done much 
good work in the county. It has an attendance of 
376; male 154, and female 222. Of these 241 are 
boarders. It has twenty-seven teachers and :v >rk- 
ers, all colored. Of these ,ten are male and seven¬ 
teen are female. The school owns about two hun¬ 
dred and ten acres of land, ten of which are in the 
campus and two hundred in the school farm. In 
addition the school owns 1390 acres of land which 
was given as an endowment. The land holdings 
of the school are estimated to be worth $48,800. The 
estimated value of the buildings is $77,230. All the 
buildings except one are frame structures. The 
exception is a three story concrete structure. Of 
the frame buildings three are used for dormitories, 
and one each for trades, offices, hospitals, and ag¬ 
riculture. There are also two barns and a number 
of small cottages and houses. The equipment, in¬ 
cluding furniture, shop equipment, farm equipment, 
electric plant, saw mill, etc., is valued at $28,000. 

This school is the largest Industrial School in the 
State of Mississippi and is a monument to the en¬ 
ergy, wisdom and patient and persevering efforts 
of Professor Holtzclaw. Professor Holtzclaw is 
an orator of considerable force and the forceful 
speech he made in 1908 in the interest of his school 
at Bar Harbor Maine secured a collection for his 
school of $5000, while Booker Washington who 
presented the claims of his institution only got 
$3000. This incident caused Booker Washington 
to remark: “It will not require a prophet to tell 
of the future of young Holtzclaw.” 

Professor Holtzclaw is a member of the Bap¬ 
tist Church, and takes an interest in religious work, 
but is not connected with any of the secret orders. 
His time is so much taken up in the work of his 
school and organizations related to education that 
he has so far refrained from joining the secret or¬ 
ders of the race. He is a member of American 
Academy of Political and Social Science, Black 
Belt Improvement Society, Geographic Society, 
etc. 

He has traleved extensively in this country and 
in Canada. His property holdings amount to some 
few thousand dollars. 

Mr. Holtzclaw was married in 1901, to Miss 
Mary Ella Patterson. They have five children. 
























Daniel Hale Williams, M. D. 


O record of the achievements of 
the Negro along lines of medical 
science would be complete with¬ 
out mention of the life of our pio¬ 
neer Negro surgeon. Dr. Daniel 
Hale Williams, of Chicago, nei¬ 
ther would a record of the works of Negroes in 
all lines of endeavor be complete without his per¬ 
sonal history. 

Dr. Williams is a native of Pennsylvania, but at 
an early age moved to the Northwest, where he 
received his early training. Even when in the sec¬ 
ondary schools, Dr. Williams showed a fondness 
for science and things pertaining thereto. Finish¬ 
ing his academic work he entered Northwestern 
University and graduated from this institution in 
1883. The institution from which he was graduat¬ 
ed saw in him a young man of great promise and 
gave to him the position of demonstrator of an- 
tomy. In this place he served for six years doing 
credit to the position and gaining a richer, broader 
foundation for his work in the world. 

It was during the early years of his practice that 
Dr. Dan Williams made for himself the name of a 
great surgeon. That place he has kept and has im¬ 
proved in his work with each passing year, till to¬ 
day he is recognized among the leaders of the pro¬ 
fession without regard to color. From 1884 to 
1891 Dr. Williams was so placed that he received 
an abundance of practice in the line he wished to 
perfect. He was surgeon at the Chicago South 
Side Dispensary. At the same time he was sur¬ 
geon and physician in the Chicago Protestant Or¬ 
phan Asylum. In these two places he laid the 
foundation for his very great skill along' surgical 
lines. 

Seeing' the need of better hospital facilities fot 
colored people, Dr. Williams, with prominent col¬ 
ored citizens organized the Provident Hospital, of 
Chicago. The hospital has grown along with the 
surgeon who helped found it and who nevei lost 
interest in it, even during the five years he spent 
as surgeon-in-chief of Freedmen’s Hospital, in 
Washington, District of Columbia. 

During the five years that Dr. Williams spent in 
Washington, he was able to better organize the 
plant at the Freedmen’s Hospital. It was he who 
installed the first corps of colored interns in this in¬ 
stitution and it was he who organized the first 
training school for colored nurses in connection 
with the hospital. 


Dr. Williams is a member of the American Med¬ 
ical Association, the Chicago Medical Society and 
the Illinois Medical Society. For three years he 
served on the Illinois State Board of Health and 
he has served as attending physician at the St. 
Luke’s Hospital of Chicago, and as a member of 
the International Medical Congress. As a matter 
of fact, Dr. Williams has his profession very much 
on his heart and wherever he can either give inspi¬ 
ration or knowledge or receive either of these there 
you may find him busily engaged. He is professor 
of clinical surgery at Meharrv Medical College, 
and each year holds a surgical clinic at this school 
that benefits a great number, both patients and 
young doctors. 

But the thing that will claim for Dr. Dan Wil¬ 
liams the lasting gratitude of all surgeons all over 
the world is his creation of a method by which the 
heart can be sutured. Everywhere he is looked up¬ 
on as a wonder because of this discovery. Still one 
other thing will keep him ever alive in the minds 
of men of his profession. He invented “a peculiar¬ 
ly arranged knot, by which the delicate tissues of 
the spleen can be ligated to prevent hemorrhage of 
that organ.” While this last named invention is 
one of great importance, it has not won for Dr. 
Williams the distinction that the other did. As a 
matter of fact, when you say Dr. Dan Williams, 
even to a layman, he immediately says “The heart 
specialist.” 

While Dr. Williams has spent a great deal of 
time on this organ and while he has the honor of 
being the first to operate upon this most delicate 
and most important organ of the whole system, he 
still works upon other portions of the body and is 
a well rounded surgeon that would be a credit to 
any people, to any city, to any country. 

Not only does Dr. Williams operate, both privat¬ 
ely and for the benefit of young doctors, but he 
writes out the things of importance that he finds, 
thus giving to a larger number of doctors the ben¬ 
efit of his ripe wisdom. All men in the profession 
look up to him. He is a man who has honor not 
only in his profession, but in the social world as 
well. Mrs. Williams, formerly Miss Alice John¬ 
son, of Washington, D. C., is in all these matters 
his helper. They liv$ in their beautiful home in 
Chicago, where she is a charming hostess. 

Dr. Williams is to all Negro Doctors, old as well 
as young, a source of inspiration. 



451 











EDWARD C. BROWN 

HILE the Negro has proved him¬ 
self to be enterprising in many 
fields of endeavor, there are still 
some that only few have entered. 
In nearly every kind of business 
the black man has been able to 
succeed in a one-man concern. He has run his tailor 
s.hop, his restaurant, or hotel, his dry goods store, 
his shoe shop, as the case may be, but rare indeed 
is the Negro who in any sense has become a 
“Kress,” a “Woolworth,” a “Fred Harvey,” or any 
of these leading men who have been able through 
far sighted planning to establish a chain of busi¬ 
ness stretching throughout the United States, 
When Edward C. Brown, who was born in Phila¬ 
delphia, in 1877, and educated in the public schools 
and Spencerian Business College of that city, start¬ 
ed in to emulated these mighty captains of indus¬ 
try, with a chain of banks, a business requiring the 
highest type of btisiness skill, the colored business 
world was amazed. 

Mr. Brown first came into public notice through 
the Philadelphia banking firm of Brown and Ste¬ 
vens, of which he is President and founder. Al¬ 
ways a firm believer in co-operation, and knowing 
that in Union there is strength, Mr. Brown has 


dreamed and worked always with plans that were 
nation wide in their scope. While others have 
been busy organizing and successfully launching 
local enterprises, he has been working and laying 
the foundation of a financial organization sufifi- 
ciently strong to furnish backing for national hold¬ 
ing companies that could take over local business 
throughout the country, susceptible of being or¬ 
ganized and conducted in a manner that would not 
only increase their earnings, but put sufficient cap¬ 
ital behind them to insure their being developed 
to their highest degree of efficiency. Mr. Brown 
in 1909, organized the Brown Savings Bank, of 
Norfolk, Va., of which he is President. This bank 
has grown under his direction to a position of fi¬ 
nancial strength and state-wide influence. It has 
a paid in capital stock of $50,000, and the last state¬ 
ment to the state comptroller shows $341,000 as¬ 
sets, which are growing at a rate that will put 
them over the half million mark in the near future. 
Mr. Brown is also President of the Beneficial In¬ 
surance Co., of Norfolk, and of a bank in Newport 
News, Va. His main interests and work for some 
time, however, lay in Philadelphia, where he, with 
his associate, Andrew F. Stevens, conduct a bank¬ 
ing and realty business. Mr. Brown’s outside in¬ 
vestments in Virginia seem to have been “Feelers,” 
and were so successful, that his reputation as a 
financier was firmly established. 

On the death of Philip A. Payton, of New York, 
which occurred Aug. 29th, 1917, Mr. Brown was 
the main figure in forming the Payton Apart¬ 
ments Corporation in order to perpetuate the 
work started by that noted realty dealer. The fol¬ 
lowing clipping from the New York Times gives 
some idea of the magnitude of this undertaking: 
“The Payton Apartments Corporation, formed at 
Albany, a few days ago, with a capital of $250,000 
has identified with it Edward C. and W. H. C. 
Brown, and Andrew F. Stevens, bankers, of Phila¬ 
delphia and Washington; Emmett J. Scott, Sec¬ 
retary of the Tuskegee, Normal and Indusrial In¬ 
stitute of Tuskegee, Ala., and Heman E. Perry, 
President of the Standard Life Insurance Company 
of Atlanta, Ga. Its purpose is to take over the six 
story modern elevator apartments at Nos. 117 to 
143 W. 141 St., and Nos. 130 to 148 W. 142nd St., 
which were bought last year by the late Phillip A. 
Payton from the New York Title and Mortgage 
Company. The houses were valued at $1,000,000 
in that deal.” 

The most recent and by far the greatest of Mr. 
Brown’s undertakings is the organization of a the¬ 
atrical syndicate for the leasing and operating of a 
chain of colored theatres and picture houses in 
every city in the United States having a large Ne¬ 
gro population. 



452 







Brown Savings Bank, Norfolf, Va. 


HE Brown Savings and Banking 
Co., incorporated, of Norfolk, Va., 
was organized April 10, 1909. It 
was the second link in a chain of 
banks being established by that 
financial genius E. C. Brown, of 
Philadelphia and New York, Mr. Brown was elect¬ 
ed president and had associated with him one of the 
most prominent physicians in the country, Dr. An¬ 
drew J. Strong, who has shown marked ability as 
a financier. The entrance of Negroes into the 
banking world, being at that time in its infancy, the 
officers were unable to secure a cashier with prac¬ 
tical banking experience, so President Brown with 
his usual sagacity fell back on an institution with 
world wide reputation for turning out graduates, 
that not only “made good’’ but were invariably re¬ 
cognized as leaders in their chosen professions. 
Crossing Hampton Roads to the Alma Mater of Dr. 
Booker T. Washington and Major R. R. Moton, 
Mr. Brown was fortunate in securing the services 
of William M. Rich. Trained in the unexcelled 
Commercial Department of Hampton Institutte, 
Mr. Rich combined a keen business sagacity with a 
pleasant personality, that enables him not only to 
attract patrons to the bank, but to hold them by 
successfully managing the banks affairs in such 
manner as to enable it to fill a long needed place in 
financing worthy colored business enterprises. Fol¬ 
lowing the footsteps of his illustrious fellow grad¬ 
uate Major Moton, he is devoting his talents to aid 
in establishing for the Negroes successful enter¬ 
prises of their own. In this connection it might be 
stated he even followed the Major in choosing a 
wife from the same family, although there is room 
for argument as to whether he was following the 
Major, or it “just happened.” The bank has been 
so successfully conducted, that two years ago the 
directors were compelled to grant Mr. Rich an as¬ 
sistant cashier, and it speaks volumes for Mr. Rich 
and his Alma Mater that they elected Edward H. 
Vaughn, another Hampton graduate to the posi¬ 
tion. The bank has not only grown to a position 
of financial power in Norfolk, but did yeomans sei- 
vice during the world war in handling Libert)/ 
Bonds and Thrift Stamps. The bank as an institu¬ 
tion, and its personnel as individuals, were always 
to the forefront in all war work, and libei ally con¬ 
tributed to all Red Cross, Y. M. C. A., Salvation 
Army and Camp Community Service Drives.. The 
bank is establishing a pride of race and a spirit of 
thrift in the Negroes of Norfolk, that makes it a 
distinct gain to the community, and there is a care¬ 
fully nourished spirit of fellowship between the de¬ 


positors and officers that causes these depositors to 
come to the bank with all of their financial troubles 
for advice, and in this way the laboring class as 
well as the merchants are being taught that thrift 
means independence and independence means self 
respect. This institution and its work has also 
gained the respect, and increased the co-operation 
between the white and Negro business elements of 
Norfolk, and is bringing about a friendlier spirit 
which is enabling the Negroes to secure better 
schools and other civic improvements. Nothing will 
show more clearly the very remarkable growth of 
the bank in the last two years than an advertise¬ 
ment which appeared in “The Journal Guide.” 

“BROWN SAVINGS AND BANKING COMPANY IN¬ 
CREASES ITS CAPITAL STOCK 

Capital Paid In _$ 50,000 

Surplus _ 20,900 

Resources_ 341,047.53 

Beginning ten years ago with a paid in capital of 
$10,000, by faithful application of sound business 
methods, Brown Savings and Banking Company 
has enjoyed phenominal growth and attained re¬ 
sources that are today over a quarter of a million 
dollars. 

ENLARGED FACILITIES. 

To handle our increasing volume of business and 
to render our patrons and the community at large 
the best possible service our directors at a recent 
session authorized an increase of the bank’s capital 
to $50,000. This remarkable growth is an evidence 
of the hearty co-operation which we have received 
from the public, and in return we have endeavored, 
and will continue to render the best service con¬ 
sistent with sound business principles.” 

(Signed), 

BROWN SAVINGS & BANKING CO., INC., 

NORFOLK, VA. 

E. C. BROWN, Pres. 

A. J. STRONG, Vice-Pres. 

Win. M. RICH, Cashier. 

E. H. VAUGHN, 

Asst. Cashier. 

The increase of $234,000 in the bank’s resources 
in three years as shown by the bank’s statement 
speaks for itself. 

“Efficiency” and “courtesy” is the bank’s motto, 
and embraces every department. Misses Reddick 
and Tolson insure sympathetic assistance to any 
ladies having business dealings with this institu¬ 
tion. The stockholders are to be congratulated on 
the first ten years growth which bids fair to put 
the resources of the bank over the half million 
mark in the near future. 



453 













LACY KIRK WILLIAMS, A. B., D. D. 


EV. Lacey Kirk Williams was born 
in a one-room cabin in Eufaula, 
Alabama, where he spent his baby 
hood days and in a two room 
cabin later until he was six years 
of age, when he moved with his 
father to Texas. 

When 12 years of age he was 
converted and baptized into the Thankful Baptist 
Church, by its pastor, Rev. A. Rivers. 

In securing an education he passed through the 
public schools of Texas, and then attended respect¬ 
ively, Hearne College, Hearne, Texas; Bishop Col¬ 
lege, Marshall Texas, where he finished the Theo 
logical and Academic courses, and then the Arkan- 



CABIN IN WHICH DR. WILLIAMS WAS BORN 


sas Baptist College, where his A. B. course was 
finished. 

In 1914 the Selma University conferred upon him 
the degree of D. D. 

In 1894, he organized his first church, which 
started with four members. It was located at Col¬ 
lege Station, Brazos County, Texas. 

He built church edifices at Lyons Station, Cam¬ 
eron, Macedonia, Dallas, Mt. Gilead and Ft. Worth, 
Texas. The church at Ft. Worth cost $95,000, and 
is a most beautiful structure. 

He is now pastor of Olivet Baptist Church, Chi¬ 
cago, Illinois. 1 his church has a membership of 
8600; it collected and spent in 1918, $64,000. To 
accommodate its large membership requires three 
places of worship, and every Sunday it is necessary 
to hold three to four overflow services. 

He has held many honorary positions; Chairman 
of the State Prohibition Association of Texas; 
President LaGrange District Baptist Sunday 
School Convention; President for 12 years of the 
Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention of 
Texas; President of the I. & M. College, Fort 
Worth, a Dean of Theology of the same school 
prior to being elected President; Editor Western 
Star, official organ of the Colored Baptists of 
Texas; and now President of the Baptist State 
Convention of Illinois. 

Mr .Williams was the only minister appointed 
by Governor Lawnden to serve on a mixed board of 
prominent citizens to study and report on inter¬ 
racial relations in Chicago. 

August 16, 1894, he married Miss Georgia Lewis, 
of Pitt Bridge, Texas. They have one child, a boy 
13 years old. 

Many regard Dr. Williams as the foremost 
speaker and leader of the Negro Baptists since the 
death of the lamented Booker T. Washington. 



W. CURTIS REID 



154 


















OLIVET BAPTIST CHURCH, CHICAGO, ILL. 















PETER JAMES BRYANT, D. D. 


ETER James Bryant, is what is 
often termed a precocious youth, 
but in reality, with him, it was 
the early unfolding of a strong 
and active brain. He was born in 
Sylvania, Screven County, Geor¬ 
gia, April 13, 1872. At the early age of four he 
gave evidence of that characteristic which finally 
led to his life work. While yet on the borderland 
of babyhood he would call the children about him 
and preach to them. His gift was so pronounced 
that the older people had him preach to them and 
listened attentively to his messages. 

His parents, though poor, had an ambition to ed¬ 
ucate their children, numbering nine, and made 
great sacrifices to send them to school. 

At the age of six years Peter was sent to the 
Public Schools at Guyton, Georgia, and after fin¬ 
ishing at the lower school he entered the Pilgrim 
High School, of the same town. He was an apt 
student and led his classes. After finishing at tfr 
Pilgrim High School, he went to Atlanta, Georgia, 
and entered Morehouse College. Here ,again 
he applied himself diligently, and advanced rapidly. 

While in Atlanta, he also took a course in the 


American Normal Correspondence School, of Dan¬ 
ville, New York. When ten years of age, he was 
converted and joined the Macedonia Baptist Church 
of Guyton, Ga., and he developed such an aptitude 
for religious work, that at the age of twelve years, 
he was made superintendent of the Sunday School. 

When fourteen years of age he took up the work 
of teaching, and was placed in charge of a rural 
school. From the rural school he advanced to 
teacher in the public school of Madison, Georgia, 
and of Jonesboro, Georgia. 

He began his ministerial work among the coun¬ 
try churches, which he served faithfully, but a man 
of his ability was needed in the larger fields and 
it was only a few years before he had charge of 
the Wheat Street Baptist Church of Atlanta. Un¬ 
der his able leadership the congregation has grown 
until it ranks among the largest in the United 
States. The church was burned in the big fire that 
swept Atlanta in 1918. Dr. Bryant, nothing daunt¬ 
ed is raising the funds with which to build a 
greater and grander edifice ; one that will in every 
way measure up to the high religious ideals of the 
congregation and minister. Needless to say the 
work will succeed, for this noted divine doesn’t 
know the meaning of the word failure. 

His ability as a pulpit orator is only second to 
his ability as a successful pastor, and many mem¬ 
bers of other congregations frequent his church. 

He is deeply interested in the Baptist Young- 
People’s Union, and served as President of the 
Georgia State Convention of this Union and also 
President of the National Baptist Young People’s 
Union. He served as Corresponding Secretary 
of the Young F’eople’s Christian and Eucational 
Congress of America, representing forty denomi¬ 
nations, at Guyton, Georgia, and at Atlanta. He 
is a member of the Commission of Church and 
Country Life of American Federation of Churches; 
Chairman of Colored Department of Associated 
Churches, Atlanta, Georgia; and a member of the 
Executive Committee both of the Georgia and 
National Baptist Conventions. He has traveled 
over America, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, 
France, Italy, Switzerland, Greece, Egypt, Pales¬ 
tine, and Syria. 

October 26, 1892, he was married to Miss Sylvia 
Cecil Jenkins, of Savannah, Georgia. They have 
no children. He owns his residence and several 
lots valued at $6000. He is a Mason, member of 
Knights of Pythias, and of the Supreme Circle. 

He rendered patriotic service during the war and 
was one of the four minute speakers. He also 
took part in the War Workers Campaign and 
raised $60,000 in ten days. 

During his ministerial work he has baptised more 
than 8000 converts. 



456 











W. H. Harris, M. D. 


R. W. H. Harris, Grand Secretary 
of the Improved Order of Samar¬ 
itans is a man who has helped his 
people from three different an¬ 
gles—doing all of the work well. 
His first endeavor along the line 
was made as a teacher, his next as a 
present as a lodge man where he 
helps to look out for the fatherless and the widows. 

In all of these endeavors he has taken front rank 
and has made his influence felt in the lives of those 
he has touched, and has already made a record 
which will keep him in fond remembrance and of 
which any man could well be proud, though his 
work is still in its active stage. 

Dr. Harris was born in Augusta, Georgia, im¬ 
mediately after the days of slavery, when the 
South was in the throes of reconstruction, and 
when the transition from slavery to freedom was 
attended with many trials and great hardships. He 
was one of fourteen children and his father found 
it difficult to provide them with bread and was in 
no postion to have him educated. He early felt the 
cravings for an education and notwithstanding his 
environment which seemed an impassable barrier 
to his ambition, he determined to secure one. 

He studied alone and with such help as he could 
get for a time. He then entered Clark University, 
Atlanta, Georgia, in 1886. Here he remained till 
1890. His next studying was done in Meharry 
Medical College from which institution he received 
a degree in 1893. Since that time he has done post 
graduate work in both Harvard and New ork 
Clinical School and so prepared himself thoroughly 
for the profession of his choice. 

Before taking up the study of medicine, still 
a young man in his teens, Dr. Harris taught school 
for a number of years. He taught in a number 
of places in the Northern part of Georgia. After 
he finished his medical course he settled down to 
the practice of medicine in the city of Athens. 
Here for twenty-five years he followed this profes¬ 
sion of his choice. Like most conscientious Doc¬ 
tors, his was the opportunity to learn of the inside 
lives of his patients, his was the chance to send 
them on a higher endeavor after relieving their 
bodily suffering, his was the duty to show nobler 
ways of living. During the twenty-five years that 
Dr. Harris spent in this work, he did great good 
along all these lines. He also served as the first 
President of the Georgia State Medical Associa¬ 
tion of Colored Doctors. 

His duties as Grand Secretary and Chief Medi¬ 
cal Examiner of the Improved Order of Samaritans 


claimed so much of his attention, as to finally cause 
him to give up his active practice of medicine, and 
to this order he is giving his time and talent. 

Under his wise and conservative management 
the order is making great progress and gaining 
much strength. Through his untiring efforts and 
leadership the order has built a magnificent tem¬ 
ple, costing $50,000, which is a modern structure 
in all of its appointments. 

Dr. Harris is well prepared for this work. 
As a teacher he became well acquainted with the 
working of the mind, as a Doctor he became well 
acquainted with the functioning of the parts of the 
body, and also with the ideals and aspirations of 
our people-. To the widows and the orphans he is 
one who understands and one who can advise. 
Through the organization, Dr. Harris has been able 
to continue the uplift work that he began while 
still in his teens—that of helping others. 

In line with his other work, he organized the E. 
D. Harris Drug Company, of which he is president, 
which conducts one of the largest and best equip¬ 
ped drug stores for the colored people in the whole 
country. 

In church connections he is an African Methodist 
Episcopal, being a member of the Pierce Chapel of 
the faith in Athens, Georgia. Besides being a mem¬ 
ber of the Good Samaritans, Dr. Harris is an Odd 
Fellow, a Mason, a Knight of Pythias, and an Elk. 
Through these organizations he has come in con¬ 
tact with many, of the problems that con¬ 
front colored people everywhere. Not all of his 
time and interest have gone into the school, the 
church, the practice of medicine and the lodges. 
Dr. Harris has also been interested in the National 
affairs. He is chairman of the Ninth Republican 
Congressional District and he has been elected del¬ 
egate to the Republican National Convention four 
times. His old interest in schools stills holds as 
is seen from the fact that he now serves as trustee 
of Morris Brown University. 

In the Harris family there are five children, Hat¬ 
tie, Marie, Roderick, Percival, and Taliaferro Har¬ 
ris. The oldest son is General Manager in Frater¬ 
nal Insurance work and the oldest daughter is chief 
book-keeper. Another of the sons is a pharma¬ 
cist. Mrs. Harris was Miss Mary Jane Badger. 
They make an interesting family and have served 
to keep Dr. Harris with a keen interest in the lives 
of young people. 

Dr. Harris has succeeded in saving a competence 
for the care of his family and to meet the de¬ 
mands of old age. He is estimated to be worth 
$50,000. 



doctor and his 


457 







JUDGE SCIPIO A. JONES 






















Judge Scipio A. Jones 


WENTY, even ten years age, tc 
speak of illiteracy or of a back¬ 
ward country, was to conjure up 
a picture of the Arkansas made 
famous by Opie Read. A country 
that from the Mississippi delta to 
the Ozarks, was supposed to be people by a semi- 
civilized people, the height of whose ambition was 
to gather at some out of the way community store 
and talk politics. Such a type could be found in 
Arkansas, and can still be found there as they can 
in every other state in the Union, but they are not 
types of the state’s citizens, but of a small minor¬ 
ity, too remotely located from schools, to receive 
any educational advantages. There is another type 
in Arkansas, that is representative of the ma¬ 
jority of her citizens. It is this type that is 
draining the immensely fertile Mississippi delta 
lands that comprise a big part of the Eastern half 
of the state, and putting them in a state of produc¬ 
tivity that is bringing untold riches to her farmers 
and merchants. It is this class of men that have 
changed the picturesque Ozark Mountains from a 
vast wilderness to the greatest apple producing 
country in the world. It is this type of citizens that 
have made such modern cities as Little Rock, Hot 
Springs, Ft. Smith. Pine Bluff, and Helena possible, 
and it is all these as a whole that are fast putting 
Arkansas in the forefront of progressive states. It 
has been truthfully said that a chain is as strong 
as its weakest link. Therefore in judging the pro¬ 
gress of a state or community, any one at all quali¬ 
fied for the task, would at once seek to find the re¬ 
sults, being obtained, not by those with the great¬ 
est opportunities, but those who were overcoming 
the greatest difficulties. The splendid record of 
the Arkansas Negroes in the professional, commer¬ 
cial, rural and religious life of the State has con¬ 
tributed wonderfully to the State’s development. 
There are quite a number of colored citizens, whose 
records are a source of pride to the communities 
in which they reside and to the State at large, ir¬ 
respective of race. Prominent among these is 
Judge Scipio A. Jones, of Little Rock. 

Admitted to the Pulaski Circuit Court, June 15th, 
1889, Attorney Jones began the practice of law at 
a time when conditions necessarily made a great 
part of his work pure charity, his only reward be¬ 
ing the knowledge that he was, in a measure, pro¬ 
tecting his people and aiding them in getting jus¬ 
tice. 

His ability became so marked that he attracted 
the attention of J. E. Bush, of Little Rock, I les- 
ident and founder of the Mosiac Templars. Mr. 


Bush, who has been likened to Andrew Carnegie in 
his ability to find and develop talented heads of de¬ 
partments for his interests, in or about 1895, ap¬ 
pointed Judge Jones, National Attorney General 
for the Mosiac 1 emplars. It is sufficient to state 
that for the last twenty years Judge Jones has 
guided this remarkably successful organization 
through the shoals of legal entanglements, in a 
manner that stamps him as a corporate attorney 
of exceptional ability. Many members of the bar 
are ever on the alert for personal publicity and rush 
their clients into court on the slightest provocation. 
It has always been the Judges’ principle to appeal 
to the courts only as a last resort. He has un¬ 
bounded confidence in the integrity of his fellow 
man and goes on the principle that calm reasoning, 
and common sense save court costs. Judge Jones’ 
position with the Mosiac Templars requires onlv 
part of his time, and he has budded a private prac¬ 
tice in Arkansas, second to none. His offices are 
located at Little Rock, where his work necessitates 
him having a large corps of highly trained assist¬ 
ants. Judge Jones was admitted to the Supreme 
Court of Arkansas, Nov. 26th, 1900. To the U. S. 
District Court for the Western Division of the 
Eastern District of Arkansas, and the U. S. Circuit 
Court for Arkansas October 30, 1901. To the U. 
S. Supreme Court, May 29th, 1905, and to the U. 
S. Court of Appeals, Dec. 10, 1914. 

The Judge’s personal popularity in his home 
town was shown by his election as Special Judge in 
the Municipal Court of Little Rock, April 8th., 
1915, which position he filled with credit to himself 
and to his people. 

The Judge is not only National Attorney for the 
Mosaic Templars, but an active member of all of 
the strongest fraternities with lodges in Little 
Rock, and attends the State and National Conven¬ 
tions whenever possible. 

No greater tribute can be paid to the JudgeY pa¬ 
triotism than to quote from his speech to the Na¬ 
tional Grand Lodge of the Mosaic Templars at the 
outbreak of the world’s war. 

“These are perilous times. Among those who 
will march under the flag of the United States will 
be true and tried Mosaics. These Mosaics will 
leave their families and go to fight and die for you 
and for me. Your Executive Committee bought 
thirty thousand dollars ($30,000.00) worth of Lib¬ 
erty Loan Bonds, but we ought to go further, as 
the “end is not yet.” If you can’t fight with your 
musket you can fight with your dollars ! There are 
no cowards among us—no slackers on our rolls.” 



459 









State Normal School, Normal, Ala. 



bama, Normal, 


HE oft-quoted saying of Emerson, 
that an “institution is the length¬ 
ened shadow of one man,” is es¬ 
pecially applicable in the case of 
the State Agricultural and Me¬ 
chanical College, at Normal, Ala- 
as the institution is common y 


designated, is the lengthened shadow of the late 
William Hooper Council, ex-slave, legislator, edu¬ 
cator and author. 

Dr. Council was born in Fayetteville, North Car¬ 
olina, in 1848. Sold through the famous “Rich¬ 
mond Slave Pen,” he was shipped into Alabama in 
1857, when a lad of but nine years. Young though 
he was, he was put to work in the cotton fields, 
where he toiled till the Emancipation Proclamation 
severed his bondman’s shackles. His freedom 
gained, he looked about for a place to improve his 
mind. It chanced that missionaries from the North 
had come down to Stevenson, Alabama, in 1865 to 
open a school. Dr. Council was one of the first 
pupils to enter. He remained at Stevenson three 
years, which though a short time within itself, 
gave the young ex-slave habits of study and of 
thought and aided him much in mapping out a fu¬ 
ture career. 

Leaving school but still studying hard, Dr. Coun¬ 
cil taught, preached, and indeed threw the weight 
of his strong personality into many channels of 
service for the benighted colored people of his 
state. His rise in the public activities of Alabama 
was rapid, yet secure; for the footing which he 
gained in those early days of Reconstruction, he 
held and expanded to the day of his death. 

Four years after leaving the school at Stevenson 
saw him a prominent figure in the state. He was 
Enrolling Clerk in the Alabama Legislature from 
1872 to 1874. In 1875 he was appointed, by Pres¬ 
ident Grant, as Receiver of the Land Office for the 
Northern District of Alabama. Two years later 
he founded the “Huntsville Herald,” which he ed¬ 
ited for seven years and through which he did much 
to educate his people and to shape their thoughts 
properly on public matters. 

Though he gave much time to public service, 
Dr. Council never neglected to improve himself. 
Continuing his studies under private instruction, he 
developed a rare proficiency, regardless of race and 
previous limited advantages, in the modern lan¬ 
guages, in the sciences, in higher mathematics, in 
the classics, and in history. He was an authority 
on race history and conditions as is well attested 
by his “Lamp of Wisdom,” a splendid compendium 
of Negro history, published in 1898. He studied 


law and was admitted to the Supreme Court of 
Alabama, in 1883. For his rare scholarship he was 
honored by Morris Brown College, with the de¬ 
gree of Doctor of Philosophy. He was an orator 
much in demand and widely known; so well known 
indeed that when he traveled in Europe he was 
most cordially received by Hon. William E. Glad¬ 
stone. and by King Leopold of Belgium. He spoke, 
wrote and labored incessantly for industrial edu¬ 
cation, for African Missions, and for better trained 
teachers and workers. He was a strong advocate 
of temperance, and contributed many helpful race 
articles to magazines and newspapers. Among his 
published works are two books: “The Lamp of 
Wisdom,” mentioned before, and “The Negro La- 
borer-A Word to Him.” He left in manuscript 
form three books: “The History of My Life,” 
“The Teacher’s Manual,” and “The Silver Lining.” 
He ranked high as a churchman and was an im¬ 
portant factor in our fraternal organizations. 

However, through all his activities, he remained 
what he began, a school teacher, an educator. Nor¬ 
mal was founded by him in 1875, the same year that 
he was made Receiver of the Land Office in North 
Alabama. The school through his powerful influ¬ 
ence secured substantial financial backing from the 
beginning, receiving from the state an annual ap¬ 
propriation of $1000. It opened in May, 1875, 
with sixty-one pupils and two teachers, and 
in rented quarters. The large property now owned 
by the College had its origin in the self-sacrificing 
labors of Dr. Council, assisted by a devoted faculty 
that taught with him in the first few years of the 
institution’s existence. Under his inspirational in¬ 
fluence, the teachers signed with him a contract do¬ 
nating a certain percentage of their salaries to be 
used in the purchase of a school site. The site was 
purchased in Huntsville, Alabama, and deeded to 
the state for the exclusive use of furthering the 
education of the Negro youth. This was the first 
property owned by the College and it formed the 
nucleus and the incentive for all that followed. In 
1878, the annual state appropriation was raised to 
two thousand dollars. 

Self-made, knowing the struggles, needs and 
yearnings of his people, Dr. Council sought to 
shape the policies of the institution to help as many 
classes of people as possible. In 1885 the State 
increased the grant from two thousand to four 
thousand dollars per year, to which was added later 
help from the Slater and Peabody Funds, and from 
private donors who gave at the solicitation of Dr. 
Council. 

In 1891 the Legislature of Alabama made this 


460 











3 


Varsity Baseball Team ioiq 


■ 


DEPARTMENT VIEWS—STATE NORMAL SCHOOL NORMAL, ALA. 























school the beneficiary of the fund granted by Act 
of Congress, approved on August 30, 1890, foi 
the more complete endowment and the support of 
the colleges for the benefit of agrculture and me¬ 
chanic arts.” 

Thus supported. Normal was not long in becom¬ 
ing an important educational factor in the state of 
Alabama. One by one brick buildings went up, stu¬ 
dents increased and courses were added until the 
school was numbered with the larger Negro insti¬ 
tutions of the nation. 

Happily, Dr. Council lived to a ripe old age, and 
was able to see the institution thoroughly estab¬ 
lished in equipment, in courses and in practical use¬ 
fulness in the state. For more than a third of a 
century he served as its head, and died in office, 
April 14, 1909. 

His successor, Mr. Walter S. Buchanan, is carry¬ 
ing out and re-enforcing all the policies laid down 
by the founder. Mr. Buchanan is thoroughly 
trained for the office to which he succeeds. He 
was born and reared in 4 roy, Alabama. Having 
attended the public schools of Troy, he entered 
Tuskegee Institute, where he was graduated in 
1899. 

From Tuskegee, President Buchanan went to 
Aiken, S. C., where he taught for two years in the 
Schofield School before going to Boston, Massa¬ 
chusetts, where he enrolled in the Sloyd Training 
School, from which he was graduated in 1902. Af¬ 
ter preparing with the help of private tutors and 
the Y. M. C. A. night school of Boston, he entered 
Harvard University in 1904, and was graduated 
with the degree, B. A. S., in 1907. On graduating 
from Harvard, Mr. Buchanan served two months 
as Southern Agent for Tuskegee Institute. He 
was called from Tuskegee to accept the principal- 
ship of the Corona Industrial Institute, Corona, 
Alabama. Here he remained for two years, becom¬ 
ing President of Normal in 1909. It was during this 
year that he married Miss Ida Council, the daugh¬ 
ter of the founder. Three children have blessed 
the union. 

Under him Normal is now realizing to the full 
the meaning of the dreams of its founder. It has 
added many new buildings, the most important of 
which is perhaps the new hospital which serves as 
a health center not only for the student body, but 
for the whole community. In all, the institution 


has twenty-one buildings, and a total property val¬ 
uation of $185,000. It has one hundred eighty-two 
acres of land, ninety of which are under cultivation 
for educational purposes, and to aid in running 
the school. It has twenty-nine instructors, twenty 
four students taking the college course, and three 
hundred seventy-nine taking other courses, most 
of which are practical in their training. 

It is in offering courses of study that Normal 
has shown itself the most useful and adaptable. 
Seeking as it did under its founder to fit the young 
for all pursuits, Normal, in addition to its college 
courses, has departments giving Mechanical, Ag¬ 
ricultural, Domestic, Commercial and Nurse Train¬ 
ing Courses in all their various detail. Thus in the 
Agricultural Department are taught Truck Fann¬ 
ing, Dairying and the like ; in the Department of 
Mechanical Industries, Steam and Electrical En¬ 
gineering, Carpentry, Wheelwrighting and Black- 
smithing, Shoe-making, Printing, Tailoring, etc.; 
in Domestic Arts: Cooking, Sewing, Dress-making, 
Millinery and Handicrafts. The Department of 
Commercial Arts gives instruction in Typewriting, 
Shorthand, and Bookkeeping. Normal is one of 
the few Negro Colleges that offers a thorough 
business course. 

But the school realized years ago that it must 
go outside of the class room to give the full meas¬ 
ure of service. Hence for years, Normal has been 
the North Alabama center for farmers’ institutes 
and Conferences, rural club meetings for farmers’ 
wives, and for rural children. When the Corn 
Club, Pig Club and Tomato Club idea struck the 
South, Normal was one of the first institutions to 
put an agent in the field, to establish such clubs 
among Negroes. Under the Smith-Lever Bill, it 
has been able to extend its services as well as pro¬ 
long them among the Negro boys and girls of 
North Alabama. To perpetuate and improve these 
endeavors among rural folk, the college is train¬ 
ing students in all the phases of rural extension 
work. In summer and in winter it keeps open its 
doors to instruct both students and teachers to 
teach others. This holds not only in giving spe¬ 
cial instruction from texts and in trades, but also 
in showing the student how to organize and lead 
communities and to touch their lives for good in 
material progress and in clean living. 


462 




CHARLES HARRY ANDERSON 



HE subject of this sketch who to¬ 
day ranks as one of the foremost 
Negro financiers of the .Country, 
inherits his ability from his moth¬ 
er, Charlotte (Lewis) Anderson. 
This remarkable woman was left 


heavily in debt and with seven little children to 
support. By taking in washing and working al¬ 
most day and night she managed to not only sup¬ 
port the children but pay the indebtedness left by 
her husband. As the children grew older, she 
started a little store and a truck garden, in this 
way they not only aided in making a living, but 
were given the practical training that was to seive 
them so well in later years. 

Charles Harry Anderson, her mainstay, was born 
in Jacksonville, Fla., July 25, 1879. He was educa¬ 
ted at the Florida Baptist Academy of that place, 
and took a business course in a Philadelphia Bus¬ 
iness College. 

His first independent business venture was in 
1902, buying fish by the barrel and peddling them 
from a street corner. So well did he succeed that 
it was only a short time before he rented a store 
and opened a fish and oyster business. By close 
attention to detail, and carefully studying the 
wants and needs of his customers, he has built up 
the present splendid business of the Anderson Fish 
and Oyster Co., of which he is proprietor. This es¬ 
tablishment is located on Broad Street, and here is 
installed the most modern cold storage and sani¬ 
tary equipment throughout. 

Mr. Anderson makes it a rule to employ on v 


clerks, whose unfailing courtesy make them an as¬ 
set to his business and he has made the motto of 
the Anderson Fish & Oyster Co., “sell goods that 
won’t come back, to customers that will.” 

From his very first business venture, he saw the 
need of a banking institution that would serve a 
two fold purpose in teaching his people to have and 
to aid them in starting businesses of their own. It 
was here that the early training he received from 
his mother stood him in good stead, as the exper¬ 
ience of his own family had demonstrated to him 
that by application to business and square dealing, 
Negroes could succeed in business for themselves, 
and all they needed was encouragement and a lit¬ 
tle help in starting. It was the knowledge of this 
need and the confidence he had in the ability of his 
people to succeed that caused him in 1914, to start 
a private banking institution under the name of 
Anderson Tucker & Co. 

One year later, Mr. Tucker’s interest was 
bought by Mr. Anderson’s Brother, Richard, and 
the firm name changed to Anderson and Co. This 
banking institution is located on the main corner, 
ground floor of the magnificent Masonic Temple 
Building on Broad Street. It is here that more 
than a quarter of a million dollars belonging to the 
Negroes of Jacksonville is handled with an efficien¬ 
cy that is attracting the attention of the business 
interest of the whole State of Florida and the Bank 
bids fair to develop into a state wide institution for 
the promotion of Negro business enterprises. 

With a paid in Capital of $15,000.00, the esteem 
in which these bankers are held, by the Negroes of 
Jacksonville is best shown by the fact that, al¬ 
though the bank has still to be nationalized, the 
last statement to the comptroller of the State of 
Florida, made June 30, 1919, shows Deposits of 
$217,029.82, with additional deposits in the Xmas 
Savings Club, of $16,932.14. No greater endorse¬ 
ment could be given any men by their people. Hun¬ 
dreds of depositors in this bank are laborers who 
cannot reach the bank during regular banking 
hours and the officers, in keeping with their policy 
of accommodating their clients first, keep the doors 
open for deposits until six P. M. daily and 9 P. M. 
Saturday. 

Mr. Chas. H. Anderson was married to Margaret 
H. Myatt, of Jacksonville, Fla., Sept 18, 1907. 1 hey 
have four children: Hodge, Seattle, Chas. H. Jr., 
and Joseph M. The Andersons occupy their own 
home, an elegant residence on 8th and Centre 
Streets. An atmosphere of quiet refinement per¬ 
vades the home, and serves as an inspiration to 
those fortunate enough to be guests of the family. 

Mr. Anderson is an active member of the A. M. 
E. Church, and is also an active member of the Iv 
nf P’s, and Odd Fellows. 


•163 











MASONIC TEMPLE BUILDING-JACKSONVILLE, FLA. 
























Union Grand Lodge of Masons, Florida Jurisdiction 



HE present Union Grand Lodge of 
Masons in the State of Florida 
was formed in 1879, by consoli¬ 
dating the then Union Grand 
Lodge and the Sovereign Gr: 


ana 


Lodge. The committee designat¬ 
ed to draw up terms of union be¬ 
tween the two Grand Lodges was 
composed of Charles H. Pearce, Tillman Valentine, 
and Edward A. Brown, from the Union Grand 
Lodge; and Richard L. Jones, Jasper N. Tully, Al¬ 
onzo R. Jones and James A. Meadows from the 
Sovereign Grand Lodge. The report rendered by 
the committee was the basis of union of the two 
grand bodies, thus making the beginning of the ca¬ 
reer of the present Most Worshipful Union Grand 
Lodge whose former grand masters have been: 
Most Worshipful John R. Scott, Most Worship¬ 
ful Tillman Valentine, Most Worshipful S. H. Cole¬ 
man, Most Worshipful R. S. Mitchell, Most 
Worshipful John H. Dickerson, and the Most Wor¬ 
shipful D. D. Powell, the present incumbent. 

The organization and successful operation of 
the Masonic Benefit Association, the more perfect 
working of the large corps of deputies whose du¬ 
ties cover a jurisdiction now comprising a mem¬ 
bership of nearly twelve thousand Master Masons, 
not including the hundreds who hold membership 
in the Royal Arch, Knights-Templar, and Mystic 
Shriners division. The affiliated branches of the 
Order of the Eastern Star, and the Heroines of 
jericho are also reckoned in the growth of the 
craft in this jurisdiction in the past decade. 

The Masonic Temple at the corner of Duval and 
Broad Sts., Jacksonville, Fla., is one of the best 
edifices of its kind owned by colored people in this 
country. All clases of our citizens irrespective of 
their affiliation, point with pride to the Masonic 
Temple. It is the one thing in Jacksonville which 
stands ahead of all others, demonstrating what 
our people can do when we marshal our resources, 
combine our forces and work unitedly for one end, 
In the erection of this splendid building, of which 
Rev. John H. Dickerson, ex-Grand Master of the 
Most Worshipful Union Grand Lodge of Florida, 
was the projector, it was not only necessary to ov¬ 
ercome the incredulity which is peculiar to oui peo¬ 
ple, but with the elements of character which ex- 
Grand Master Dickerson possessed to a marked 
degree to push forward and overcome obstacles 
which were in his pathway. This he did. which re¬ 
sulted in the completion of the building in the fall 

of 1913. r , . 

The temple is located in the heart of the city and 
is a six story massive structure of reinfoiced con¬ 
crete and steel, and is finished with fine pressed 
brick and marble. The corridors are twelve feet 
wide, with tiled floors. There are forty-six of¬ 
fice rooms, which are used for business purposes 
by some of the leading colored men of_ Jackson¬ 
ville, whose offices are splendidly furnished and 
well equipped for their different lines of business, 
and which are heated by steam m winter and light¬ 
ed by electricity. The ground floor has six com¬ 
modious store rooms, all of which are occupie . 

The offices and reception room of the Grand 


Master are located on the fifth floor, and are ele¬ 
gantly furnished. It is from these apartments 
with the aid of his private secretary, stenographers 
and clerks that he directs the Masonic forces of the 
State, and makes plans to advance the interests of 
the craft. The director’s room adjoins the apart¬ 
ment of the grand master and is splendidly fur¬ 
nished in keeping with the dignity of the order. 
On the sixth floor is the beautiful Eastern Star 
Chamber and the lodge room of the Mystic Shrin¬ 
ers and Sublime Princess of the Royal Secret. 
Above all this is an elaborate roof garden, where 
in summer evenings 300 guests may enjoy the cool 
atmosphere that wafts with the breeze that is al¬ 
ways to be felt at a high attitude. 

The basement of this magnificant building is 
splendidly .furnished, and it is here that the mem¬ 
bers of the Masonic Clubs meet and “jolly” each 
other concerning their last experience in “riding 
the goat.” Set basins are in every office in the 
building, two elevators are operated to carry per¬ 
sons to different floors janitor service is furnished 
to keep the offices and apartments clean, and ev¬ 
ery modern convenience which goes to make a first 
class business is to be found in this splendid edi¬ 
fice. The furnishings, equipments and parapher¬ 
nalia used in the lodge rooms and departmental 
quarters are also first class and up-to-date and 
“goat riding,” which is still hazardous, is conduct¬ 
ed with just a bit more dignity, pomp and splendor 
than it used to be by the brethren of the craft in 
the task of inducting “raw recruits” into the sub¬ 
lime mysteries of the degree of the fraternity. 

A sketch of Florida Masonry, however, brief, 
would not be complete without special mention of 
the present most Worshipful Grand Master, D. D 
Powell, and Rt. Worshipful Grand Secretary, Wil¬ 
liam A. Glover. 

Grand Master Powell first came into the lime¬ 
light when he organized Solomon Lodge 166 and 
was elected first Worshipful Master. He quickly 
attracted the attention of the State officers by his 
ability a c an organizer, and was elected District 
Deputy Grand Master. He was elected Junior 
Grand Warden in 1909, Deputy Grand Master in 
1910, and Grand Master in 1916. Mr. Powell still 
occupies this position with a brilliancy that is add¬ 
ing luster to the Masonic body of Florida. He is a 
33rd degree Mason, Royal Arch Mason, Knight 
Templar, Shriner and member of the Eastern Star. 
He is also a member of the K. of P’s and Odd Fel¬ 
lows and a Deacon in the Spring Hill Baptist 
Church. 

William A. Glover, Grand Secretary, is also a 
33rd degree Mason, Royal Arch Mason, Knight 
Templar, Shriner, Member of Eastern Star, and 
Master of Finance of M. C. B. Mason Lodge .No. 
97 K. of P’s. Secretary Glover enjoys the distinc¬ 
tion of being the oldest officer in the Masonic body 
of Florida. He joined the Masons in 1894, and has 
served continuously since. He organized Myrtle 
Lodge 136, organized the Masonic Benefit Associa¬ 
tion" and served as its first Secretary. Served as 
Grand Chancellor K. of P’s. of Florida from 1896 
to 1903, and is now serving fourth term as Grand 
Secretary of the Masons. 


465 










LAWTON LEROY PRATT 

AWTON Leroy Pratt, proprietor 
of the L. L. Pratt Undertaking 
Co. was born in Lake City, Flor¬ 
ida, Dec. 23, 1885. Mr. Pratt 

came to Jacksonville when a 
mere lad, and got his first bus¬ 
iness experience selling papers on the street cor¬ 
ners. 

Mr. Pratt always ambitious to rise saved and 
skimped to pay his way through Cookman Insti¬ 
tute. After finishing here he continued to sell 
papers until he had saved sufficient funds to take 
a course in Parks School of Embalming at Cincin¬ 
nati, Ohio. On receiving his diploma he returned 
to Jacksonville where he started in the Undertak¬ 
ing business for himself with a capital of $60.00. 

Mr. Pratt’s personality from the very start made 
him many friends. Always courteous and unas¬ 
suming, being ever alert to protect the feelings and 
sensibilities of bereaved relatives in the hours of 
deepest sorrow, he soon drew to himself a patron¬ 
age that taxed his establishment to the utmost to 
handle. 

Thoroughly trained himself in the most modern 
schools, he is a firm believer in modern method? 
and modern equipment. While occupying the 


building at 416 Broad Street, he conceived the idea 
of building an establishment that would be not only 
the most complete undertaking and embalming 
plant owned and operated by Negroes, in connect¬ 
ion with splendid stables for his horse drawn vehi¬ 
cles and garage for his magnificent hearses, but to 
have the upper floors fitted up with every modern 
home convenience so that he might, at all hours of 
the day and night, be in close personal touch with 
his business. In this he was aided by the advice of 
his talented wife, who was Mrs. Mamie L. Ander¬ 
son, of New York City. Mrs. Pratt is a graduate 
of Barnes School of Anatomy, Sanitary Science and 
Embalming, having received her diploma in 1909. 

Immediately after their marriage in 1913 they 
began the study of the plants and methods of the 
finest undertakers in both the South and East. 
They determined that the best was none too good 
tor Jacksonville, and that the Pratts were going to 
furnish that best. They even made special trips 
East in order to study the equipment and arrange¬ 
ment of the newest plants. When fully satisfied, 
plans were drawn for the present modern building 
on West Beaver Street. The main building is of 
pressed brick two stories in height. On the first 
floor are the offices and private reception rooms. 
Just back of these are the casket rooms. On the 
side of the building leading back to the garage and 
stables, is a broad concrete drive. The stables and 
garage are kept as scrupulously clean as the rest 
of the place. There are three horse drawn hearses, 
that five years ago would have been sufficient for 
the most up-to-date establishment, but the Pratts 
have so educated their clientile up to expecting the 
latest that they have been compelled to buy three 
auto hearses. On the second floor is located the 
living apartments of the Pratts, and it is here that 
many noted Northerners and Easterners are guests 
in the tourist season, and are entertained in a man¬ 
ner that sends them home with pleasant memories 
of Southern hospitality. The real record of the 
Pratts success is best given in Mr. Pratts own 
words: “Years ago, in my school days, I learned 
the motto, ‘Aim at a definite end.” This motto 
made a special impression on me. Whatever suc¬ 
cess I have achieved in my profession has been 
through observing this motto, and aiming at a def¬ 
inite end—giving the best possible service to our 
patrons. I realized that to succeed we must do 
things different from others, and better than oth¬ 
ers. When I think of the small way in which we 
started eleven years ago, in an obscure room, I be¬ 
lieve that our efforts have really met with success, 
for our present establishment provides facilities 
not found in this part of the country. 

In our Chapel there is nothing to remind one that 
it is a funeral home. The utmost care is shown 



466 












UNDERTAKING ESTABLISHMENT OF L. L. PRATT 


to remove from grief stricken people any reminder 
of this nature. The same care is taken to secure 
the utmost privacy so that the remains of loved 
ones shall not be open to the inspection of the mer¬ 
ely curious. In our embalming room where prepa¬ 
rations are made for burial including embalming by 
the most scientific methods special attention is giv¬ 
en to the Sanitary features. Refined and tender 
natures only should ever attempt this delicate ser¬ 
vice. In view of this fact, only men of experience 
and ability, and who are qualified to perform in a 
proper and respectful manner the sacred duties of 
this profession, have been selected. 

Some thought at first that the motor funeral 
was introduced as a matter of style. But this is 
not the case. The motor funeral is not for style, 
speed or fashion, but is simply the result of the era 
of the automobile. The motor car has succeeded 
the family carriage everywhere. Practically no 
one rides in carriages any more. Liverymen have 
been selling out for years as a result of lack of bus¬ 
iness. When all pleasure vehicles and most bus¬ 
iness vehicles are motor driven, the time is cer¬ 
tainly here for us to offer our patrons at least the 
choice of horse-driven or automobile service. I he 
automobile funeral has several distinct advantages 
—it is the most comfortable, and owing to absence 
of noise it is also the most dignified. I he chaige 
for motor equipment is just the same as for horse 


drawn equipment, and it often actually saves ex¬ 
pense by enabling the family and friends who have 
cars to use them. It is the most simple and natu¬ 
ral. Persons are accustomed nowadays to ride in 
motor cars, they feel more at ease under such con¬ 
ditions. The motor funeral does not hurry and on 
the other hand it does not waste time, or needless¬ 
ly prolong the strain to which friends and relatives 
are subjected. We have no desire to urge our pa¬ 
trons to use motor equipment against their wish. 
Our experience leads us to suggest, however, that 
it will be found more satisfactory. One rule we in¬ 
sist upon, service must be all horse drawn or all 
automobile. It cannot satisfactorily be part one 
and part the other. We know that the life of loved 
ones does not end. It simply goes on. Its work 
is done here only to take up its work in “the other 
room,” and our work is modeled with this know¬ 
ledge always to the fore.” 

With such sentiments, it is small wonder that 
from a mere pittance Mr. Pratt’s holdings have 
grown until he is ranked with the foremost of 
Jacksonville’s business men. He is a member of 
all the leading Fraternal orders of Jacksonville, a 
member of the National Negro Business League, 
and a consistent churchman. He is a liberal con¬ 
tributor to every movement having for its object 
the betterment of his country or his people. As a 
citizen he is a credit to his home and country. 


467 

















W. W. ANDREWS 


NOW, which melts on ridges, 
peaks and sides of mountains on 
account of its consequent slope 
runs down the mountain side. 
This little stream, while wending 
its way downward, meets a num¬ 
ber of other little streams. A confluence takes 
place. A larger stream is formed, which continues 
its course, meeting other streams, it joins them, 
which is ladened with greetings and contributions 
from contiguous mountain sides. Then a mighty 
stream is formed, which, with many meanderings, 
wends its way to the sea, where it contributes some 
matter in solution, others in solidity, but at the 
same time bearing upon the bosom of its waters 
numerous craft loaded with products of commerce 
to be distributed into the diversified channels of 
trade. 

The coming of Columbus to an unknown world ; 
the discovery of the Land of Flowers by Ponce de 
Leon in search of a Fountain of Youth, the con¬ 
fluence of those mountain streams, of which men¬ 
tion has been made in the preceding paragraph, to 
form the rivulet, and the rivulets to form the slug¬ 
gish or impetuous river, are of no greater value or 
import to the populace of Florida than the visit to 


our Fair Florida of Sir S. W. Green, the present 
Supreme Chancellor of New Orleans, La., and Sir 
Bell, of Mississippi, in the Spring of 1886. These 
two Pythian Knights came to Jacksonville with, I 
am told, a complete set of Lodge Paraphernalia to 
be given as a premium to the first person who 
formed a Knights of Pythias Lodge. A few gen¬ 
tlemen were initiated into the work in Jackson¬ 
ville among whom was D. M. Pappy, of St. Augus¬ 
tine. Llpon returning to his home city, the said D. 
M. Pappy proceeded to organize a Pythian Lodge. 
In a short time, during the month of June, the Py¬ 
thian banner was unfurled to the breeze in the 
State of Florida; San Marco Lodge No. 1 was or¬ 
ganized with the following officers: Alfonso Pap¬ 
py, C. C.; William Pappy, V. C.; D. M. Pappy, M. of 
W.; John Williams, K. of R. and S.; Lee Saunders, 
M. of F.; fames Mongum, M. of Ex.; S. Martin, I. 
G.; Pierce Reddick, O. G.; Frank Johnson, M. of 
O. Having been created a P. C., along with a Bro¬ 
ther McGinniss, of Jacksonville, to whom the in¬ 
formation was imparted by Sir Green, that the par¬ 
aphernalia which he had brought into the state was 
to be given to the first Past Chancellor who or¬ 
ganized a lodge, Mr. Pappy returned to Jackson¬ 
ville, received the paraphernalia and delivered the 
same to San Marco Lodge No. 1. This parapher¬ 
nalia was used by San Marco Lodge No. 1 for many 
years. 

With the melting of the snow in the organiza¬ 
tion of San Marco Lodge, followed by a sufficient 
number of Subordinate Lodges to form the Grand 
Lodge, the Order of Knights of Pythias in this 
State started as a little stream down the mountain 
side. In due course of time other little streams 
were met, and with the election of J. C. Jordan in 
Pensacola three years after the organization of the 
Grand Lodge there were ten votes in the Grand 
Lodge. D. M. Pappy was again elected in Ocala, 
then the little streams began to form a little rivu¬ 
let. The little rivulets began to form a little larger 
rivulet when W. A. Glover was elected for the first 
time in Fernandina. Then Col. H. James, who is 
now the Supreme Outer Guard, took hold of affairs, 
convoked the Grand Lodge at St. Augustine, where 
Col. D. G. Adger, the present Past Grand Chan¬ 
cellor, was elected. Then the little rivulets began 
to form larger rivulets, the rivulets began to unite 
to form a river, the Order began to take on flesh, 
took her place among leading secret organizations 
of the State, caused men and women to recognize 
it and see that it had to be reckoned with. With 
the election of W. W. Andrews, the present Grand 
Chancellor at the Apalachicola session, a new era 
dawned upon the Pythian horizon. The streams, 
rivulets and rivers began to form into one mighty 
and powerful river, and with velocity safe, certain 



468 









HOME OFFICE OF FLORIDA PYTHIANS AND RESIDENCE OF GRAND CHANCELLOR 


and sure, noiselessly but steadily made its way into 
the great sea of progress, took its place at the head 
of all secret organizations in this State, causing 
persons who formerly looked upon the order as a 
pigmy to now recognize it as a giant and bow as 
suppliant minions before its shrine. 

K. OF P.’S FLORIDA. 

Any one who studies the records of Colored Fra- 
ternalism, will be impressed with the fact that the 
K. of P.’s have been remarkably fortunate in the 
selection of their officers. A splendid example of 
this is shown in the elevation of W. W. Andrews to 
the post of Grand Chancellor of the Jurisdiction of 
Florida. 

Born in Sparta, Ga., Feb. 4, 1874, Mr. Andrews 
worked in the cotton fields to earn the money to 
pay for his early education. As soon as he was old 
enough, he secured a position in the barber ship of 
Angelo Ffarden & James F. Reeves. It was only 
a short while before he had mastered the trade and 
saved enough to move to Apalachicola, and open 
his own shop. It was here in 1901 that he joined 
the order, the upbuilding of which in future years 
was to become his life’s work. The order who s 
membership, always quick to recognize exceptional 
executive ability, has promoted him through suc¬ 
cessive steps to the highest office in the gift of the 
State Jurisdiction. 


Mr. Andrews was elected State Grand Lecturer 
of the K. of P’s in 1905, State Grand Keeper of Re¬ 
cords & Seals in 1907, and State Grand Chancellor 
in 1910. The Florida Jurisdiction has grown under 
his chancellorship until today it embraces 220 lodg¬ 
es with a membership of thirteen thousand. The 
endowment bureau has paid since 1912, $200,000.00, 
to widows and orphans and has assets of $160,000.00 
fifty thousand of which are in Liberty Bonds and 
seven thousand in Thrift Stamps. 

Mr. Andrews has served in the Uniform Rank 
from private to brigadier general. Ffe is also a 
32nd degree Mason, having joined the order in 1899, 
and is a consistent member and trustee of the C. 
M. E. Church. Mr. Andrews was married to Miss 
Henrietta G. Smith of Apalachicola, Fla., Sept. 15, 
1900, and has two sons, Cyril B. and W. W., Jr., 
both school boys. Although Mr. Andrews has a 
home in Apalachicola, a plantation near Jackson¬ 
ville and a handsome two story mansion in Jack¬ 
sonville, he spends most of his time on the road in 
the interest of the order so dear to his heart and 
leaves his efficient wife in charge of the Home of¬ 
fice, the results of whose work speaks for itself. 
Mrs. Andrews, a highly trained and efficient bus¬ 
iness woman, is to the Grand Chancellor what 
Emmett Scott was to the late Booker T. Washing¬ 
ton. 


469 




















A. L. LEWIS, PRESIDENT 
AFRO-AMERICAN INSURANCE CO. 



HE editor once heard the Pres¬ 
ident of one of the South’s largest 
Banking Institutions, state that 
Negro insurance companies were 
doing more in building the com¬ 
munities in which they were lo¬ 
cated than all other colored businesses combined. 
He stated that ten years ago there were millions 
of dollars annually collected by insurance com¬ 
panies centered in the east, that left the country 
never to return, while now, the vast bulk of this 
business was underwritten by local companies, and 
invested in local securities, and he believed these 
companies should have the hearty co-operation of 
both the white and Negro business organizations 
whereever they were located. 

It is the work being done by such institutions 
as the Afro-American Industrial Insurance Co., of 
Jacksonville, Florida, that called forth this com¬ 
ment. This company was founded in March, 1901, 
by Messrs. E. J. Gregg, D. D., A. W. Price, Dr. A. 
W. Smith, J. E Spearing, W. H. Hampton, Geo. W. 
Branning, J. Milton Waldron, D. D., A. L. Lewis, 
Tillman Valentine, E. W. Latson, L. H. Myers and 
Dr. Thos. E. Butler. These citizens determined to 


organize an industrial insurance company that 
would give the Negroes of the state the gt eatest 
protection possible, for their money. Rev. E. J. 
Gregg, was elected first President, Rev. J. Mdton, 
Secretary, and Dr. A. W. Smith, Medical Diiector. 

Ofifices were opened at number 14 Ocean St., 
April 1st, 1901. These ofifices were destroyed by 
the great fire in May of the same year, and the 
company moved to the residence of A. L. Lewis, at 
621 Florida Ave. In two years time the company 
had outgrown these quarters, and moved to 609 
Main Street. They remained here about four years. 
In the mean time, their success had been so pheno- 
minal the company paid $10,000.00 for the property 
at 722 Main St. The soundness of this investment 
was demonstrated when they later sold it for 
$40,000.00. 

They erected the present building at 105 East 
Union Street, in 1908 This property, besides 
giving ample office room for the company brings 
sufficient rentals to pay good interest on the in¬ 
vestment. The company itself has grown from a 
one-room office to an organization owning its own 
office buildings in Jacksonville, Tampa and Miama, 
having 81 branch offices throughout the state and 
giving employment to 178 people, all colored. The 
capital stock of $20,000.00 is fully paid in and the 
company bought and owns $10,000.00 in Liberty 
Bonds. The present President, Air. A. L. Lewis, 
born in 1864, and now just in the prime of life, de¬ 
serves a big share of the credit for making the Af¬ 
ro-American what it is today. Mr. Lewis married 
Mary F. Samis, of Jacksonville, Fla., and has one 
son, James H. Lewis, 33 years of age, and an able 
assistant in his fathers’ office. 

Air. Lewis along with a group of progressive, 
constructive citizens, has set an example in home 
building for Negroes that is at once the admiration 
and envy of every other city in the country. They 
have done more to open the eyes of the Northern 
tourist to the real ability of the colored people to 
make good, than all the publicity from other sour¬ 
ces combined. Northern tourists are anxious to 
see for themselves how Southern Negroes live, and 
homes of the Lewis type are a revelation to them. 
Mr. Lewis is not only a man of splendid executive 
ability, but possesses a pleasing personality that is 
worth many dollars to any organization fortunate 
enough to have his services as an officer. In fact, 
the company has been exceptionally fortunate in 
the selection of its officers. Air. Lewis has in 
Alessrs. J. E. Spearing, Vice-Pres., L. D. Ervin, 
Gen. Mgr., T. W. Bryan, State Supt., and Wash 
Hampton, Secretary, a quartette hard to equal and 
gives the company a well rounded force and a com¬ 
bination of brains and capital that are bound to 
succeed. 


470 









W. S. SUMTER 

ECORDS of the Union Mutual 
and William Seymour Sumter, its 
founder and first president are so 
blended, and interwoven, that it 
is impossible to write a historical 
sketch of one without the other. 
Incorporated under the State laws of Florida, in 
1904, this company under the able leadership of 
President Sumter, began business in February of 
that year and has enjoyed continuously great pros¬ 
perity during this period of time and has found its 
way into thousands of homes of the good people 
of this fair State. 

When first organized the company employed 
about ten persons, from the President to the Solici¬ 
tors. This has grown until the company has more 
than 40 agencies throughout the state employing 
about one hundred and twenty-five people. The 
Sumters from the President down have a record 
truly remarkable for the combined co-operation of 
the family in both their home and business life. 
Mr. Sumter married Henrietta Albertina Ewart, 
a graduate of Cookman Institute. He was strong¬ 
ly opposed to his wife’s participation in the wor¬ 
ries of business life, and made a studied effort at 
all times to keep their home life free from care. 
A devoted father, he gave his children the benefit 
of the best education obtainable. A ti ue son, he 
placed his father in the position of sick claim ad¬ 
juster for the company. 

When Mr. Sumter died Aug. 27, 1918, he left be- 


MRS. HENRIETTA E. SUMTER 

sides his widow, four daughters, Aline, who at the 
age of 22 is head clerk, Irene at 19 cashier of the 
company which he founded. The other two girls, 
Wilhelmina and Julia, age 16 and 11, respectively, 
are still school girls, although Wilhelmina has in¬ 
herited her parents’ business ability to such a mark¬ 
ed degree that she was able to take her sister’s 
place as cashier during the summer vacation. Al¬ 
though Mrs. Sumter had been carefully guarded 
from the cares of the business during the life of 
her husband, after six months deliberation and care¬ 
ful consideration, the Board of Directors voted un¬ 
animously to elect her to succeed him as President 
of the company. Mrs. Sumter, public spirited to 
a marked degree, and with an undying pride in the 
work her husband had so painstakingly builded, 
agreed to accept the responsibility and to per¬ 
petuate his memory by continuing the company 
along lines that made it a public benefaction. 

The Sumters in their work have been ably assist¬ 
ed by an exceptionally strong directorate, compos¬ 
ed of the President, F. J. Thorington, Vice- 
President; M. S. Adams, Secretary; W. W. Par¬ 
ker, Gen-Mgr.; and J. M. Sumter sick claim ad¬ 
juster. When seen at the home office 411 Broad 
Street, Jacksonville, Florida. The President, H. E. 
Sumter, on being asked to give a brief statement 
of the aims of the company, said: “It is our aim 
to build an institution that will enable the educated 
colored youth to find employment that gives him 
an opportunity to take advantage of his training.” 


471 












REVEREND JOHN ELIJAH FORD, D. D., 
PRESIDENT LELAND UNIVERSITY 


ELAND University was located on 
St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, La. 
until 1916. It was founded in 
1869, by Holbrook Chamberlain, 
a philanthropist of Brooklyn, N. 
N. Y., who purchased the land and 
erected the buildings. It was incorporated in 1870. 

Title to the property is invested in an in¬ 
dependent, self perpetuating board of trustees. 
The act of incorporation provides that: The trus¬ 
tees shall not have the power to encumber by mort¬ 
gage, the whole, or any part of the property or to 
use the principal of any endowment funds for the 
current expenses of its work.” The last scholastic 
year, there was a total attendance of 300 pupils. 
There were fourteen teachers, six men and eight 
women. The sources of income at that time were: 
Endowment fund $8,000, tuition and fees $2,240, 
Alumni and Baptist Associations $362.00. The non- 
educational receipts were from the boarding de¬ 
partment, and amounted to $5,760.00. The school 
was closed in 1916, and the plant sold, as the trus¬ 
tees had decided to move to Alexandria, La., where 
they could obtain sufficient land to build and operate 
an Industrial College in keeping with the need and 


training of present conditions of this section of the 
country. To this end, 258 acres of land has been 
bought and paid for; $75,000.00 added to the endow¬ 
ment fund. A plant which will be a model in ev¬ 
ery respect is in course of construction. The trus¬ 
tees have taken a long step forward in electing 
Rev. John E. Lord, D. D., of Jacksonville, Pres¬ 
ident and assuring him their support in the select¬ 
ion of an able faculty. He is splendidly endowed, 
both by education and native ability to fill the 
chair of President of the new and finer Leland 
University. Born in Owensboro, Ivy., his parents 
moved to Chicago, while he was yet a child. He 
obtained his early education in the public schools 
of Chicago, under the most adverse and trying cir¬ 
cumstances. His parents were twice burned out, 
once in the great fires of 1871, and again in 187L 
Nothing daunted, young John not only continued 
his duties but working out of school hours, aided 
his parents in rebuilding their home and in educat¬ 
ing his younger brothers and sisters. Determined to 
have a thorough training at all cost, he worked his 
way, with the aid of one white friend, successively 
through Lisk University, Nashville, Tenn., Beloit 
College, Wisconsin, and the University of Chicago. 
Not satisfied with this he took a post graduate 
course at the University of Denver. Most of his 
college courses were paid for by money earned 
while working as a stenographer in Chicago. Af¬ 
ter graduating from Chicago University Divinity 
School, Dr. Lord Pastored the Bethesda Church, 
Chicago, Tabernacle Church, Los Angeles, Cal., 
Zion Church, Denver, Col., and is at present pastor 
of Bethel Institutional Church, Jacksonville, Lla. 
He served one year, 1906, as President of State Un¬ 
iversity of Kentucky. Was delegate in 1907 to the 
World’s Sunday School Convention, at Rome, Italy. 
While there he visited England, Prance, Spain and 
Switzerland. Dr. Lord has also visited Cuba and 
South Amerca. He is president of the Progressive 
Baptist State Convention of Llorida, and Chairman 
of the Board of Trustees of Llorida Baptist Col¬ 
lege. Dr. Lord is also a member of the American 
Geographical Society of Applied Science. By this 
it will be seen that, to one of the finest academic 
educations obtainable, Dr. Lord has added a won¬ 
derful course of practical experience in the schools 
of travel and human nature. In him is found a 
combination of the highly educated, aggressively 
constructive Yankee, and the whole-souled sympa¬ 
thetic Southerner. He has the knack of spurring 
his co-workers on to a pitch of enthusiastic energy 
that makes him peculiarly fitted for the task of 
presiding over a southern college. Dr. Lord was 
married to Miss Elizabeth Walker Wilson, of Ral¬ 
eigh, N. C., in 1918. 



472 










CLASS ROOM—WALKER BUSINESS COLLEGE 


HIS institution enjoys the unique 
distinction of being one of the 
youngest and the largest exclus¬ 
ive Negro business colleges in the 
United States. Prof R. Wendell 
Walker, President, is a graduate 
of the High School and Fairmont College at Wich¬ 
ita, Kansas, and the Topeka Business College, at 
Topeka, Kansas. He has also taken post graduate 
courses in several other colleges in Michigan and 
Ohio (all white schools and colleges). He served 
five years as a stenographer in the United States 
Department Service, and has therefore had the 
necessary practical experience to qualify him to be 
a successful teacher and a prctical business man. 
He established the Walker Business College in 
Jacksonville a little more than foui years ago be- 
o-inmne in one rented room with five pupils, and 

o o 

himself as the only teacher. Today the college 
owns its own building valued at $50,000.00; a fac¬ 
ulty of eight competent teachers and over 1,000 
students enrolled. 

The remarkable success of the college is attribu¬ 
ted by those who know, to the thorough training 
of the President combined with an abundance of 
“Pep,” and enthusiasm so necessary to success in 
these days of specialization and keen competition. 
He is thoroughly modern in his methods and beliefs 


and keeps consistenly and continuously driving to 
get hold of raw material, and turn out a finished 
product that will prove an endless chain of suc¬ 
cess and an ever-growing practical testimonial to 
the thoroughness of the college work. Even now, 
with only.four short years elapsed since the foun¬ 
dation, graduates are filling responsible positions 
all over the country, and the demands on the school 
so great that lucrative positions are always wait¬ 
ing graduates. 

The Walker College is filling a long felt want in 
establishing a summer course, as it enables gram¬ 
mar students to save time and money by getting a 
business training even before finishing their reg¬ 
ular school work. 

As the college grew, President Walker found 
many Negroes wished to take a business course, 
but were unable to attend day school as they were 
compelled to make their own living. To enable 
these men and women to take advantage of the col¬ 
lege, Prof. Walker established night classes, where 
a full course in all branches of the day courses are 
taught. 

The rapidly developing business interests of the 
Negroes requiring trained help, make the Walker 
Business College a welcome addition to the educa¬ 
tional institutions of the country. 



473 























James W. Ames, M. D. 


HE lives of men differ in many 
ways and their paths are devious, 
yet in many respects they have 
the same experience. This is par¬ 
ticularly so regarding the Negro 
race. Most of them are born in 
poverty and are reared amidst great hardships. 
Looking at them in early life the imagination can 
hardly picture them as men who would win dis¬ 
tinction in the various departments of life. Yet 
this book is full of sketches of boys who have risen 
above the discouraging environments which sur¬ 
rounded their youth and have made for themselves 
names which will live in the history of their race. 

James W. Ames is one of the boys. His early 
life was not marked with many thrills and yet his 
path was far from being strewn with flowers. He 
fought his way through the ordinary vicissitudes 
incident to the Negro youth and forged ahead step 
by step until he reached his goal. 

A double demand was made upon his energies 
and strength, for while he was securing an educa¬ 
tion he had to work hard to meet his physical de¬ 
mands. He had to eat and sleep and obtain clo¬ 
thing decent to appear at school, besides the cost 
of education, and to provide for these required in¬ 
cessant labor. 

His first schooling was in the public schools of 
New Orleans, Louisiana. While attending these 
schools he worked at the Cooper’s trade. When he 
finished the public school he entered Straight Col- 
ege, an institution founded by the American Mis¬ 
sionary Association of the Congregational Church, 
from which he graduated, in the Literary Depart¬ 
ment, with the class of 1888. He also took a year’s 
course in the law school and a year’s course in the 
Theological School of the same Institution. Here, 
too, it was work and study, for his tuition must 
be paid and he had no other way to raise the 
money but by his own exertions. 

During the summer months, he taught a rural 
school which enabled him to continue at college 
during the winter months. 

After finishing his course in Straight College, he 
went to Washington, and entered the Medical De¬ 
partment of the Howard University. His exper¬ 
ience here to advance his education differed only in 


the character of work he engaged in, for here as 
elsewhere he paid his own way. 

From 1890 to 1894, he worked as clerk in the 
War Department, serving in the Record and Pen¬ 
sion Division. From his salary he saved sufficient 
money to enable him to attend the Medical School 
of the Institution during the spring months. 

By close application to his studies he completed 
his course in 1894, and June 5th, of that year he 
went to Detroit, Michigan, and entered upon his 
career as a physician. His rapid rise in the pro¬ 
fession attest how well he had applied himself dur¬ 
ing the days of his preparation. He was appointed 
physician to the United States prisoners and served 
the Government in this capacity for one year. He 
was recognized as an expert diagnostician, and for 
sixteen years he served on the Detroit Board of 
Health as such. 

While holding these public positions he has con¬ 
tinued his private practice, and has won a large 
clientile and built up a lucratve business. With¬ 
out apparent effort he has ingratiated himself into 
the good graces of the citizens and commands the 
respect and confidence of all classes. 

In September, 1898, he married Miss Florence P. 
Cole, who died after bearing him four children: 
Chester C., who is a medical student; William E., 
who is studying electrical engineering; Marion C., 
a music and pedagogic student, and Florence F., 
who is a student of Domestic Science. Thus it will 
be seen that he has ambition for his children to 
occupy useful places in life. 

In 1908 he again married and this time to Miss 
Norma Alembro. 

He is the secretary of the Cole Realty Company, 
a family corporation capitalized at $95,000, which 
represents the family real estate interests. 

Dr. Ames is a member of the Presbyterian church 
and while interested in religious work he is not 
officially identified with the church. He is also a 
member of the Masonic body, Knights of Pythias 
and Elks. He has held official positions in several 
orders of which he is connected; he is Past Grand 
Secretary of I. B. P. O. C.; Past Grand Secretary 
of the Knights of Pythias, of the State of Michi¬ 
gan; alternate delegate to the National Republican 
Convention since 1908; and a member of the Mich¬ 
igan State Legislature 1901-1902. 



474 









Honorable James Thomas Peterson 


HEN in the course of human 
events an individual, born under 
circumstances the most unfavora¬ 
ble, and struggling against diffi¬ 
culties too numerous to be men¬ 
tioned, by force of charagter and 
a dogged determination to rise in 
spite of environments and opposi¬ 
tions, lifts himself from the poverty in which he 
was born to a commanding position in the affairs of 
the nation, that individual’s life should be held up 
before the adolescent youth as a worthy example, 
and his career may be studied with profit by all 
ambitious young people who are struggling against 
odds to prepare for a life of efficient service, for 
the Poet Longfellow very tritely said in his “Pslam 
of Life”, “lives of great men but remind us, we can 
make our lives sublime; and departing, leave be¬ 
hind us, footprints on the sand of time.” 

Such is example we have in Hon. James Thomas 
Peterson, who was born near Calhoun Station, 
Lowndes County, Alabama, June 22, 1867. 

Patsy Peterson, his mother, prayed, as did Hagar 
in the wilderness, for God’s blessing upon her and 
her child, who though not daring to tell it, had the 
blood of royalty coursing through his veins. 

She, with her boy, moved to Greenville, in order 
that he might have a chance for an education and 
for several years he attended the public school 
there. 

When James was about fifteen years of age, his 
mother moved with him to Pensacola, Florida, 
where he entered the Black Public School, which 
he attended for two years, when, with her, he came 
to Mobile, where he found it necessary to begin 
life for himself. He secured a position as buss boy 
at the Point Clear Hotel at a salary of $2.50 per 
week and his board. Here he attracted the atten¬ 
tion of Mr. George C. Bennett, who at an increase 
of wage, employed him as a porter in the club 
rooms then conducted by him at No. 6 North Roy¬ 
al Street. 

The energy and enthusiasm of James attracted 
the attention of General James E. Slaughter, Post 
Master of Mobile, who felt that so intelligent a 
boy should be given a chance, and employed him as 
a sustitute letter carrier. He served in this capa¬ 
city for eighten months, when, not receiving the 
promotion which he felt was him due, to be ap¬ 
pointed as a letter carrier, he left the service, 
and then went to St. Louis, Missouri, and engaged 
as a Pullman porter over the Iron Mountain Route, 
which gave him a splendid opportunity for enlarg¬ 
ing his knowledge by travel through various parts 
of Texas and intervening places. In 1892, he re¬ 
turned to Mobile and again served as a lettei car¬ 
rier under Colonel P. D. Barker, who had become 
postmaster. 

Under Postmaster Barker, Mr| Peterson, by 
dint of hard .earnest, consecrated devotion to dutv 
worked himself into the body of the office, then 
later to a clerkship, thence to the Geneial Delivery 
Clerk, then Foreman of the carriers, and lastly to 
the Superintendent of the Post Office. 

Shortly after his appointment as a letter earner, 


Mr. Peterson had the good fortune to become ac¬ 
quainted with Hon. Allen Alexander, at that time 
the most influential Negro politician in Southern 
Alabama. It was througn the efforts of Hon. Al¬ 
exander that Mr. Peterson was elected as alternate 
delegate to the National Republican Convention, 
which met in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mr. Peter¬ 
son displayed such rare political ability at the 1896 
Convention that in 1900 he was elected a delegate 
to the National Convention which met in Philadel¬ 
phia. At this Convention he taught the world to 
know him by his uncompromising stand for the 
nomination of Messrs. William McKinley and The¬ 
odore Roosevelt for President and Vice-President 
respectively. 

He was elected without opposition to the Nat¬ 
ional Republican Convention, which met in 1904, 
and was one of the most aggressive of the support¬ 
ers of Mr. Roosevelt for President. In 1908, he 
was again elected to the National Convention, 
which met in Chicago, and was a conspicious char¬ 
acter among those whose efforts resulted in the 
nomination of Mr. William Howard Taft. His 
aggressiveness made him such a necessary factor 
in the National political affairs of the Republican 
Party that he was constrained to drop out of the 
post office and serve as a member of the Republi¬ 
can National Executive Council which met in the 
tower of the Metropolitan Building on the tenth 
floor. 

In 1912 Civil Service Rules inaugurated prevent¬ 
ed Mr. Peterson from leaving his positions in the 
Post Offce to attend the National Convention and 
he nominated Hon. C. W. Allen, who was elected 
as his choice. 

In 1915, he again severed his relations with the 
Post Office of Mobile and engaged actively in real 
estate, a business which had always appealed to 
him because of the many successful transactions 
which he had made from time to time. 

In 1918 he purchased a complete job and news¬ 
paper office outfit and organized a company which 
does a very thriving job printing business and be¬ 
sides, publishes a weekly newspaper, “The Forum,” 
which is the largest Negro Paper in the South. 

Mr. Peterson has never been married, but is very 
fond of children, whom he delights to assist and 
make happy. 

He is very active in all public affairs for the up¬ 
building of the race, and during the world war he 
was a member of the Four Minute Organization, a 
member of the Advisory Committee to the Draft 
Board, ^and is now an active member of the War 
Camp Community Service Executive Committee. 
He is a member of the St. Louis St. Baptist Church, 
P. N. F., of Thompkin Lodge No. 1521 G. U. O. of 
O. F. P. M., of St. John No. 2 Free & Accepted 
Masons, is Chairman of the War Council Recon¬ 
struction Work Committee of Mobile, President of 
the Union Mutual Aid Insurance Co., and President 
of the Forum Publishing Co. 

He is said to pay tax on more real estate than 
any Negro in Southern Alabama, and his wealth is 
variously estimated at from two to three hundred 
thousand dollars. 







Edward Thomas Belsaw, D. S. 


R. Belsaw is the son of Rev. J. T. 
and Mary Chambers Belsaw. His 
father was an African Methodist 
Episcopal minister, which caused 
Belsaw to live in a number of dif¬ 
ferent localities. He was born in 
Madison, Georgia and when eight years of age he 
had the misfortune to lose his mother. His father 
being engaged in his ministerial duties, Edward 
was to a large extent left to shift for himself. His 
school life and working hours became so correlated 
that he was soon enabled to support himself. He 
was educated in the Public Schools of Atlanta, 
Ceorgia, and after his course there he entered Dick¬ 
erson Institute, however, he did not enter Dick¬ 
erson Institute immediately, but during the inter¬ 
val he was not idle with his books. He studied un¬ 
der many private tutors, notably among them be¬ 
ing Professor G. E. Masterson, of Morris Brown 
Go lege, who trained him for quite a while in High¬ 
er Mathematics and Languages. He also took a 
course in dentistry in the Meharry Dental College 
where he applied himself with such diligence as to 
win distinction among his fellow students and 
paved the way to the honors bestowed upon by the 
dental organizations after he established himself in 
business. 

Instead of spending his vacation in rest and the 
nursun of recreational diversions, a so many of 
his companions were privileged to do, he had to 
center his mind and his time in making provision 
for the next session, so his vacations instead of 
being given over to pleasure, were spent in various 
occupations to earn the money to pay his way 
through school. In the accomplishment of this 
end he did not confine himself to any one line of 
work. Like many successful Negroes who have 
worked their way to distinction and left their mark 
upon the world, he served a time in the Pullman 
Car Service, working in the Dining Car Depart¬ 
ment. Here he was uniformly courteous and at¬ 
tentive to the passengers and made many friends. 

Then he spent a time in the school room and 
stood at the school master’s desk and taught in the 
State of Georgia; and then he entered the arena of 
business and hung out his shingle as a Real Estate 
dealer in the city of Birmingham. 

During all this time he kept his mind centered 
upon the career he had decided upon and let all of 
these occupations contribute a mite to the desired 
end. 

In 1908 he went to Mobile, Alabama, and opened 


an office in that, city for the practice of dentistry 
and is now there, where he has built up a good and 
lucrative business. 

As an evidence of his prosperity he has purchas¬ 
ed a home in Mobile, and is the owner of other pro¬ 
perty. On the 25th of August, 1901, he was mar¬ 
ried to Miss Marie V. Lowell. 

He is a member of the State Street African Me¬ 
thodist Episcopal Zion Church, Mobile, Ala. 

Dr. Belsaw is a man of social instincts and likes 
to mingle with his fellow men. Pie is a member of 
many benevolent societies and social organiza¬ 
tions, both local and national in character, 
membership, in which he takes an active interest. 
He is a Mason and is now Past Master of that or¬ 
der. He is also a Past Chancellor of the Knights 
of Pythias, and a prominent member of the Mo- 
siac Templars. Dr. Belsaw has held many honor¬ 
ary positions, among which might be mentioned, 
that he was a member of the Republican National 
Convention, in 1916; President of the Alabama 
Medical, Dental and Pharmaceutical Association in 
1915; Executive Secretary National Medical Asso¬ 
ciation since 1912; Member Inter-State Dental As¬ 
sociation; Member Missouri Pan-Medical Associa¬ 
tion; member United States Navy League; and a 
member of the National Geographic Society. 

Dr. Belsaw has traveled extensively, both in this 
country and in foreign lands, which has enlarged 
his vision of human family and has added to his 
equipment for service. 

Dr. Belsaw has held the honorary positions men¬ 
tioned above, not through favor, but because of his 
personal ability and character, which is generally 
recognized and appreciated. He is loyal to his par¬ 
ty and friends and conscientious in the perform¬ 
ance of duty. He has the interest of his people at 
heart and never tires in working for their better¬ 
ment. The same honest and capable service ren¬ 
dered in his dental parlor, which has won him such 
large patronage, is shown in his relation to the dif¬ 
ferent orders and associations of which he is a 
member and which makes him so popular among 
his fellows. He is a man of good physique and 
pleasing address and with a dignity of bearing 
which commands respect, while at the same time 
he has a cordiality of manner which makes it easy 
to approach him. 

He is a man who makes friends and having made 
them holds them. The man is fortunate who poss¬ 
esses this gift. It is a gift which many covet but 
few possess. 



476 







Walter Thomas Woods 


f often happens that a man’s tal¬ 
ent as a financier is brought to 
light through other agencies than 
through the marts of trade. It 
was so with Walter Thomas 
Wood. He came into light as a 
financial genius by reason of his connections, in 
the main, with a number of fraternal organizations. 
Mr. Wood was born in Mobile, Alabama, February 
14, 1872, which city is still his place of residence. 
He was educated in the public schools of Mobile, 
but his way to learning was marked with many 
hardships and intense labor. 

At the age of twelve he was forced to give up 
school and go to work, and during the period that 
he attended school his morning and afternoon 
hours, before the opening and closing exercises, 
he devoted to manual labor. 

In May, 1908, he was married to Miss Louise 
Harney, a teacher in the public school. From this 
union was born two sons and a daughter: W. T. 
Woods, Jr., James Harney Wood, and ( laribelle 
Emma Woods. 

He is a member of the African Methodist Epis¬ 
copal Church, of Mobile. 

We now come to consider the distinguishing fea¬ 
ture of his career, which, as has been suggested, 
grew out of his connection with fraternal organi¬ 
zations, especially that of the Masonic order. In 
1892, when he was twenty years old, he became a 
Mason. His first official position in the lodge was 
that of Senior Deacon. 

In 1894, he was admitted to the St. John Lodge 
No. 2, in which he was soon elected Senior War¬ 
den, an office he held for one year and was then 
elected to the office of Worshipful Master—which 
position he filled for seven years. 

He declined to serve longer in this office for the 
reason that the law of the Grand Lodge would not 
permit him to continue as Worshipful Master and 
at the same time hold an office in the Grand Lodge. 
When he was first elected Worshipful Master of 
the lodge the lodge did not have a penny in the 
treasury and was in debt. Under his wise and 
skillful administration of seven years service, when 
he voluntarily surrendered the gavel, the lodge was 
free of debt and had to its credit in bank one thous¬ 
and dollars. In addition to this the membership 
of the lodge had been increased by twenty mem¬ 
bers. In token of its appreciation of his valuable 
services the lodge presented him with a beautiful 
Masonic apron. 

In 1905, at Selma, Alabama, he was elected 


Grand unior Warden of the Grand Lodge and was 
re-elected to the same position in 1900. 

Tn 1907, he was elected Grand Senior Warden, 
and was continuously re-elected to this office until 
the Lodge met at Tuskegee Institute in 1911, when 
he was chosen Deputy Grand Master. 

When the Mobile Masons decided to erect a tem¬ 
ple, a building committee was formed consisting 
of one member from each lodge. Mr. Wood re¬ 
presented his lodge upon this committee. Under 
the guidance of this committee the temple was 
built at a cost of $24,000. 

In 1916 he was elected a delegate to the Inter¬ 
national Conference of Grand Masters which met 
in Chicago. He was elected First Vice-President 
of the Conference, a position he still holds. 

When he was elected Grand Master of the Grand 
Lodge of Alabama Masons, the lodge was one hun¬ 
dred thousand dollars in debt, which debt he has 
removed. He wears with a great deal of pleasure 
and pride a beautiful 32nd degree watch charm pre¬ 
sented to him by St. Johns Lodge upon his election 
as Grand Master. Mr. Wood is also a member of 
the Odd Fellows. For four years he was Deputy 
Grand Master of the Odd Fellows. He represent¬ 
ed this lodge at the eleventh B. M. C., 1904, at Co¬ 
lumbus, Ohio; at the twelfth B. M. C., Richmond, 
Va., in 1906; and at the thirteenth B. M. C.,' 1908 
at Atlantic City, New Jersey. 

While the fraternal orders no doubt awakened 
his financial and executive ability his services in 
this line did not end with them. 

From 1899 to 1906 he served as President of Pro¬ 
tector Fire Company No. 11. When he took charge 
of the company it was in debt but under his man¬ 
agement the debt has been paid, their hall remodel¬ 
ed, the sidewalk paved; with a balance in the treas¬ 
ury of $2400. 

When he resigned the company presented him 
with a beautiful watch and chain, valued at $150, 
in recognition of his services and as a mark of high 
appreciation. 

In 1898 he stood and passed the Civil service ex¬ 
amination and was appointed a mail carrier in the 
Mobile Post Office, a position he still holds. Mr. 
Wood takes deep interest in matters looking to the 
improvement and development of the colored race 
and encourages his people in their efforts to estab¬ 
lish business enterprises. 

He is a stockholder and director of Mobile’s only 
shoe store owned and operated by Negroes, and 
Chairman of Board of Directors of Mobile Forum, 
a colored newspaper. 









H. Roger Williams, M. D. 


N the balmy, gulf-cooled atmos¬ 
phere where flows the “Bayou La 
Teche,” made famous by Longfel¬ 
low in his “Evangeline,” just as 
the sugar-laden stalks of cane 
were ripening into liquid sweet¬ 
ness, and the multitudinous crops 
from the fertile soil of Southern Louisiana were 
being gathered, on the fourth day of September, 
1869, was born, in a dirt-floored two roomed 
plantation cabin, Henry Roger Williams, whose 
name was destined to be a household word and 
whose life was to be inspiration for multitudes of 
struggling Negro children. 

His babyhood was not unlike that of thousands 
of other plantation Negro children. He was the 
eighth of the thirteen children born to his parents, 
both of whom were sold into Louisiana as slaves— 
his father from Tennessee and his mother from 
Virginia. In 1876 his parents moved to Baldwin, 
five miles West of their home, and invested their 
savings in a ten acre farm. Here the children were 
sent to a school taught by Northern White teach¬ 
ers, who had come South as missionaries to the 
Negroes. 

In 1880, Henry, with thirteen other children of 
the school were taken North as a band of singers, 
in the interest of the institution, by Dr. W. D. God- 
man and his family. Their tour through the New 
England States was so successful, and the impres¬ 
sion they made was so favorable, that Mr. W. L. 
Gilbert, of Winsted, Connecticut gave to the school 
his check for $10,000, in honor of which the name 
of the institution was changed to Gilbert Academy. 

In the spring of 1881 these same children were 
taken North and placed in homes of culture and re¬ 
finement to test the value of environment in their 
development. Henry had the good fortune to be 
placed in the home of the Godman family in Mich¬ 
igan, and attended the public schools at Dexter and 
Lansing. 

In the summer of 1885, he was sent by the God- 
man’s to Connecticut and finished a course in print¬ 
ing at New Haven. In 1888 he was called to his 
home town and taught his trade in the same insti¬ 
tution which he, by his vocal talent had helped to 
create. While teaching, he continued his studies 
preparing for college. 

In 1890, his mother died, and he resigned his po¬ 
sition at Baldwin, and entered the Walden Univer- 
sty (then known as Central Tennessee College,) 
Nashville, Tenn. While here he pursued the study 
of sacred theology in connection with his college 
work. 

In 1897 he entered the Meharry Medical Depart¬ 


ment of the same school and graduated a Doctor 
of Medicine with the class of 1900. 

His travels in connection with entertainment 
troupes during the summer enabled him to visit 
practically every city of note in the United States. 

After graduating at Meharry he went to Mobile 
and opened an office in the year 1900. In Septem¬ 
ber of the same year he married Miss Fannie Bran¬ 
don, of Huntsville, Alabama, a graduate of the A. 
& M. College there, and who at the time was a 
teacher in the public school of her home town. They 
have two children, Hirschell and Ariel, whom they 
look upon as jewels beyond the value of money. 
They inherit their father’s musical talent. Hirsch¬ 
ell is a master of the violin and Ariel is a pianist of 
considerable gifts. 

In connection with his practice as a physician. 
Dr. Williams owns a large, well stocked drug store. 
His drug store is located on one of Mobile’s prin¬ 
ciple thoroughfares and his home is situated across 
the street from it. 

He has a large, growing practice and has made a 
success of his drug business. He takes e-rent pride 
m his library which is worth exceeding $2,000. His 
library is not for show but is a collection of rare 
volumes which afford him great delight and recrea¬ 
tion. He also possesses property in value about 
$20,000. Dr. Williams is a clear thinker, a forceful 
speaker, a sound advisor and a thoughtful and tal¬ 
ented writer. His best known published works are 
“The Blighted Life of Methuselah,” “Isaac and His 
Two Sons of Different Nationalities,” “Fifty Years 
of Freedom,” and “The American Negro.” 

He is an active member of the Warren St. M. E. 
Church, for which he secured an organ by setting 
aside $300 a year from his income. He represented 
the Alabama Churches as a lay delegate to the Gen¬ 
eral Conference which met in Los Angeles, Califor- 
ia. He is a Mason and member of Knights of Py¬ 
thias. 

Seventeen times his local church recommended 
him for deacon’s order, but he declined the honor, 
preferring to work in the humble sphere of a lay¬ 
man. 

He is President of the Mobile Medical Society, 
Piesident of the Mobile Negro Business League, 
Geneial Chairman of the Mobile Emancipation As¬ 
sociation, and Chairman of the Executive Commit¬ 
tee of the War Camp Community Service. He was 
i egai ded as one of the most active Negroes taking 
a conspicious part in all the various drives, and 
was the organizer of the Red Cross Society among 
the Colored women of the city. 

He was a member of the Advisory Committee of 
the draft Board and chairman of the Four Minute 
Men. 



478 








R. Hayes was born in the suburbs 
of Richmond, Virginia, Aug. 15th, 
1868. When only three years old, 
his parents moved to the western 
part of Tennessee and located on 
a plantation near LaGrange. Like 
great men, he spent his childhood 
days on the farm. He continued on the farm until 
he was sixteen years of age, but as he thirsted for 
knowledge and there was no means of obtaining 
it where he was, he moved to Memphis, Term. Like 
so many country boys, Mr. Hayes thought that all 
he had to do to acquire knowledge was to move to 
the city. His first position was with the Millburn 
Iron Works Co. Here he saved a bit of money and 
returned to the farm but only for a short while. 
On his return to Memphis, he worked as a porter 
on Front Street for ten years. His first business 
venture was a grocery on Gholston Street, which 
proved a failure. He next opened a grocery on 
Beal Ave, which also failed. His third attempt was 
on South Second Street and went the way of its 
predecessors. 

Believing he had as much native ability as any of 
the men who were succeeding where he failed. Mr. 
Hayes began to hunt for cause of his lack of suc¬ 
cess. He was convinced a lack of education was 
one reason, and entered Howe Lhiiversity, where 
he was assigned to the lowest classes. From the 
beginning his success was remarkable, and he was 
promoted so rapidly that he reached the eighth 
grade in two years. In order to complete his edu¬ 
cation, Mr. Hayes bought an outfit and opened a 
barber shop, although he had never worked as a 
barber. This shop was located on Poplar Street 
and was a success from the first. There is some¬ 
thing insipiring in the superb confidence, of this 
comparatively uneducated boy in his ability to suc¬ 
ceed in business for himself. Failure served only 
to strengthen his determination. On leaving school 
he sold clocks and Bibles for the Red Star Supply 
Company, of Memphis, Tenn. While on the road 
forthis firm, Mr. Hayes developed his ability as a 
salesman until he felt competent to succeed in the 
business that had previously proved his Jonah. 
He organized the Central Grocery Company, which 
soon not only swept away his savings, but left him 
heavily in debt. Thoroughly honorable, his next 
step was the liquidation of this indebtedness, which 


accomplished by returning to hard work on 
Front Street. As soon as he was free from debt, 
Mr. Hayes started his fifth grocery. However, he 
this time had gained the knowledge he heretofore 
lacked, that is, if you want a thing well done, do it 
yourself. 

He started this venture on a capital of thirty-five 
dollars, but with a line of credit that en¬ 
abled him to stock his store, Mr. Hayes successfully 
conducted this store, until by a mere accident, he 
entered the undertaking business. On account of 
the death of a local undertaker, leaving a vacancy 
in that fieM, and knowing Mr. Haves had a large 
barn that could be quiekly utilized, a friend per¬ 
suaded him to form a partnership, which was the 
real foundation on which Mr. Haves fortune has 
been built. He was at that time as ignorant of the 
undertaking businesh, as he was of the grocery 
business when he started his first store, but he was 
now thoroughly aware of the value of knowRdge 
of ones business and immediately began to study 
his new venture. Today, Mr. Hayes is one of the 
best posted undertakers in the business. Begin¬ 
ning in 1902, with a capital of $1400.00, his under¬ 
taking company is pronounced today by impartial 
commercial travellers as one of the most substan¬ 
tial and best equipped plants in the country. It 
has a commodious chapel, and the morgue, embal¬ 
ming rooms, stables and garages are modern in ev¬ 
ery detail. 

From 1902, Mr. Hayes’ financial success has been 
nothing short of marvelous. He is today a stock¬ 
holder of the Mississippi Beneficial Life Insurance 
Co., and officer and heavy stockholder in the Sol¬ 
vent Savings Bank & Trust Co., of Memphis, Tenn., 
and a stockholder in the Standard Life Insurance 
Co., of Atlanta, Ga. 

In addition to his handsome residence he has 
valuable rental property all over the city and su¬ 
burbs. Mr. Hayes is an active member of all lead¬ 
ing colored fraternities represented in his home 
town, and a substantial and consistent member of 
St. Johns Baptist Church. He was married to 
Miss Florence Taylor, of Covington, Tenn., March 
31, 1898, and several children have blessed this un¬ 
ion. Mrs. Hayes has proven a wise counsellor for 
her husband in his business undertakings, whose 
advice receives careful consideration. 


Thomas H. Hayes 

he 



so many other 


479 






EV. Hamblin, born near Camden 
in Madison County, Miss., May 
19th. 1878. He received his first 
educational training from Liberty 
Chapel Public School to which he 
was sent until ten years of age. 
He is said to have shown marked ability as a scho¬ 
lar from the time he entered school, and was con¬ 
sidered an infant prodigy. His teachers were com¬ 
pelled to advance him time and again, in the mid¬ 
dle of school periods, bcause he would master his 
lessons so far ahead of his classes. His parents 
moved to Canton, Miss., and he entered Lincoln 
High School. Mr. Hamblin proved such an apt 
pupil he was appointed an assistant teachei foui 
months before he graduated. It is the good for¬ 
tune of some men to succeed in everything they 
undertake. Nature seems to have given them a 
greater scope of vision and foresight than she has 
bestowed on the generality of men, and this in a 
great measure accounts for their uniform success. 
After all, the ability to succeed lies in a mans char¬ 
acter. Real success comes from within the indi¬ 
vidual, and must be attained by the individual him¬ 
self. The life story of Dr. Hamblin is the story of 
a successful man and one who is proud to be identi¬ 
fied with the Negro race. It is the story of a man 
whose success is not the result of a patrimony or 
of any other external cause, but of his own strong 
mind and indomitable energy of action. 

Dr. Hamblin entered the ministry in 1895, when 
he was licensed to preach by Bishop J. B. Small, 
at Durant. Bishop Small passed on twelve appli¬ 
cants at this time, and stated that Dr. Hamblin 
stood by far the best examination of them all. At 
this time he was still nothing but a boy. He was 
ordained an elder at Meridian, Miss., about 1898, 
just as he was rounding out his majority. Dr. 
Hamblin’s first charge was at Harpersville, in Scott 
County, Miss. From there he moved to Koscius¬ 
ko, Miss., where he was principal and teacher of 
Theology in Hazley Institute, a graded school. He 
was transferred from the South Mississippi to the 
West Alabama Conference and sent to Citronelle, 
Ala. At that time, it was a thriving winter resort 
for Northern people, with plenty of life and wealth. 
When Dr. Hambln arrived there were many who 
wanted to know why the powers that be, had sent 


kid” to pastor a charge where he had to meet 
the critical approval of a highly educated and in¬ 
telligent class of Northerners, who were not only 
frequent attendants and supporters of this church, 
but exerted a strong influence over its members. 

On his first Sunday the church was crowded, 
many coming out of curiosity to see what that 
“kid” would have to say. It can be said to his ev¬ 
erlasting credit that the “kid” met this trying or¬ 
deal in a manner that won the friendship and ap¬ 
proval of the most skeptical. From Citronelle, 
Dr. Hamblin was sent to Meridian, where he pas- 
tored two years. But Alabama was not to be de¬ 
nied, and he was called to Clinton Chapel, of Selma, 
Ala., where he remained three years. After his 
Selma charge, Dr. Hamblin pastored Hunter’s Cha¬ 
pel of 1 usealoosa, Ala., for three and a half years. 
From this place he was moved to the Historical 
Old Ship Church of Montgomery, Ala., where he 
was kept until made a Presiding Elder five years 
later. In the interval between charges, he com¬ 
pleted a course in Livingston College, where he 
graduated with honors in 1909. In about 1917, Dr. 
Hamblin was made presiding elder of the Mobile 
District, under Bishop Caldwell, which important 
position he now holds. 

During the World War, Dr. Hamblin used every 
ounce of his intellect and ability as an orator, in 
guiding his people in the path that would immor¬ 
talize them in the years to come. 

Dr. Hamblin married Miss Minnie M. Bennett, 
June 28th, 1899. This estimable couple have three 
girls, all of whom inherit their parents brilliant in¬ 
tellect to a marked degree. Dr. Hamblin is giving 
these talented young ladies every educational ad¬ 
vantage possible. Gladys, although only 19 is a 
graduate of and has finished the sewing, nursing, 
and Literary courses at State Normal, of Mont¬ 
gomery, Ala. The other two, Fostina and Bernice, 
aged 16 and 11, respectively are still students; one 
at State Normal and the other in the graded 
schools. During the world war, Dr. Hamblin wield¬ 
ed the influence and power his position gave him, 
in a manner that aided in no small way, his county 
and his people. 

It is, no doubt, only a question of time as to 
when the Bishop’s mantle will be bestowed on this 
Eminent Divine and Christian Citizen. 


Willie Lee Hamblin, D. D. 

a 



480 





E. W. D. Isaac, D. D. 



HE subject of this sketch is high¬ 
ly endowed with the three talents 
most essential in a man of his 
calling. Fortunate indeed is the 
possessor of a combination such 
as Dr. Isaac is endowed with. His 
gift of making friends and holding them, enables 
him to fill the churches when he occupies the pulpit. 
His gift of explaining the teachings of Christ, en¬ 
ables him to use his gift of oratory in a manner 
that is at once instructive and inspiring to his hear¬ 
ers. His gift of music enables him to build choirs 
that are glorious. Not only a wonderful speaker, he 
is doubly gifted in being able to write as well as he 
speaks and thereby thousands are reached that 
would never have the opportunity to hear him. 

Dr. Isaac has been for ten years corresponding 
Secretary of the National Baptist Young People’s 
Union Board of the National Baptist Convention, 
and editor of the National Baptist Union, the or¬ 
gan of the denomination. 

He was born in Marshall, Texas, January 2, 1863. 
His early home was fifteen miles from the county 
seat on the banks of the Sabine River, where his 
father, a pioneer Baptist preacher, lived and was 
permitted to conduct religious services among his 
people, enjoying the privilege of a gospel minister, 
during the days of slavery. 

He first attended school at Marshall Academy, 
and then went to Wiley University, a Methodist 
school at Marshall, and Bishop College, one of the 
schools of the American Baptist Home Mission So¬ 
ciety. After his graduation from Bishop College, 
he served as Missionary of the Louisiana and Texas 
Associations, and was then called to the pastorate 
of the First Baptist Church, Tyler, Texas, where 
he served six years in one of the largest and most 
progressive Baptist Churches in Westein lexas. 
During his residence at Tyler, he taught music in 
the public schools and served as a member of the 
Board of Commissioners for the colored teachers 
in Smith County. 

At the close of his Sunday-School pastoi ate, he 
was elected State Sunday-School Missionary and 
served the Texas Baptist State Sunday-School 
Association in co-operation with the American 
Baptist Publication Society for several years. 


He served ten years as pastor of the New Hope 
Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas, the largest Negro 
church in the State. During his pastorate the 
membership was increased from 900 to 2,000. The 
first pipe organ that was installed in a Negro 
church in Texas, was put in the New Hope Church. 
He served three years in the Missionary and Edu¬ 
cational Convention of Texas, as editor of the de¬ 
nominational paper, the Baptist Star. For the past 
ten years, he has been connected with the success¬ 
ful work of the Young People’s Union Board of the 
National Baptist Convention. 

So much for the record of Dr. Isaac. He was 
doubly fortunate in having a Christian father and 
mother and in being born near such a noted seat 
of learning as Marshall, Texas. Something in the 
atmosphere of the Grand old State of Texas seems 
to imbue her native sons with the fighting spirit so 
necessary to the success of leaders in any line in 
these days of turmoil and strife. Like M. M. Rog¬ 
ers, of Dallas, Texas, Emmett J. Scott, of Tuskegee 
Institute, Ben J. Davis, of Atlanta, Ga., and other 
noted Texans by birth, Dr. Isaac is always select¬ 
ed as a leader of any movement be becomes iden¬ 
tified with. Like them in another respect, he never 
confines his sphere of action to local issues. Dur¬ 
ing all his pastorates, he was continually working 
and planning for the success of the National Bap¬ 
tist Convention. His election as corresponding 
secretary of the National Baptist Young People’s 
Union Board and editor of the Baptist Union gave 
him the opportunity he had so long desired, and 
his ability as a writer of national reputation was 
soon established. Dr. Isaac played a prominent 
part in helping his country support “the men be¬ 
hind the guns.” And his influence and advice set 
a splendid example for his people in the trying 
times of German Propaganda. 

Personally, Dr. Isaac is one of the most mag¬ 
netic men in public life. Wielding a virile pen, he 
is no less a forceful speaker and talented musician 
He is a powerful and uncompromising fighter for 
any cause that he believes is right and just, yet he 
is always ready and willing to lend a sympathetic 
ear to any one in trouble and distress. The State 
of Tennessee is fortunate in the acquisition of this 
gifted son of Texas. 


481 










NATHAN W. COLLIER, A. B., A. M , Litt. D. 


ATHAN W. Collier, A. B. A. M, 
Litt. D., is a native of Augusta, 
Georgia, and came from one of 
the best known and most highly 
esteemed families of that city. In 
his early boyhood days and 
through most of his public school career he worked 
under his father who followed the brick mason’s 
trade. L T nder the direction of his father he became 
quite proficient as a brick mason. He did not 
choose, however, to follow this trade for his inclin¬ 
ations led in other directions. 

After graduating at Ware High School, a public 
institution of his native city, he became an appren¬ 
tice at the Georgia Baptist Printing Office, one of 
the oldest and most reliable printing establish¬ 
ments among colored people in the South. He ap¬ 
plied himself diligently to his new trade and devel¬ 
oped into a-first class printer. 

In 1890, Air. Collier entered the Atlanta Univer¬ 
sity, Atlanta, Georgia, and remained in that insti¬ 
tution until he had completed his college course, 
and graduated with high honor. He received the 


degree of A. B., in the class of 1894. Air. Collier, 
while at the University, became noted as an orator 
and as a scholar. On two occasions he won the 
Boston Quizz Club prize for oratory and stood 
among the best in his class for scholarship. 

In 1894 he was called to Florida as assistant prin¬ 
cipal of the Florida Baptist Academy at Jackson¬ 
ville. In 1896, he was unanimously elected Pres¬ 
ident of the same Institution, which position he 
has held for tw^enty-four consecutive years, and is 
now its President, honored and beloved by thous¬ 
ands of young people whose lives he has touched, 
and who are now settled all over this country. 

Mr. Collier has traveled extensively over this 
country and Canada, speaking before large au¬ 
diences, presenting his work and pressing the 
claims and interests of his people. In Florida, 
where he has done most of his life’s work in build¬ 
ing up one of the leading secondary schools in this 
Southland and from which many of the leading 
men of Florida have gone forth into larger institu¬ 
tions, the business world, and the professions Mr. 
Collier’s name is a household word. He is known 
everywhere as a polished Christian gentleman. He 
numbers his friends by the hundreds among both 
races. 

One of the most notable addresses delivered by 
Air. Collier, was the one before the World’s Inter¬ 
national Sunday School Convention held in Atlanta, 
some years ago. He sat on the platform with 
Governor Chandler of the State of Georgia, and 
representatives from this country, Canada, England 
and other foreign countries. He represented the 
colored people of America. Of this address, Mr. 
W. S. Witham, a millionaire representative of the 
International Association, said, “Your speech is the 
best I have ever heard in my life and I have heard 
thousands.” 

Mr. Collier received the degree of Doctor of Lit¬ 
erature from Selma University, Selma, Alabama, 
in May, 1916. 

June 5, 1918, one of the greatest audiences ever 
assembled in Jacksonville was to present an Honor 
Flag to the colored citizens of that city in recog¬ 
nition of the splendid work they had done in the 
,sale of third Liberty Loan Bonds, raising the mag¬ 
nificent sum of $298,000. The hall was packed with 
both white and colored citizens, and it fell to the 
honor of this scholarly man, Nathan W. Collier, 
to make the speech of acceptance. This is the first 



482 









honor flag ever presented to the Negro race in the 
United States. 

Mr. Collier feels that he can best serve his race 
by helping the youth of his people to acquire an ed¬ 
ucation and does not consider an education com¬ 
plete that does not deal with the moral and spirit¬ 
ual, and so he is devoting his life through the in¬ 
stitution over which he presides in educating the 
whole man. That he is succeeding in his under¬ 
taking is attested by the noble band of young men 
and women that are going out from this school to 
fill places of trust and usefulness. 

Not alone does his denomination serve and hon¬ 
or him but he is held in high esteem by all members 
of the Negro race and maintains the respect and 
confidence of the white race. 

FLORIDA BAPTIST ACADEMY 

The Florida Baptist Academy was founded in 
1892, by the Florida Negro Baptist Convention. It 
is owned and controlled by a Board of nine trus¬ 
tees, of whom four are white. The American Bap¬ 
tist Home Mission Society gives it aid and super¬ 
vision. It is a secondary school with large ele¬ 
mentary enrollment. Training in gardening and 
simple industrial work is provided. The manage¬ 
ment is very effective. It has a large enrollment 
of between four and five hundred students, who 
come from a number of states other than Florida. 
The teaching force, numbering eighteen, is all 
colored; four are male and fourteen female. The 
elementary work is done in eight grades by five 
regular teachers. Two of the academy teachers 
give part time to the grades. The Secondary work 


outlined in the catalogue is divided into “college 
preparatory” and “normal” courses. In practice 
the majority of the pupils combine the essential 
studies of the two courses. 

Manual training in wood and iron is provided for 
boys ; cooking, sewing, dressmaking, millinery, and 
house cleaning for girls. The Industrial teachers 
are well trained. 

While the Institution had a splendid plant at 
Jacksonville, valued at $75,000, it was thought best 
for the school to change its location. October 1, 
1918, this was done, when the institution found a 
new home at St. Augustine, Florida. Here it has 
acquired a thousand acres of land and has started 
on a new career, with promise of becoming one of 
the greatest schools for colored people in all the 
Southland. 

The enc'ouragement and support received by the 
school and the hearty endorsement given the trus¬ 
tees in their efforts to build a bigger and better 
school were so spontaneous and unanimous that a 
drive is now being conducted for funds with which 
to complete the plant on a scale that will be in 
keeping with the high type of institutions for 
which the state of Florida is noted; the splendid 
faculty has been secured, and the many students 
who have expressed a desire to enroll for a course 
in this noted seat of learning. 

The success of Dr. Collier at the start, gives pro¬ 
mise of putting “Florida Baptist” over the top in a 
manner that will be a splendid Institute to all con¬ 
cerned. 



PARTIAL VIEW OF THE NEW HOME OF FLORIDA BAPTIST ACADEMY 


483 
















J. R. E. Lee 


ROBABLY no Negro in America, 
certainly in modern times, has 
been flattered with as many of¬ 
fers for presidencies of schools as 
has J. R. E. Lee. These offers 
have come as the result not of 
wire-pulling or because Profes¬ 
sor Lee has in any way gone 
aside to make special friends, rather they have 
come because for nearly a half century Professor 
Lee has made himself indispensable, as nearly so 
as the average man does in the whole field of edu¬ 
cation. 

Born, reared and educated in Texas, Mr. Lee was 
fortunate enough to fall heir to the training given 
by the early graduates of the Mission schools, that 
is, graduates of Lisk and other such Institutions. 
Inspired by the personality as well as the teaching 
of the Missionaries from the North who went into 
the South to teach these graduates carried with 
them not merely a good store of book learning, but 
the zeal for service. It is to these that J. R. E. Lee 
owes much of his zeal for school work and for so¬ 
cial work. 

Graduating from Bishop College, Marshall, Tex¬ 
as, Mr. Lee spent several years teaching in his na¬ 
tive state. From Texas he went over into the 
south, taking the professorship of mathematics at 
Tuskegee Insttiute. 

Literally by dint of hard work Mr. Lee outgrew 
the position as the head of the division of mathe¬ 
matics at Tuskegee Institute. Lrom Tuskegee In¬ 
stitute he went to Benedict College, South Caro¬ 
lina. Lrom Benedict he went to Corona, Ala. In 
both of these he was the booster of education in 
all its forms as he afterwards became nationally. 
Lrom Corona Professor Lee was recalled to Tus- 
kege Institute to become head of the Academic 
Department of that Institution. It was during his 
half score or more years here, that Mr. Lee ren¬ 
dered yeoman service not only to Tuskegee Insti¬ 
tute as an educator but to the whole South. In 
the Institution Professor Lee developed to its 
highest pitch the Tuskegee Educational Scheme of 
Correlation ; that is, the teachers under him so man¬ 
aged their Geography, English and Mathematics 
as to give them a particular naming in every-day 
life. The mathematics for example dealt with ac¬ 
tual measurements and weights ; the English, with 
the daily occurrences both local and national. 

While pushing this scheme at Tuskegee Mr. Lee 
at various intervals travelled over the whole south 
boosting the cause of education. He was instru¬ 
mental if not pioneer in establishing and putting 
on its feet the State Teachers Association of Ala¬ 
bama. He was organizer and promoter of the Na¬ 
tional Association for Teachers in colored schools. 
He was chief organizer and booster under Dr. 
Washington for the National Negro Business 
Mens’ League. Of the first two bodies he was 
president and secretary for a number of years. As 
president of the National Association, he travelled 
from state to state even paying his own expenses, 
to inspire various state organizations to fall in line 
with the National Organizations. In the same way 


he assumed the personal responsibility for publish¬ 
ing minutes and various kinds of data for both the 
State Teachers Association, and the National Body. 
He corresponded at his own expense and at the 
expense of Tuskegee Institute with all the lead¬ 
ing teachers of the country to get them in line 
with the current thoughts in education. It will be 
a long time before the South appreciates fully the 
service rendered to education by J. R. E. Lee. 

Lrom Tuskegee Institute Professor Lee went to 
Kansas City, Mo., where he became principal of 
the Lincoln High School. It is difficult at this 
time of writing to determine whether Professor 
Lee has excelled the more by putting the school 
on a higher educational plane, or at social service 
work in Kansas City. In the latter he has organ¬ 
ized Mothers’ C'iubs, hospital clubs, savings clubs, 
indeed an almost innumerable list of social service 
bodies to promote better living in the City. At the 
same time he is a big Church worker in Kansas 
City, and is very active on the hospital board of 
the Phyllis Wheatley Hospital. Though Mr. Lee 
has left the South, the States and schools 
have not forgotten him. Each summer during his 
vacation time he has been called back to work 
either for the schools, or for the summer schools in 
the states. One summer the state of Arkansas en¬ 
gaged him to intruct its teachers in public schools. 
Another summer the State of Louisiana engaged 
his services; a third, he was called back to Alabama 
to lecture at Tuskegee Institute, at Miles Memo¬ 
rial College and at Normal, Ala. 

With all the experience coming from contact and 
from service Professor Lee has nevertheless kept 
the student’s mind. Travelling here and there and 
working endlessly he has nevertheless found time 
to go to school. He has attended Summer school 
at Chicago University, at the University of Michi¬ 
gan, and at other places even after making his 
trips south and lecturing and teaching for the va¬ 
rious states and Institutions. 

Professor Lee has reared and educated a large 
family. He had four sons enlisted in the recent 
war. His eldest son, Edwin, is a practicing physi¬ 
cian in Kansas City, having graduated from Tuske¬ 
gee Institute, from Columbia University, where he 
was an honor man, and from the Medical College of 
Howard University. The second oldest son, George, 
was graduated from Tuskegee Institute and from 
the School of Pharmacy at Howard University. 
Robert E. is a student at Virginia LTnion Univer¬ 
sity in Richmond, Va. Maurice is a student in 
Morehouse College, Atlanta, Ga. Ralph, the 
youngest son, is in public school in Kansas City, 
Mo. There are also two daughters, Mrs. Birdie 
Lee Jones and Miss Beatrice Lee. Mrs. Birdie Lee 
Jones is at Tuskegee Institute and Miss Beatrice 
is a teacher of music at Lincoln Institute. Both 
were graduates of Tuskegee and Spellman. 

Professor Lee was recently offered the presi¬ 
dency of the State School in WestVirginia and was 
also offered the post to go to.France to do educa¬ 
tional work there. Both of these he declined, pre¬ 
ferring to develop the many schemes he has set 
afoot in Kansas City. 



484 









LANE COLLEGE—JACKSON, TENNESSEE 


T Lane College the literary and 
religious ideas of education are 
emphasized and harmoniously 
blended. Founded in 1882 by the 
Colored Methodist Church, it was 
the first to be made a connection- 
al school of that denomination and is one of the 
most representative of its denomination in enter¬ 
prise. 

Bishop Isaac Lane, in whose honor the institu¬ 
tion is named, at one time a slave, was denied the 
advantages of education. Largely through his own 
efforts he learned to read and write and acquired a 
good education that placed him in the front ranks 
among his brothers. After his election as bishop he 
was impressed with the idea of establishing an in¬ 
stitution for the training of the youth of his race. 
His untiring efforts, splendid leadership, and self- 
sacrifice brought the results within a few years 
that stand to his credit today,—for it is to him that 
the institution owes its success and usefulness. The 
school began in November, 1882, under Miss Jen¬ 
nie E. Lane, who continued it until January. Prof. 
J. H. Harper finished the unexpired term. 

Lane College is located in a railroad and manu¬ 
facturing town in western Tennessee, where the 
colored population is greatest and where there is 
a lack of higher institutions of learning. The col¬ 
lege has seven buildings, located on a campus of 
about seven acres. These serve as administration 
hall, reading room, chapel, lecture hall, class rooms, 
laboratories, and teachers’ cottage and dormitor¬ 
ies. The school owns a farm of about forty-two 


acres, about half a miie from the institution. It is 
well cultivated, well watered, and is a large profit 
to the college. In addition to the regular college, 
normal, teacher-training, college, preparatory, nor¬ 
mal preparatory, English, and music courses, the 
theological course of four years is maintained. Bet¬ 
ter-prepared ministry is one of the great demands 
today, and Lane College is doing everything pos¬ 
sible to prepare the young men for this work, as 
well as fit others to be more useful in churches, the 
Sunday-school, the Epworth League, and other de¬ 
partments of religious work. 

The college seeks to qualify these students to be¬ 
come leaders in thought. It is strictly religious in 
its work, and everything else is made subsidiary 
to this one idea. Graduates of Lane College are to 
be found in all ranks,—in the ministry, in the school 
room, as president, principal, and teachers, in the 
office, and in the other lines of professions and bus¬ 
iness ; on the farm, in the shop, and in stores of 
their own. As a rule they strive to cultivate peace. 

November 4, 1904, fire destroyed the girls’ dor¬ 
mitory building and the main hall, a beautiful three- 
story brick structure. By reason of much self-sac¬ 
rifice among the people, contributions have been se¬ 
cured, so that the buildings destroyed by fire have 
been replaced by commodious ones at a cost of 
about $42,000. One of these and a steam heating 
plant, was installed at a cost of $7,200. A strong 
asset of the college is a complete commercial 
course. 

The Negroes have given hundreds of thousands 
of dollars to this institution. 


485 


























Robert Elijah Jones A. B., A. M., B. D., LL. 1). 


MIDST the commercial, industrial 
and literary progress of the 
South, there has also come up a 
younger crop of men who while 
while grasping the hand of their 
sires nevertheless are squinting 
their eyes into the future. This generation of 
younger men has retained a great deal of the old 
sentiment for the South, of the politeness if not 
the humility of their sires. 

At the same time it has not hesitated to go 
forward in all those ideals which make a finer 
grade of American citizenship. They have recog¬ 
nized the value of money, the value of religion, the 
value of education, the value of social contact, the 
value of a decent environment. Appreciating these 
in their highest, they have come out and asked 
for them with a positiveness that almost belies 
their modesty under more ordinary circumstances. 

Robert Elijah Jones, Clergyman and Editor, 
stands in the vanguard of this generation. With 
headquarters in New Orleans, La., where men still 
revel in many of the older theories, Dr. Jones has 
been outspoken on all the leading questions that 
bear upon the interest of the Negro. 

R. E. Jones was born at Greensboro, North Car¬ 
olina, on the 19th of February, 1872. He is the 
son of Sidney Dallas and Mary Holly Jones. North 
Carolina is far from being one of the backward 
states of the South. Greensboro is one of the more 
liberal cities of this fairly liberal southern state. 
Here in Greensboro, Dr. Jones received a good ele¬ 
mentary education. Later he attended Bennett 
College in his native city, receiving the degree of 
Bachelor of Arts in 1895. Three years later he re¬ 
ceived from the same institution the degree of Mas¬ 
ter of Arts. Working and studying in turns Dr. 
Jones later attended Gammon Theological Semi¬ 
nary where he received the degree of Bachelor of 
Divinity. Howard University made him L.L.D. in 
1911. 

Dr. Jones began his career as a local preacher at 
Leeksburg, N. C., in 1891. He was ordained in the 
M. E. Ministry in 1892 and was made Elder in 1896. 
Front the Leeksburg ordination, Dr. Jones pastorec. 
successfully a number of churches. These were 
in Lexington, in Thomasville, and in Reidsville of 
his native state. 

Beginning with 1897, Dr. Jones entered upon 
new fields of religious work. For a time he was 
assistant manager of the South Western Christian 
Advocate in New Orleans, La. Later he served as 
field Secretary, of the Board of Sunday Schools of 
the M. E. Church. This work he did between the 


years of 1901-04. In 1904 he was made editor of 
the South Western Christian Advocate. 

For the past 15 years he has edited this now 
celebrated periodical. This paper’s reputation for 
clean, straight-forward Christianity, is in itself a 
splendid monument to Dr. Jones. 

As editor of the Advocate Dr. Jones has traveled 
much over the country attending conventions, not 
only of the church, but of all bodies which mean the 
development of the Negro race. In the same way 
he has served in whatever capacity he could to im¬ 
prove the religious and social life of the black man. 
He has been President of the Negro Y. M. C. A. 
in New Orleans, Vice-President and Trustee of New 
Orleans University, Vice President of the Board 
of 1 rustees of Bennett College. He is a trustee of 
Gammon Theological Seminary, and President of 
the colored Travellers Protection Association. He 
is first Vice-President of the National Negro Press 
Association and Chairman of the Executive Com¬ 
mittee of the National Negro Business League. 

His efiforts are not confined to service of this 
kind or to religious work. He is a platform speak¬ 
er much in demand. One of his addresses “A Few 
Remarks on Making Good in Life” is illustrated in 
the Masterpieces of Negro eloquence. 

Dr. Jones was married January 2nd, 1901, to Miss 
Valena T. MacArthur, of Bay St. Louis, Mississip¬ 
pi. He is the father of a happy family living on 
Constant St. in New Orleans, Louisiana. There 
are few men in the church, be the denomination 
what it may, who do more of the kind of service 
which usually falls under the head of secular; there 
are fewer men classed as secular, who throw them¬ 
selves into the church with the abandon of Rob¬ 
ert E. Jones. 

The following excerpt from the Southeastern 
Christian Advocate, shows clearly Dr. Jones’ broad 
mindedness and level headedness: 

“There is grave danger in the position that some 
of our race leaders are taking in charging that the 
white race as a whole is an enemy to the Negro 
race, and therefore such race leaders are seeking 
to an ay race against race and to meet prejudice 
with prejudice, hatred with hatred, and bitterness 
with bitterness. This position is wrong. In the 
first place, it is wrong as a matter of policy. We 
will get nowhere in our effort to secure justice and 
equity if we array ourselves as a race against a 
race that has superior numbers, intelligence and 
wealth, and social and political advantage. It 
would be far better to seek to show the white peo¬ 
ple themselves and the world the fairness of our 
appeal. 



486 






ARNETT HALL—WTLBERFORCE UNIVERSITY—GALLOWAY HALL 


HE institution traces its history 
to 1847, when the Ohio Confer¬ 
ence of the African Methodist 
Episcopal Church opened Union 
Seminary, twelve miles west of 
Columbus, Ohio. 

The present site of Wilber- 
force University was purchased 
in 1856 by the Ohio Conference of the Methodist 



Episcopal Church. 

The conferences of the Methodist Episcopal and 
the African Methodist Episcopal churches then 
formed a corporation and appointed a board of trus¬ 
tees for the new institution. Both schools were 
closed bv the war. In 1863 Bishop Payne, of the 
African Methodist Episcopal Church, purchased the 
Wilberforce property; the Union Seminary proper¬ 
ty was sold and the two schools combined. In 1870 
an appropriation of $26,000 was made to the insti¬ 
tution by the United States Congress and legacies 
were bequeathed by Chief Justice Chase and the 
Avery estate, 

The institution is managed by a board of trus¬ 
tees elected by the church conference. 

In 1889 the Ohio legislature passed a law estab¬ 
lishing the “combined Normal and Industrial De¬ 
partment.” 

This department is practically a separate institu¬ 
tion. Payne Theological Seminary was founded in 
1891 with a separate board of directors. 

The pupils of the preparatory and collegiate de¬ 
partment of the university are not required to take 
industrial courses in the “C. N. and I.” department, 
and those electing such courses receive no credit 
for these electives toward graduation in the univer¬ 
sity proper. Classes in elementary subjects are pro¬ 
vided for the few pupils not prepared for second¬ 


ary classes. 

The secondary course covers four years. The 
following subjects are taken by all: English, Latin, 
Elementary Sciences, Mathematics, Chemistry and 
Physics. The college subjects are Mathematics, 
English, Latin, Greek, German, French, Spanish, 
Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History and Philoso¬ 
phy. 


The languages and mathematics receive greater 
emphasis' than the other courses. 

While the theological seminary has a separate 
board of directors, it is supported by the African 
Methodist Episcopal Church and its management is 
closely related to that of the university. It offers 
two three-year courses in theological subjects. 

Its sources of income are from Church confer¬ 
ences, tuition and fees, state appropriations, gen¬ 
eral donations and from other sources. 

Wilberforce University stands for the united ed¬ 
ucation of head, heart and hand, and is located to 
do this work to a decided advantage. It is contigu¬ 
ous to a territory of three states, each having a 
large Negro population. It draws from these and 
the entire belt of southern states, together with 
the immediate large Negro belt in Ohio. It pre¬ 
sents to its patrons an exceptional race environ¬ 
ment, where high ideals and practices obtain, where 
race social life is on a high plane, where evil sur¬ 
roundings are few, where country air and influ¬ 
ences do their healthful work, where race friction 
is quite unknown, where is found on every hand for 
youth the greatest possible inspiration to right liv¬ 
ing, right thinking, industry, sobriety, and success 
in life. 

It has illustrated to the world what the race can 
do for itself. For over fifty years the work has 
continued and President Scarborough is now reach¬ 
ing out in a broad endeavor to expand its useful¬ 
ness. 

With its continuous growth, its needs have kept 
pace, so to-day the school faces pressing necessi¬ 
ties. It needs $100,000 added to its small endow¬ 
ment. It cannot accommodate the numbers apply¬ 
ing for admission, and more room must be pro¬ 
vided. 

Wilberforce University is doing a noble work 
for both sexes. The number of students who have 
received instruction in this intitution go into the 
thousands, and some of the ablest preachers in the 
denomination are proud of Wilberforce as their 
Alma Mater. 


487 


















MISS EVA D. BOWLES 


ISS Bowles’ record as a war sec¬ 
retary for the Young Women’s 
Christian Association not only in 
the selection of well trained 
women to take charge of hostess 
houses that were provided at va¬ 
rious camps and cantonments, 
but in keeping alive the fires of 
patriotism among the colored women of the coun¬ 
try, entitles her to rank with the greatest war he¬ 
roes the country produced. Working day and 
night, going from place to place, lecturing and 
otherwise working for the betterment of social 
conditions in army camps, she brought order out of 
chaos, and set a standard of patriotic effort that 
hardly has a parallel in the history of colored 
women. 

Miss Bowles brought to the place an experience 
gained by many years work in associated charities 
and Y. W. C. A.s’ and this experience was gladly 
welcomed by a board that had offers of service 
from many volunteers but very few of them were 
experienced workers. Miss Bowles is a native of 
Columbus, Ohio, where for four years she was dis¬ 
trict visitor of associated charities. Her early edu¬ 
cation was obtained from the public schools of Co¬ 
lumbus. After finishing high school, she entered 
and completed the literary course in Ohio State 
University. After graduating, Miss Bowles taught 
for ten years in the schools of the South. She is 


a member of St. Philips Episcopal Church, Colum¬ 
bus, Ohio, and an ardent church worker. It was 
her love of religious life that led her to become af¬ 
filiated with the active work of the Colored Young 
Women’s Christian Association. Her ability as an 
organizer and lecturer is so marked that she was 
appointed to the position of General Secretary, 
Colored Women’s Branch, Young Women’s Chris¬ 
tian Association of New York City and Executive 
Secretary of Colored Work in cities, under Nat¬ 
ional Board of Y. W. C. A. When war was de¬ 
clared she was proffered the position of Executive 
Secretary for colored work, under the War Work 
Council of the National Board of the Young Wom¬ 
en’s Christian Association. It was in the last nam¬ 
ed place that she became nationally famous. Miss 
Bowles is a profound scholar of human nature, a 
tireless worker and magnetic speaker. 

Since her election to the Young Women’s Chris¬ 
tian Association Secretaryship in 1913, there has 
been a steady increase in the number of city asso¬ 
ciations, and they are rapidly being affiliated with 
the National organization. Miss Bowles has the 
happy faculty of gaining and holding the best 
wishes of the white people as easily as she does the 
colored. She has long since realized the benefits 
which always accrue by cultivating the good will 
and friendship of all that she comes in contact with, 
irrespective of race or creed, with the result that 
she is in position to be and is of inestimable ser¬ 
vice to her people. 

Miss Bowles had associated with her in the War 
Work Council as heads of departments a splendid 
galaxy of patriotic workers. The heads of the de¬ 
partments assisting her were Miss Mary E. Jack- 
son, Special Industrial Worker among the Colored 
Women for the War Work Council; Miss Crystal 
Bird, Girls’ Worker; Mrs. Vivian W. Stokes, who 
at one time was associated with the National Ur¬ 
ban League and assisted in making a survey of 
New York City in connection with the Urban 
League of New York; Mrs. Lucy B. Richmond, 
special worker for town and country; Miss Mabel 
S. Brady, recruiting secretary in the Personnel Bu¬ 
reau; Miss Juliette Dericotte, special student 
worker; Mrs. Cordelia A. Winn, formerly a teach¬ 
er in the public schools of Columbus, Ohio; Mrs. 
Ethel J. Kindle, special office worker. Miss Jose¬ 
phine V. Pinyon was appointed a special war work¬ 
er in August, 1917. She is a graduate of Cornell 
University, a former teacher, and a student Y. W. 
C. A. Secretary from 1912 to 1916. She is a tire¬ 
less worker and her services were invaluable. 

The field workers were Mrs. Adele Ruffin, South 
Atlantic Field, appointed in October, 1917. Mrs. 
Ruffin was a teacher for some years at Kittrell 
College, and then secretary of the Y .W. C. A. 
branch at Richmond, Virginia. Miss May Belcher 
had charge of the South Central field and Miss 
Maria L. Wielder of the Southwestern field. Miss 
Elizabeth Carter was loaned to the Association 
work by the Board of Education of New Bedford, 
Massachusetts, where she is the only colored 
teacher in the city. She is chairman of the North¬ 
eastern Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs, and 
former President of the National Association of 
Colored Women’s Clubs. She was placed in charge 
of the center in Washington, D. C. 



488 








M rs. A1 ice Dunbar Nelson 


T is not often that famous men 
wed famous wives; that is, wom¬ 
en who are able to maintain a so¬ 
cial and intellectual position in 
the world without the borrowed 
light of their husbands. Among 
the few who have been able to do this is Mrs. 
Alice Dunbar Nelson. 

Mis. Nelson was formerly Mrs. Paul Laurence 
Dunbar. However, long before she met the poet, 
she had a popularity and a standing all her own, 
having achieved an enviable record in her school 
life and made for herself a more enviable career 
afterwards as school teacher, writer and social 
worker. 

Mrs. Nelson, who was Miss Alice Ruth Moore, 
was born in New Orleans, La., July 19th, 1875. She 
attended the public schools of her native city and 
afterwards Straight University. She was grad¬ 
uated from Straight University in 1892. Upon 
graduation she taught for a number of years in 
the public schools of her native city. She belonged 
to that class of progressive teachers who strive 
eagerly to improve themselves, and who work to 
increase their efficiency in some one chosen sub¬ 
ject. 

In 1896, Mrs. Nelson went to Boston and then 
to New York to study Manual Training. In New 
York she pursued her course at Teachers College 
in Columbia University. The East quickly learn¬ 
ed to appreciate the services of this daughter of 
the fair South. In 1897, she became teacher in the 
public schools in Brooklyn, N. Y. She had met the 
poet laureate of his race, Paul Laurence Dunbar, 
in the year following in March, 1897. As has al¬ 
ready been said, Mrs. Nelson had made for herself 
a career. While she was teaching in Brooklyn, she 
took active part in many forms of real life. She 
was then as she is now a worker in Missions and 
in social settlements. On the east side in New 
York she taught manual training classes and 
classes in kindergarten work in the evenings and 
after school hours also. Born Missionary that she 
was, she did this and many other kinds of work 
without pay save the consolation of rendering 
needed services. 

But Mission work and teaching were not the 
only fields in which Mrs. Nelson excelled. Though 
she could not sing as could her poet husband, she 
could wield her pen with great ease and she could 
picture life and make plots. Thus while the poet 
sang and loved because God gave him “The gift 


of Song,” the wife was weaving her plots and 
making for herself a name and place in the mag¬ 
azines as a writer of short stories. While still in 
New York, she contributed many stories to the 
newspapers and magazines. Among the latter are 
numbered such publications as the McClure’s Mag¬ 
azines, Smart Set, Ladies’ Home Journal and Les¬ 
lie’s Weekly. 

Upon her marriage with the poet, Mrs. Nelson 
moved to Washington, where she continued her 
work as story writer, article writer, helper, in- 
spirer and secretary to the great Negro poet. 
However, she has several books to her credit. In 
1895 appeared her first effort entitled, “Violets and 
other Tales.” Her second publication was the 
Goddess of St. Roque,” which appeared in 1899. 
Both of these publications were most kindly re¬ 
ceived by the public. 

Soon after the death of the poet, Mrs. Nelson, 
again entered upon more active public life. She 
compiled an authentic volume of Dunbar’s poems 
along with his Biography and some stories. She 
has also put together the most serviceable of the 
master pieces of Negro Eloquence. Mrs. Nelson 
was thus engaged in writing and publishing when 
the great war in Europe broke out. 

Widely known as a social worker she became in¬ 
dispensable in leading' and directing the war work 
campaign among the colored women. In the 
newspapers and in the reports of the Red Cross, 
Y. W. C. A. and other such organizations, Mrs. 
Nelson’s name frequently appears; indeed, in the 
East, and especially in and around New York she 
is regarded as the bone and sinew of the social and 
religious work for the Negro soldiers. Her chap¬ 
ter in a recent book by Emmett J. Scott on the 
American Negro in the World War, is one of the 
most enlightening and instructive on the Negro 
Women’s share in that great unheaval. 

Mrs. Nelson writes with a grasp not only upon 
the specific work in which she and her sisters are 
engaged, but with an intimate touch upon peoples 
and movements everywhere. Though her specific 
work was that of mobilizing colored women for 
the United States war work under the auspices of 
the Council of National Defence, yet her pen ap¬ 
pears only to have to be prompted in order to re¬ 
cite all the names and actions of the colored women 
in every section of the country and in every line 
of endeavor. 

Mrs. Nelson is easily reckoned as one of the 
race’s greatest and noblest women. 



489 








Solomon Porter Hood A. M., D. D. 


LERGYMAN, teacher, writer, Dr. 
Hood ranks high in all these call¬ 
ings, and has a splendid record in 
the diplomatic service of his coun¬ 
try, in addition to his other lau¬ 
rels. He is the son of Lewis P. 
and Matilda Hood and was born at Lancaster, Pa., 
July, 1853. Although there were eight children in 
the family his parents managed to give them an 
education. He entered the public schools when he 
was eight years of age. He graduated from Lin¬ 
coln University with the degree of A. M. and Liv¬ 
ingstone College with degree of D. D. He studied 
at both Princeton and Columbia University. Took 
an extension course at the University of Pennsyl¬ 
vania. He was a teacher in the public schools of 
Middleton, Pa., from 1873 to 1877, in the prepara¬ 
tory department of Lincoln University, from 1877 
to 1880. Was principal of Beaufort (S. C.) Normal 
and Industrial Academy from 1883 to 1887. 

He was converted and joined the Presbyteian 
Church in 1869; was licensed to preach in 1880 at 
Lincoln University by the Presbytery of Chester 
and ordained deacon at the same time. He joined 
the annual conference of the A. M .E. Church in 
1887 at Georgetown, S. C, under Bishop Arnett; 
has received the following appointments in the A. 
M. E. Church; Port au Prince, Haiti, 1889; Morris 
Brown, Phila., 1893; Lamott, Pa., 1895; Reading, 
Pa., 1896; Frankfort, Pa., 1900; Harrisburg, Pa., 
1904; Orange, N. J., 1907; Trenton, N. J., since 
1911. He remodeled church and built parsonage at 
Reading at a cost of $5,000 in 1897 and 1898; re¬ 
modeled the church at Lrankfort at a cost of $3,000 
in 1901 and 1902; has taken about 400 people into 
the church. He has been delegate to one general 
conference in 1904. He was a member of the edu¬ 
cational board from 1904 to 1908. 

The political experience of the Doctor and the 
consequent national renown he gained therefrom, 
was when he was acting as under secretary in the 
American Legation at Haiti in 1890. He carried 
the message of peace under the United States flag, 
out of Port au Prince from Legitime to Hypolyte. 
He was the chief organizer and Director General 
of the Emancipation Exposition of New Jersey in 
1913 under the auspices of the State Legislature. 
These in brief are, the cold facts of Dr. Hood’s 
career as a teacher, minister, writer and public 


official. As a teacher he began his career in the 
public schools of Middletown, Pa., in 1873. He 
taught here for four years until 1877, when he re¬ 
signed to accept a position with the noted Lincoln 
University, Pa. Dr. Hood taught here for three 
years. The rest of his time as an educator was 
given to the Beaufort Normal and Industrial 
Academy which he founded at Beaufort, South 
Carolina, and which he remained principal of until 
1887. Doctor Hood’s career as a clergyman in¬ 
cludes the assistant pastorate of Shiloh Presbyte¬ 
rian Church, New York City, under Rev. Henry 
Highland Garnet and the organization of the Be- 
reau Presbyterian Church at Beaufort, S. C. 

He then joined the African Methodist Episcopal 
Conference in 1887 and was sent as a missionary 
to Haiti. In 1889 he returned to this country and 
has since confined his labors to Pennsylvania and 
New Jersey. Among his most prominent works 
as an author are Sanchfred Dollars, published in 
1910, and What Every African Methodist Should 
Know, published in 1913. 

His writings are chaste, scholarly, instructive 
and entertaining. They flow from a heart full of 
tenderness and love toward mankind and show a 
simple faith in Christ, which is touching and ten¬ 
der. He longs for a higher spirituality himself, 
and seeks to impress the same earnestness of sou. 
into the minds of others. 

There is much that is potential in one’s person¬ 
ality, for an agreeable personality is one of t..^ 
most valuable assets in the character of any one. 
There is something wholesome and refreshing in 
the personality of this man. The hearty hand¬ 
shake, the wreathing smile demonstrate the fact 
that nature was in her best humor when she pro¬ 
duced him. He is one of the most popular as we . 
as one of the most capable ministers of the race. 

Dr. Hood has been for some time literary editor 
,of the African Methodist Episcopal Sunday 
School Teachers’ Quarterly, and is a valued con¬ 
tributor to other church magazines and periodi¬ 
cals. He was made a Presiding Elder of the A. M. 
E. Church in 1916. 

He married Miss Mary A. Davis of New York 
City, in 1880. They have one adopted daughter. 
His present home is Trenton, N. J. 



490 







JOHN WESLEY E. BOWEN, A. B„ A. M„ B. D„ 
Ph. D., D. D., LL. D., S. T. D. 



HIS noted theologian, the son of 
Edward and Rose Bowen, was 
born at New Orleans, La., Dec. 
3rd, 1855. He received the de¬ 
gree of A. B., from New Orleans 
University in 1878 and the degree 
of A. M. in 1882. From New Or¬ 
leans he went to Boston, Mass., 


where he entered Boston University. He o rece ived 
the degree of B. D. in 1885 and Ph. D. m 1887. He 
afterwards entered the Theological Department of 
Gammon where he earned his D. D. in 1893. 

Thus equipped, Dr. Bowen began the career of 
minister, orator, theologian scholar, author and 
publicist that was to bring him world-wide fame 

Doctor Bowen has served in the pastorates of 
churches in Boston, Newark, N. J., Baltimore, 
Maryland, Washington, D. C. 

In his professional work, Doctor Bowen serv¬ 
ed as follows: In Walden University, Nashville, 
Tennessee, four years professor of Ancient Lan¬ 
guages and Literature; Morgan College, Balti¬ 
more, Md„ professor of Systematic Theology and 
Historical Theology; Howard University, Wash¬ 
ington D. C., Professor of Hebrew; Gammon Ihe 
ological Seminary, Atlanta, Ga., twenty-six years, 
Professor of Historical Theology and religious e d¬ 
ucation, four of these years he was President ° 
the Seminary and is now its Vice-President, occu 
pying his same chair. He is a contributor to relig¬ 


ious and social periodicals of the day, and one of 
the contributing editors of the National Cyclopedia 
of the Colored Race. 

He has been a delegate to the General Confer¬ 
ence of his church in 1896; 1900, 1904, 1908; 1916. 
He was also a delegate to represent his church to 
the Ecumenical Conference of Methodism in Wash¬ 
ington, D. C., 1891 ; and London, 1901. 

He is author of the following books: 

(1) National Sermons; (2) Africa and the Ame¬ 
rican Negro; (3) Ihe United Negro; (4) Appeal to 
the Kind; (5) Appeal for Negro Bishops; (6) Psy¬ 
chological Process of History; (7) The Negro A 
Missionary Investment; (8) The Theolocial and 
Philosophy of the Negro Plantation Melodies, In 
preparation; Pastoral Theology “The Psychology 
of Personality Teaching.” Dr. Bowen has lectured 
and is still lecturing before chautaugua Assembles 
and literary gatherings in all parts of the country. 
Mr. Cyrus C. Adams, one of the editors of the New 
York Sun -speaking of Doctor Bowen in an article 
to the Sun says: “It is doubtful if there is another 
man of his race in this country who combines in a 
higher degree than Doctor Bowen ripe scholar¬ 
ship, intellectual vigor and the gift of eloquence.” 
The editor of the Valley Tribune in Washington, 
writes in his paper this estimate: “It was thought 
by many that the representations of his oratorical 
powers were exaggerated. Now that he has come 
and gone, we have to say that those representa¬ 
tions were not extravagant and that they might 
very well have been supplemented by the assurance 
that he was not only a man of extraordinary gifts 
in public speech, but a scholar, a trained intellect, 
a man of wide culture, familiar with the best 
thought of our day and especially profoundly vers¬ 
ed in political philosophy of the times in which we 
live. He is an orator equal to the best this country 
has produced, an orator after the style of that 
grand galaxy of orators of the ante-bellum fame 
with Brother Beecher in the lead. He has the 
strong rich mellow voice that the great Brooklyn 
divine is said to have possessed ; he has the same 
flow of invective when that is needed in the unin¬ 
terrupted flow of chaste exuberant English. He is 
an orator, scholar and statesman combined. 

He had the honorary degre of LL. D., conferred 
on him by Wilberforce in 1917 and the S. T. D. by 
Lincoln University, Penn., in 1918. He has been a 
member of the Board of Control, secretary of the 
committee on Episcopacy, and secretary of the 
Stewart Missionary foundation for Africa, (all of 
the M. E. Church), for eight years. He is a mem¬ 
ber of the Masons, The American Negro Academy, 
American Academy of Political Science, and the 
Burbank Scientific Association. He was a member 
of the speakers division in the late world war, and 
was elected to go to France to conduct institutes 
among the Negro soldiers. 

Dr. Bowens first wife, Miss Ariel S. Hodegs, of 
Baltimore, Md., died in 1904. She was a woman of 
refinement, and a talented musician. 1 his union 
was blessed with four children: Irene Theodosia, 
John E. E., Jaunita and Portai Edmonia. The last 
name died in 1900. 

Dr. Bowens present wife, who was Miss Irene 
Smallwood, was a prominent leadei in the social 
and club life of Atlanta. 


491 













GROUP OF BUILDINGS OF GAMMON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, ATLANTA, GA. 


HE Rev. Bishop Gilbert Haven, D. 
D., LL. D., the resident Bishop of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
residing in Atlanta, at the time, 
sat under a famous Oak, at the 
East End of Christman Hall, and 
saw with the vision of a seer, a 
great University and Theological 
Seminary rising up upon these hills and amid the 
wooded forests of South Atlanta, for the Educa¬ 
tion of the Negro race and its leaders. That Oak 
is called by Bishop Walden—“The Gilbert Haven 
Oak.” 

The Freedmen’s Aid Society took up the thought 
of Bishop Haven and saw his vision also and coop¬ 
erating with the Bishop, purchased 500 acres of this 
land and in 1881 ,with Bishop D. W. Clark, then 
resident in Atlanta, moved Clark University from 
its cramped quarters in Atlanta to this new site, 
The Rev. Richard S. Rust, D. D., LL. D., was the 
Corresponding Secretary of the Board at the time 
and contributed heartily in all these plans of his 
rich store of knowledge and wisdom. 

In the early Spring of 1882, the Rev. Bishop 
Henry W. Warren, D. D., LL. D., the resident Bish¬ 
op in Atlanta at the time, presented the case of the 
necessity for a trained Ministry for the Negro peo¬ 
ple’s to the Rev. Elijah H. Gammon, of Batvaria, 


Illinois, a retired minister of the Rock River Con¬ 
ference, and set forth this large opportunity for 
him in the use of his consecrated wealth. After 
deliberation and prayer and in consultation with 
Mrs. Gammon, who with her usual womanly saga¬ 
city had sensed the Bishop’s errand ’ere he had 
spoken and who saw the path of divine opportunity 
with the swiftness of characteristic instinct, Mr. 
Gammon gave $20,000.00 to endow a Chair of The¬ 
ology in Clark University, and a pledge of $5,000.00 
towards a new hall with only two conditions, viz : 
the professor should be a young man, and that 
Bishop Warren should raise $20,000.00 more to 
complete the New Hall of Theology. 

Bishop Warren went to his task with faith, fer¬ 
vor and untiring effort and more than met Mr. 
Gammon’s requirement. 

The Corner Stone of Gammon Hall was laid May 
12, 1883, and the Rev. Wilbur P. Thirkield, A. M 
B. D„ was elected Dean of the Gammon School of 
Theology in June, 1883, and began his work with 
the school Oct. 3, 1883. 

Allied by marriage with the cultured daughter of 
Bishop Haven, and by natural instinct, sympathy 
and broad vision with the colored people. Dean 
Thirkeld took up the work of his life for the train¬ 
ing of the Negro ministry, and has made Gammon 
Theological Seminary the chief corner stone of the 



492 
























splendid arch of his valuable service to the church, 
and mankind. 

The building was formally dedicated Dec. 18, 
1883, and named Gammon Hall, to the surprise of 
Mr. Gammon but to the delight of the vast con¬ 
course of interested friends. 

THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY FOR THE WHOLE 
SOUTH. 

Early in 1887, at the request of Mr. Gammon, the 
Society purchased about seven acres additional to 
give a suitable frontage for the campus on Mc¬ 
Donough road. Mr. Gammon had been for a great 
many years a trustee of Garrett Biblical Institute, 
which was entirely separate from the adjoining lit¬ 
erary institution, the Northwestern University. 
About this time he proposed to set aside property 
conservatively valued at $200,000 as the endow¬ 
ment. It was to be held in trust by the trustees 
of the Methodist Episcopal Church and its income 
paid to the Freedmen’s Aid Society, which was to 
administer it in maintaining the school. During 
Mr. Gammon’s lifetime he was himself to admin¬ 
ister the income for the purpose of further accum¬ 
ulation and for additional buildings and equipment. 
During the same time the Freedmen’s Aid Society 
was to pay the salaries of the professors except the 
one provided for by Mr. Gammon’s first gift. 1 he 
only condition was that the school should be purely 
theological and entirely separate. He desired it to 
sustain the same relation to all the schools of the 
Freedmen’s Aid Society. The charter was granted 
March 24, 1888. In drawing it the Hon. Grant 
Goodrich, of Chicago, who had drawn the charter 
of Garrett Biblical Institutte and had been one of 
its trustees from its founding, was consulted. The 
charter provides for a Board of Trustees of nine, 
of which the President and Corresponding Secre¬ 
tary of the Freedmen’s Aid Society and the Pres 
ident of the Seminary are ex-officio members. 1 he 
board of trustees acts conjointly with the board of 
managers of the Freedmen’s Aid Society. But in 
most matters the former alone has the initiative. 

In April, 1887, the official connection of the 
school with Clark University dissolved, and it was 
placed upon an independent basis with its own 
Charter and Board of Trustees and the Dean was 
elected President under the new Charter. This 
Charter was printed March, 1888. 

On April 3, 1891, Mr. Gammon passed to his re¬ 
ward. He had made the Seminary a legatee to 
one half of the residuary portion of his estate. I his 
was in addition to what he had given during his 
life-time. Next to Mr. Gammon’s death the great¬ 
est loss the Seminary ever suffered was in the sud¬ 
den death of Mrs. Gammon, Decembei 22, 18^2. 
During all the years she had heartily co-operated 
with Mr. Gammon in his gifts and plans for the 
Seminary. 

The following comprise the building of the Sem¬ 
inary. Aside from the main hall, Mr. Gammon 
gave funds for the erection of four modern, well- 
equipped residences for the professors: 1886, Pres¬ 
ident Thirkield’s residence; 1887-1888, Doctors 
Murray’s and Parks’ residences; in 1888, the Fi- 
brary building, and in 1888-1889, Doctor Crawfords 
residence. In March, 1915, the new and artistm 
Gammon Refectory was erected under Bishop t. 
D. Feete and President P. M. Watters, D. D. 


STEWART MISSIONARY FOUNDATION 
FOR AFRICA. 

This Foundation is in the interest, especially 
among American Negroes, of missionary work for 
Africa. It has been established by Rev. W. F. Ste¬ 
wart, A. M., of the Rock River Conference of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. It is the outgrowth 
of many years of thought in the consecration of a 
large portion of his property. 

THE ADMINISTRATIONS OF THE SEMINARY MAY 
BE SUMARIZED AS FOLLOWS: 

1883-1887—Rev. Wilbur P. Thirkield, D. D., dean 
of “Gammon School of Theology,” a department 
of Clark University. 

1887-January, 1900—The Rev. Wilbur P. Thirk¬ 
ield, D. D., president of Gammon Theological Sem¬ 
inary. 

January, 1900-May, 1901—The seminary admin¬ 
istered by the remaining members of the Faculty, 
each member serving a portion of the time as 
“Chairman* of the Faculty.” 

May, 1901—January 19, 1906—The Rev. L. G. 
Adkinson, O. O., president. 

January, 1906-October, 1906—The seminary ad¬ 
ministered by the remaining members of the Facul¬ 
ty ; Doctor Bowen, the office and treasury; Doctor 
Trever, general correspondence; Doctor Yates, 
students, buildings, and grounds. 

October, 1906-August 16, 1910—The Rev. J. W. 
E. Bowen, Ph., D. D., president. 

August, 1910-March, 1914—The Rev. Silas E. 
Idleman, D. D., president. 

March, 1914—The Rev. Phillip M. Watters, D. 
D., president. 

This Seminary has had upon its records from its 
beginning nearly 3,000 students and has graduated 
over 500 men and through the work of the Depart¬ 
ment of Missions, has sent into the home field and 
foreign field nearly 50 men and women. 

These men and women are found doing yeoman 
service for mankind in the Methodist Episcopal 
Church ; the African Methodist Episcopal Church; 
the Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church; the 
Colored Methodist Episcopal Church; the Baptist 
Congregational, Episcopal, Presbyterian Churches. 

Remove Gammon Theological Seminary from 
the life of the Negro race and you cripple and im¬ 
poverish the moral forces at work for the stability 
of our democratic institutions in the South, and you 
stunt or handicap the Negro race in its steady 
March towards the best things in the Kingdom of 
God. For this institution perhaps more than any 
other in the South, represents the pulsating son- 
science of Christianity upon the ethics of the Bible. 

Faculty: Rev. Philip Melancthon Watters, D. 
D., President and Professor of Apologetics and 
Christian Ethics. 

Rev. J. W. E. Bowen, Ph. D., S. T. D, FL D— 
Vice-President and Professor of Church History 
and Religious Education. 

Rev. Geo. H. Trever, Ph. D., D. D.-—Professor of 
New Testament and Christian Doctrine. 

Rev. Chas. H. Haines, D. D.—Professor of Pub¬ 
lic Speaking and Sacred Rhetoric. 

Rev. Dempster D. Martin, D. D.—Professor of 
Christian Missions. 

Rev. Willis J. King, S. T. B., D. D.—Professor of 
Old Testament and Christian Sociology. 


493 



ROBERT ROBINSON TAYLOR, B. S. 

OBERT Robinson Taylor was born 
in Wilmington, North Carolina. 
His father was a building con¬ 
tractor and from his earliest years 
he was brought in contact with 
building matters. He attended 
Gregory Institute, a school maintained by the Am¬ 
erican Missionary Association in Wilmington, gra¬ 
duating from that school at the head of the class. 

With the necessary preparation he went to Bos¬ 
ton and entered the Massachusetts Institute of 
Technology, graduating from that Institution in 
the year 1892, with the degree of B. S., being the 
first colored graduate from this school. 

After working in some architectural offices he 
yielded to the persuasion of Dr. Booker T. Wash¬ 
ington, and accepted a position at the Tuskegee 
Normal & Industrial Institute as instructor of Ar¬ 
chitectural and Mechanical drawing and architect 
for the Institution. After remaining at the Insti¬ 
tution for a number of years during which he de¬ 
signed and superintended the construction of all of 
its buildings, he resigned and went to Cleveland, 
Ohio, where he remained four years, working in an 
architects’ office and later engaging in private 
work. 


He was asked to return to Tuskegee as Head of 
the Mechanical Industries and accepted this posi¬ 
tion which he has since held. Mr. Taylor has de¬ 
signed and superintended the construction of most 
of the buildings at the Tuskegee Institute and has 
had charge of the other mechanical trades which 
have been largely developed under his direction. 

In addition to his work at the Tuskegee Insti¬ 
tute he has done a large amount of private archi¬ 
tectural work in many states including school 
houses, churches, libraries, residences, etc. His 
work has been most favorably spoken of by great 
numbers of persons who have seen it and for whom 
he has executed work. 

Mr. Taylor is a member of the Society of Arts 
of Boston, Mass., of the American Economic So¬ 
ciety, of the Masonic Fraternity, the Local Bus¬ 
iness League of Tuskegee, the Educational Asso¬ 
ciation of Teachers and of other educational, bus¬ 
iness and technical associations. 

He was invited and delivered an address at the 
fiftieth Anniversary of the founding of the Massa¬ 
chusetts Institute of Technology, in Boston, and 
has appeared before educational societies, schools 
and organizations of various kinds. 

Mr. Taylor has been asked to take responsible 
positions in other places, among these the Pres¬ 
idency of a College, but preferred to remain at 
Tuskegee believing that he could be of more service 
to the race in helping to develop this Institution in 
its industrial side than in other places and has held 
to this belief in spite of more lucrative offers. 

Tuskegee Institute was selected as one of the 
schools to train soldiers in vocational work during 
the great war. As Head of the Mechanical Indus¬ 
tries, Mr. Taylor was in charge of this work with 
the soldiers and it was so well organized and con¬ 
ducted as to draw forth most complimentary com¬ 
ments from the inspecting officers. He is chair¬ 
man of the Executive Committee of the Local Red 
Cross Society. This chapter of which he is chair¬ 
man is the only distinctive colored chapter in the 
United States. 

He was also very active in the drives for Liberty 
Loans, being asked to assume chairmanship of the 
local committee for one of these drives among 
colored people. 

His home life is particularly happy. His wife is 
most helpful and there is a family of five children 
consisting of three boys and two girls. The oldest 
son and daughter have finished school at Tuskegee 
and are now attending college. 

Mr. Taylor has served on many occasions as 
Acting Principal of the Tuskegee Institute, in the 
absence of the Principal, and Vice-Principal which 
positions he regularly fills when the two are away 
from the school. 



494 






BALLARD INDUSTRIAL BUILDING—LIVINGSTONE COLLEGE 


EADING educational institution 
of the African Methodist Episco¬ 
pal Zion Denomination, “The 
finishing school” of the church. 
It was incorporated in 1879, and 
the first session was held in one 
room of a colored minister’s par¬ 
sonage, the late Bishop C. R. Har¬ 
ris, in Concord, N. C., in 1880, but was more defin¬ 
itely organized in 1882, and moved to the present 
premises the first Wednesday in October of that 
year. The new site consisted of one building and 
forty acres of land in Salisbury. N. C. The school 
opened with three teachers, three pupils and a ma¬ 
tron. It was chartered as a college in 1885. The 
idea of an educational institution for the train¬ 
ing of colored youths was the result of a confer¬ 
ence of colored ministers for the promotion of self- 
reliant education among the colored people. 

Livingstone College has gradually increased 
from year to year in numbers, efficiency and the 
list of substantial friends. During the thirty-seven 
years it has had in attendance students from near¬ 
ly every State in the Union, Canada, Central 
America, the West Indies, and Africa. 

It has now five large buildings on the campus, a 
small one and an auditorium. Huntington Hall 
was totally destroyed by fire December 31, 1819. 

Hood Theological Seminary was regularly open- 
en with competent instructors in 1911. Quite a 
number of young men have entered and are in 
training for the ministry. Advantages are offered 



also for persons to be trained for Home and For¬ 
eign Missions. The first floor has four large recita¬ 
tion rooms, a practice chapel and offices for the 
President and Dean of the Theological Depart¬ 
ment. The second floor affords dormitory accom¬ 
modation for persons in direct training for the 
ministry. 

The new Girls’ Dormitory, Goler Hall, a magnifi¬ 
cent and imposing structure recently completed, is 
named in honor of ex-President W. H. Goler. It 
is a three-story and basement brick structure with 
102 dormitory rooms, music rooms, reception 
rooms, a large and commodious as well as light 
and airy dining hall, steam heated, lighted by elec¬ 
tricity, and with all modern conveniences attached. 
Each room is an outside room. 

The teaching force now numbers about twenty- 
four persons and the pupils more than five hundred 
annually. 

Starting with forty acres and property valued at 
$4,600, the plant at this time consists of 310 acres 
of land and nine buildings valued at $250,000. 

D. C. Suggs, Ph. D., succeeded Dr. W. H. Goler 
as President of the college in 1917. He is assisted 
by an exceptionally strong faculty, that has been 
carefully selected for the qualifications necessary 
to success in their respective departments. 




LIBRARY—LIVINGSTONE COLLEGE 


495 


DODGE HALL—LIVINGSTONE COLLEGE 























GROUP OF BUILDINGS OF ST. JOS EPH COLLEGE, MONTGOMERY, ALA. 


T. Joseph’s College is a Boarding 
School for Catholic colored boys. 
It is located five miles from 
Montgomery, Ala., on Mt. Meigs 
Road. The premises include a 
farm of two hundred and sixteen 
acres, and a healthier or prettier site for an In¬ 
stitution could hardly be found. 

The Institute is owned and controlled by a So¬ 
ciety of Missionary priests, with Headquarters in 
Baltimore, Md. This Society works exclusively 
among the Negroes. It has churches and schools 
in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, N. Carolina, Flor¬ 
ida, Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, 
Louisiana and Texas. Of the six colored priests 
listed in the American Catholic Eclesiastical Di¬ 
rectory, three owe their promotion to this Society. 

St. Joseph’s College was founded in 1901, and in¬ 
corporated in 1911. Rev. Thomas B. Donovan, a 
native of Kentucky, pioneered the undertaking, fol¬ 
lowed in succession by Fathers Kellogg, Tobin, 
Butsch, and McNamara. The present incumbent 
is Rev. J. St. Laurent, who took charge in 1909. 
The Institution consists of several frame buildings, 
put up tentatively, with a view to permanent re¬ 
building when circumstances permit the expansion. 


The accompanying cut shows some of the build¬ 
ings and the style of construction. 

The Institute is neither a Trade, nor Divinity 
School. Its aim is to prepare bright boys, from 
good homes, for entrance into professional schools, 
by forming, along with the Christian character, the 
student type, and laying the foundation required by 
post graduate studies. The discipline, while se¬ 
vere, is paternal, and no corporal punishment is al¬ 
lowed. A certain amount of manual labor is re¬ 
quired of all students, both for its moral effect and 
for economic reasons. No charges are made for 
tuition, but a fee of five dollars a month is asked 
for bed and board. This requirement is more a 
matter of principle than of income, as may readily 
be inferred from a knowledge of the heavy expen¬ 
ses to which a boarding school is put. For its 
maintenance the Institution chiefly depends on the 
voluntary contributions of its friends and the as¬ 
sistance given by the Catholic Mission Boards. 

The Institution carries about fifty students, hail¬ 
ing from seven Southern States. The Administra¬ 
tion is hopeful of success, and while busy with 
matters of fundamental import, is accumulating 
the funds that will enable it to take care of three 
hundred students. 



496 
















C. First 

S the years succeeding the eman¬ 
cipation of the Negro have drift¬ 
ed into the dim mists of the past, 
and the race has gained in exper¬ 
ience and knowledge of the world, 
it has been able to pause in its 
career and take an inventory of its stock in the 
material world. When it is considered that four 
million ex-slaves, wholly unprepared for citizen¬ 
ship, were literally turned loose in all of their 
ignorance and poverty on the cold charity of the 
master classes and the philanthrophy of the world 
at large, the Negro has made marvelous progress. 
Not only has the percent of illiteracy been de¬ 
creased many fold, but all of the evils that follow 
in the wake of illiteracy and ignorance have de¬ 
creased in like ration. The great increase in intel¬ 
ligence on the part of the Negro is reflected in the 
business life of the race, for it is in the domain of 
business life that all knowledge is most effective 
and serviceable. 

The commercial life of every race is a matter 
of evolution and comes only with increased knowl¬ 
edge of the world, and confidence in the members 
of the race in their relationship with each other. 
The progress of the Negro in business life in the 
past few years has been indeed highly gratifying, 
and there seems to be at hand a regular tidal wave 
of business prosperity unprecedented in the his¬ 
tory of the race. If the signs of the times look 
auspicious for the business life of the Negro it is 
due to the indefatigable efforts of the premier busi¬ 
ness men of the race, who have labored unceasing¬ 
ly to promote the business interests of their peo¬ 
ple. 

High up among these men ranks C. First John¬ 
son of Mobile, Ala. Born in Hayneville, Ala., of 
former slave parents, he received his first educa¬ 
tion from the “blue back speller down on the 
farm.” His first view of Montgomery was from 
the top of a bale of cotton ,on which he ate and 
slept as his father drove in from the far-away 
country home. At the age of fourteen he entered 
the State Normal School at Montgomery from 
which he graduated. He left school and entered 
politics. He became secretary of the Republican 
Executive Committee of the State; was at one 
time employed at the Mobile Custom House, and 
received minor appointments, among them a 
chance to run the Custom House ele\ atoi. He 
gave up politics to enter business. 

The successful launching of a great insurance 
company is not only a matter of unremitting labor 
for a period of many years, but it entails gieat ex- 


Johnson 

pense. Mr. Johnson organized the Union Mutual 
Aid Association and in this work as its first and 
only general manager he has demonstrated his ex¬ 
ecutive and financial ability. The company nn- 
dei his management blazed the pathway through 
doubt and prejudice, demonstrated the administra¬ 
tive ability of the Negro, inspired confidence in 
the company’s stability by being faithful to every 
promise, and establishing its operation upon such 
a high plane as to merit the confidence and pat¬ 
ronage of the best citizens of the State of Ala¬ 
bama. 

In the truest sense of the word is Dr. Johnson a 
race man. 1 here is no Negro in the South that 
has done* more, according to his means, towards 
getting young men and women started on success¬ 
ful careers. His company gives employment to 
hundreds of clerks and solicitors. Many success¬ 
ful teachers, physicians, and others have graduated 
from their ranks. He exhibits a keen sight into 
the psychology of business, and all of his letters 
bear a purpose, carry a message of straightfor¬ 
ward business dealing. 

Trite and bromide are many of his expressions 
in the weekly letters he sends all of his men, and 
that appear in some of the books he has written. 

For example : 

“God never made a man for failure. In this land 
of opportunity it is a disgrace for a man to live 
in poverty.” 

“Men who exercise initiative are builders of em¬ 
pires. All others are merely tenants, janitors and 
followers.” 

These epigrams are a part of the man. A part 
of his daily work, of his daily life. He is and al¬ 
ways has been a leader in the religious and civic 
life of the community. He stands high in the coun¬ 
cils of the Baptist Church of which he is a deacon. 
He is a Past District Grand Master of the Grand 
United Order of the Odd Fellows, and is one of the 
best fixed Negroes financially in the country. Some 
time ago he purchased as a home for his parents, 
who are still living, a part of the old plantation of 
their former master. 

Verily, C. First Johnson is a man with a mes¬ 
sage for his people. He delivers that message in 
season and out of season. Surely in the life of the 
people of the South there is a place for many more 
such men. Men who are getting their larger sat¬ 
isfaction in the knowledge of duty well done. Not 
only does Mr. Johnson rank with the foremost 
among the colored people, but stands high in the 
respect and esteem of the business leaders of his 
state, and his war work ranks him a patriot of the 
purest type. 

It might be of interest to add that the associa¬ 
tion founded by Mr. Johnson was recently made a 
stock company under the name of the Union Mu¬ 
tual Insurance Co., with a paid in capital of $25,- 
000 . 00 . 



497 





‘BIG ZION,” A. M. E. ZION CHURCH, MOBILE, ALA. 


















Reverend Green W. Johnson 


HEN a great preacher becomes the 
pastor of a great and historical 
church, and the leader of a large 
and influential congregation, noth¬ 
ing but great results are looked 
for. “Big Zion” A. M. E. Zion 
Church of Mobile, Alabama, is just what its name 
implies : Big in every sense of the word. Found¬ 
ed in the days of slavery, it has grown in power 
and influence, until today, it ranks with the strong¬ 
est churches in the state, financially, numerically, 
and in moral influence. Therefore in calling a 
leader, a man had to be sought that was thor¬ 
oughly trained and mentally equipped to adminis¬ 
ter not only to the moral welfare of his charges, 
but to manage the finances of an organization that 
requires the raising and expenditures of thousands 
of dollars annually. The present pastor, Rev. 
Green W. Johnson, not only has the requisite qual¬ 
ifications to a marked degree, but is a leader in all 
civil movements in Mobile, having for their object 
the betterment of his country, his town, and his 
people. He is a splendid example of the highly 
educated religious leader that has done so much 
for the advancement of the Negro in the last fifty 
years. Rev. Johnson is a native of South Carolina, 
where he first saw the light of day about sixty 
years ago. When quite a youth he moved to Char¬ 
lotte, North Carolina. While living here he at¬ 
tended Biddle University where he received the 
foundation of his mental training that was to serve 
him so well in later years. He later did active 
work as a minister but was not satisfied until he 
had taken a course in the “Finishing School” of 
his church. While preaching, he attended Living¬ 
stone College until he was thoroughly equipped for 
the minitsry. About twenty-three years ago, he 
became pastor of a church at Citronelle, a winter 
resort for Northern tourists, located a few miles 
north of Mobile. His reputation as a leader spread 
and he went to Pittsburg, Pa. From there he went 
to Boston, Mass., and afterward to Brooklyn, N. 
Y. However, the call of the South was too strong 
to be denied and he returned to Mobile as the pas¬ 
tor of the A. M. E. Zion congregation whose splen¬ 
did house of worship is pictured on the opposite 
page. 


Rev. Johnson is a forcible, eloquent speaker, and 
always brings something to his audience that is 
worth listening to. In his sermons there is a happy 
mixture of scholarship and spiritual fervor. He 
has never forgotten the fact that the primary ob¬ 
ject of all preaching is the conversion of souls to 
Christ, and that is the great ambition of his life. 
He is a profound theologian, but he does not put 
this power in as much evidence as he does that 
spiritual power which for years has made him one 
of the most effective preachers in his church. He 
is a great preacher, and to be a gifted preacher of 
the gospel is to rank not subordinate even to a 
bishop. 

Wherever Rev. Johnson goes he preaches and 
lectures on the necessity of education, moralitv 
and religion for the race. His discourses are 
thoughtful, his advice timely, and his counsel 
wise. He has all the equipment of the forceful 
public speaker. He is entertaining, witty, elo¬ 
quent and profound at will. He is not an extremist 
along any line that would provoke fierce antagon¬ 
ism either in the ranks of the race or outside. 
He is temperamentally sound on all questions af¬ 
fecting the welfare.of his people, and is thus fitted 
by nature for leadership. 

His lectures throughout the country are always 
noted for his vigorous treatment of the social evils 
of the times. He is constantly exhorting his peo¬ 
ple to make themselves decent, industrious, re¬ 
spectable .law-abiding citizens, so that they may be 
worthy of the respect of all classes of people white 
and black alike. He exhorts them to buy lands, 
build homes and live lives of industry and sobriety. 
He wants the race to wake up from its Rip Van 
Winkle sleep and take hold of the inheritance that 
every man has left to them, the opportunity to 
work and make a living by the sweat of their own 
brows, to be honest men and women and respect 
themselves in the laws of common sense and com¬ 
mon decency. 

Rev. Johnson’s course during the World War 
gained for him an added love and admiration from 
his own people and the respect and friendship of 
the white people of Mobile. 



499 





Sunday School Union of A. M. E. Church 



UNDAY School Union of A. M. E. 
Church was organized August 11, 
1882, at Cape May, N. J., by 
Bishops Daniel A. Payne, Alexan¬ 
der W. Wayman, Jabez P. Camp¬ 
bell, John M. Brown, Thomas M. 
D. Ward, William F. Dickerson, 
Richard H. Cain and Rev. Chas. 
S Smith. Bishop Payne was the first president 
and Rev. C. S. Smith was its first corresponding 
secretary and prepared its constitution. Its pur - 
pose was the organization and development of Sun¬ 
day Schools. It was first located at Bloomington, 
HI., and here the first publication—“Our Sunday 
School Review”—was published in January, 18 
In January, 1886, it was moved to Nashville, Tenn., 
and in April the Teachers’ and Scholars’ Quarter¬ 
lies were published. The publication of these was 
followed by the Juvenile and Gem Lesson Papers 
in July of the same year. February 28, 1886, Rev. 
C. S. Smith purchased at 206 Public Square,, Nash¬ 
ville, for $9,000, a brick and stone building, five 
stories high, including the basement. The Sunday 
School Union was then incorporated, the incorpo¬ 
rators being Chas. S. Smith. Henry M. Turner, 
Evans Tyree, Green L. Jackson and Louis Winter. 
An outlay of printing material was bought m Feb¬ 
ruary 1889, over $5,000 being expended for this 
purpose. In order that the work might be fostered, 
there was set aside a special day, known as Chil¬ 
dren’s Day,” first observed in October, 1882, and 
thereafter'the second Sunday in every June, when 
the whole connection rallied to the support of the 
Sunday School Union. From 1884 to 1900 Rev. L. 
S. Smith served as secretary-treasurer, pushing 
the work forward for the good of the Sunday 
Schools throughout the Church. In 1900 he was 
elected to the bishopric and Rev. Wm. D. Chappelle 
of South Carolina, was elected to succeed him and 
served from 1900 to 1908. In the meantime, the 
Children’s Day collections were increased and the 
work kept alive by the rallies .every June, of the 
army of loyal Allenites throughout the Connection. 
The Sunday-School Union had now been running 
as an organization (1882-1908) for twenty-six 
years, and as an incorporated institution nearly 
twenty years. The subsidy known as Children’s 
Day money had been sent to the Union for all these 
years and the time was ripe when there was to be 
demonstrated the truth that an institution running 
for a quarter of a century should now be self-sup¬ 
porting. 

In 1908 the general conference elected Mr. Bry¬ 
ant as secretary-treasurer, without Children’s Day 
funds or financial assistance. His first task was to 
organize a competent working force. Then came 
the task of building the foundation of a pub¬ 
lishing plant which would be able to print anything 
needed by the Church or race. And so, as the pro¬ 
ceeds increased, the result of Mr. Bryant’s tact and 
economy, modern machinery was installed. A com¬ 


plete typesetting and typemaking department was 
put in at a cost of thousands of dollars. Presses, 
folders, binders, feeders, stitchers and trimmers 
were purchased and the building at 206 Public 
Square became too small to meet the needs of the 
department. Over $50,000 worth of machinery has 
been purchased, and paid for from the proceeds 
from the work done by the plant. The literature 
issued compares favorably with this class of mat¬ 
ter published by any other publishing house in the 
country. The Richard Allen Monthly, a magazine 
for teachers, is the latest addition. At the Young 
People’s Congress, at Atlanta, Ga., in July, 1914, 
hundreds of preachers and laymen saw the Sunday 
School Department in another light. 

All the helps and printed matter, vari-colored and 
illustrated, from cradle roll to home department, 
such as any Sunday school might need, were on 
exhibition, and represented advancement along 
this line made by the Sunday School Union. The 
biggest achievement of Mr. Bryant has been the 
purchase and building in 1914 of the most commo¬ 
dious and well-designed publishing plant owned by 
colored people. This building is valued at more 
than $50,000 and contains an automatic fire sprink¬ 
ler system, valued at $5,000. The entrance to the 
building brings to view the main office where the 
clerical force receive orders upon top of orders 
daily, and after recording them pass them on to the 
well-arranged mailing room just to the rear. Here 
tons of mail of all description are sent down the 
chute to the auto trucks waiting in the subway to 
transfer it to the main post office. In this part of 
the building are located: on the second floor the 
editorial rooms, offices of the Allen C. E. League, 
evangelical bureau and Secretary Bryant. The re¬ 
ception room, the display room and the beautiful 
“Bishops’ Room”—an assembly room where serv¬ 
ices or meetings may be held—are also located on 
this floor. The rest room is adjacent, and is fitted 
up with swings, improvised tables and kitchen, all 
used for entertainment and refreshment. The third 
floor is a large hall in which, if need be, large gath¬ 
erings may be had. But the department which 
most interests the visitors, is the mechanical divi¬ 
sion, all situated in well-lighted and freely ventil- 
lated apartments. From the street one views the 
mammoth cylinder presses, turning out the large 
contracts ,the job presses, trimmers and folders, 
all working with clocklike regularity. To the rear 
is the wonderful monotype plant where the young 
ladies may be seen operating the typesetting key¬ 
boards, with skill and dexterity, while the casting 
machines are noisily transforing molden lead into 
type, ready for the printer’s use. The bindery is 
another beehive. Here a big force of girls is con¬ 
tinually folding, stitching, binding, pasting and 
trimming books and periodicals of all sizes and fo¬ 
lios.—From Encyclopaedia of African Methodism, 
by R. R. Wright, Jr. 


500 







TWO OF THE SIXTEEN BUILDINGS OF ST. AUGUSTINE SCHOOL. 




HE school was founded in 1867 by 
Dr. J. B. Smith. It is owned by 
an independent board of trustees 
and is supported and supervised 
by the Board of Missions and the 
American Church Institute of the 


Protestant Episcopal Church. 

The school is located at Raleigh, North Carolina, 
and the principal is A. B. Hunter. 

It is a school of elementary and secondary grade 
with provision for industrial training, and its influ¬ 
ence on the character of the pupils is very effect¬ 
ive. The Institution is accomplishing a good work 
and is commended by the United States Depart¬ 
ment of the Interior who recommends that it re¬ 
ceive encouragement. 

The attendance is about 264 divided among the 
elementary and secondary grades and boarders. Of 
the elementary pupils about 30 were in the “even¬ 
ing school.” Of the secondary and night-school 
pupils about 39 were male and 55 were female. 

The teaching force is divided between white and 
black, being ten male and eighteen female teach¬ 
ers. 

Nine of the teachers are white and nineteen col¬ 
ored. They embrace teachers in all departments 
of the school, grades, academic, industries, music, 
drill, bookkeeping and nurse training. 

Good elementary work is done in the eight grades 
of the day school. The evening school has three 
classes corresponding roughly to the fourth, fifth 
and sixth grades. The pupils work during most of 
the day and go to school from 4 to 6:10 p. m. 

Secondary work is done in the “normal” course 
and covers a period of three years. The collegiate 
course includes Latin, French, Greek. Mathematics, 
English, Elementary Science, History, Economics. 
Bible and Psychology. 

A few pupils take a half year of history, soci¬ 
ology, and geometry. 


Considerable provision is made for industrial 
training. The required courses are cooking, sew¬ 
ing, printing, woodworking or bricklaying. 

There are also classes in basketry, chair caning, 
and weaving. The time given to this work varies 
from seven to nine periods per week. 

The work in cooking and sewing for girls is well 
planned and effective. 

A two-year course is given in a well-equipped 
hospital under the direction of competent instruc¬ 
tors. 

The resident staff consists of a physician and a 
head nurse. 

The school property consists of $163,000 in the 
plant and $37,000 in endowment. 

The value of the land is estimated at $22,000. The 
land comprises one hundred and ten acres, of which 
seventy-five are used for the farm. The school has 
a beautiful campus of over twenty acres. 

The buildings are estimated to be worth $123,000. 
There are sixteen buildings, including the hospital, 
chapel and library. 

Eight of the buildings are of stone or brick; the 
others are of frame construction. Three are four 
stories high and five are of three stories. The 
buildings are in good condition and the rooms are 
well kept. 

A large part of the equipment is in hospital, in¬ 
dustrial, and farm equipment and is valued at 
$18,000. 

An excellent system of accounting has been in¬ 
stalled and the books are audited annually. 

It receives its income from the Episcopal Board 
of Missions, American Church Institute, general 
donations, special donations and scholarships, en¬ 
dowments, special funds, Slater Fund and rent of 
house. 

The income from the St. Agnes Hospital amount¬ 
ed to approximately $12,000 practically all of which 
was used for maintenance. 


501 













tmm 


mmii 


MAIN BUILDING, HAINES NORMAL AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL 


MISS LUCY C. LANEY 

F(Hinder £nd Principal 


McGREGGOR HALL, HAINES NORMAL AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL 


A’ 



Si' &W\ 

\ mmm 

M r 


* % 


HI n 



HAINES NORMAL SCHOOL AND MISS LUCY LANEY, FOUNDER 








































University. On completion of her studies, she 
taught in several different schools in the State. 
Like many others of her people, Miss Laney felt 
keenly the need of more institutions for training 
of girls and boys to become useful men and women. 
She realized the terrible handicap of illiteracy had 
to be met and overcome before her people could 
advance very far, and with an impulsive generosity 
that is characteristic of her every act, she deter¬ 
mined to devote her life to the establishment of an 
institution that would equip boys and girls for life’s 
battles and teach them to lead the lives of Chris¬ 
tian men and women. 

In 1886, she gave up her position as teacher, and 
on her own volition, without backing of any sort, 
went to Augusta, Ga., with the fixed determination 
of starting the work she had so long dreamed of. 
It has been truthfully said that no cause involving 
the welfare and uplift of humanity can well suc¬ 
ceed without the efforts of a woman. In all ages 
of the world women have worked, played and made 
every possible human sacrifice for the cause of hu¬ 
man progress, and none are more potential today 
in the affairs of the world than that noble band of 
pioneers in the development of Negro schools. Con¬ 
secrating her life to the betterment of her people is 
the noblest contribution one can make to human so¬ 
ciety. The very earnestness of Miss Laney made 
her many friends from the very start, and gained 
their support in getting the school started. A de¬ 
voted Christian she interested the members of the 
Presbyterian Church, of which she was a member 
in aiding her to secure the support of the Pres¬ 
byterian Board of Missions for Freedmen. Grad¬ 
ually building the school, step by step. Raising the 
money by every honorable means ; by lecture tours, 
by entertainments, by soliciting private contribu¬ 
tions, Miss Laney can look today upon a work that 
represents a money value of around fifty thousand 
dollars, with an income running into the thousands. 
But who can estimate the value of the good accom¬ 
plished for the race and for humanity? Only those 
that have been lifted from depths of povei ty and 
illiteracy, and given an opportunity to become part 
of a better and brighter world, can even remotely 
estimate this. One need not, however, rely on the 
eulogies of the students and alumni of Haines Col¬ 
lege. All one needs to be convinced of the high 
character of the work being accomplished by Miss 
Laney, is to ask any citizen of Augusta, irrespect¬ 
ive of race, or pay a visit to the school, where the 
work speaks for itself. 

Hon. William H. Taft, shortly before his inaugu¬ 
ration as President of the United States, visited 
Haines School, and, speaking of Miss Laney, who 
is considered one of the most brilliant daughters 
of the colored race—said to the friend with him: 


“That a colored woman could have constructed this 
great institution of learning and brought it to its 
present state of usefulness speaks volumes for her 
capacity. Therefore, I shall go out of this meet¬ 
ing, despite the distinguished presence here, carry¬ 
ing in my memory only the figure of that woman 
who has been able to create all this.” 

The faculty and pupils of Haines College, from 
the Principal down, took a prominent part in all 
world war work; always, oversubscribing their 
quota of Bonds and Thrift Stamps, as well as be¬ 
ing liberal contributors to the Red Cross, Y. M. C. 
A., Salvation Army, and all War Community Ser¬ 
ies. Haines always answered “Ready” when our 
country called. 

Vol 2 of Negro Education, published by the gov¬ 
ernment makes the following statement of Haines 
Normal and Industrial School: 

A secondary school with a large elementary en¬ 
rollment. Two-thirds of the pupils are girls. The 
management is effective. The wise administration 
of the principal has won for the school the confi¬ 
dence of both white and colored people. 

It is affiliated with the Presbyterian Board of 
Missions for Freedmen, but has an independent 
board of trustees. Title to the property is vested 
in the Presbyterian Board. 

Attendance—Total, 860; elementary 711, secon¬ 
dary 149; male 289, female 571. Of the pupils 
above the eighth grade 84 were boarders. Of those 
reporting home address 65 were from Augusta, 47 
from oth^r places in Georgia, and 35 from other 
states; 17 were from farm homes and 132 from 
city homes. 

Teachers—Total 22; all colored; male 4, female 
18; academic 19, industrial 2, music 1. The teach¬ 
ers are well prepared and doing thorough work. 

Organization—Elementary : There are eight 

grades and kindergarten. 

Secondary: The secondary course requires En¬ 
glish, 4 years; Mathematics, 4; and History 3. 
Elective subjects included: Latin, taken by 91 pu¬ 
pils; French, taken by 31; German, 26; Greek, 17; 
psychology, 21; physics, 16; physiology, 14; chem¬ 
istry, 9; history and civics, 19; sociology, 6. 

Financial—The accounts of the school are hon¬ 
estly kept. 

Sources of income : Presbyterian Board, $4,595 ; 
tuition and fees, $1,680; general donations, $1,561; 
entertainment, $989. The non-educational receipts 
were from the boarding department and amounted 
to $3,751. 

Items of Expenditure: Supplies for boarding 
and other departments, $6,751; salaries, $4,554; 
fuel, light, and water, $976; equipment, $596; labor, 
$480; repairs, $86. 


503 






MAIN BUILDING, HAINES NORMAL AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL 




ID INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL 


L AND MISS LUCY LANEY, FOUNDER. 


NE of the schools in Georgia that 
has done such effective work as 
to win the confidence of the peo¬ 
ple, all the people, regardless of 
race, color or creed is the Haines 
Normal and Industrial Institute, 
located in Augusta, Georgia. The school was 
founded by Miss Lucy Laney, the present principal, 
in 1886. It is affiliated with the Presbyterian 
Board of Missions for Freedmen; in fact the prop¬ 
erty is vested in the Presbyterian Board. But the 
school is not run by this organization. It has a 
separate board of trustees. Haines School has an 
attendance that runs near 900 pupils. By far the 
larger number are registered in the elementary 
work, though the secondary grade work has about 
150 pupils registered for subjects in that depart¬ 
ment. Some of these students are boarders and 
a great number who attend the school live in the 
City of Augusta. The courses are well planned 
and the teachers are well prepared and the teach¬ 
ing thorough. Because of all these conditions the 
reputation of the school is very high. 

Most of the pupils are girls. Indeed, one of the 
aims in the mind of Miss Laney in founding this 
school was the betterment of the Negro woman¬ 
hood. That she has accomplished this in so many 
cases is due to the very conscientious work that is 


being done by all members of the faculty. There 
are twenty-two teachers. All colored, and most 
of them women. These teachers were chosen be¬ 
cause of their preparation for work of this kind. 

Along with the work in the academic department 
there is carried on an industrial department. For 
the girls instruction in cooking and in sewing is 
provided. For the boys, manual training and gar¬ 
dening. The funds for the support of the indus¬ 
trial courses in Haines Normal and Industrial 
School are inadequate. But as far as they allow, 
the training is thorough. The school proper is on 
a tract of land comprising a city block. On this 
are two large brick structures and several smaller 
ones, arranged in such a manner as to give the 
maximum light and ventilation. In these buildings 
are class rooms, a model kitchen and a well equip¬ 
ped sewing department, where the girls are not 
only taught to be self-supporting but are given in¬ 
structions in many of the finer crafts that go to 
make the model housewife. Here also are located 
the carpenters shop for the boys. A model garden 
is run in connection with the school for the benefit 
of both boys and girls. Across the street are lo¬ 
cated the cottages of the teachers, which were ar¬ 
ranged with the view of making Haines School a 
real home for them. Miss Laney, the founder and 
principal of the school is a graduate of Atlanta 



502 
























University. On completion of her studies, she 
taught in several different schools in the State. 
Like many others of her people, Miss Laney felt 
keenly the need of more institutions for training 
of girls and boys to become useful men and women. 
She realized the terrible handicap of illiteracy had 
to be met and overcome before her people could 
advance very far, and with an impulsive generosity 
that is characteristic of her every act, she deter¬ 
mined to devote her life to the establishment of an 
institution that would equip boys and girls for life’s 
battles and teach them to lead the lives of Chris¬ 
tian men and women. 

In 1886, she gave up her position as teacher, and 
on her own volition, without backing of any sort, 
went to Augusta, Ga., with the fixed determination 
of starting the work she had so long dreamed of. 
It has been truthfully said that no cause involving 
the welfare and uplift of humanity can well suc¬ 
ceed without the efforts of a woman. In all ages 
of the world women have worked, played and made 
every possible human sacrifice for the cause of hu¬ 
man progress, and none are more potential today 
in the affairs of the world than that noble band of 
pioneers in the development of Negro schools. Con¬ 
secrating her life to the betterment of her people is 
the noblest contribution one can make to human so¬ 
ciety. The very earnestness of Miss Laney made 
her many friends from the very start, and gained 
their support in getting the school started. A de¬ 
voted Christian she interested the members of the 
Presbyterian Church, of which she was a member 
in aiding her to secure the support of the Pres¬ 
byterian Board of Missions for Freedmen. Grad¬ 
ually building the school, step by step. Raising the 
money by every honorable means ; by lecture tours, 
by entertainments, by soliciting private contribu¬ 
tions, Miss Laney can look today upon a work that 
represents a money value of around fifty thousand 
dollars, with an income running into the thousands. 
But who can estimate the value of the good accom¬ 
plished for the race and for humanity? Only those 
that have been lifted from depths of poverty and 
illiteracy, and given an opportunity to become pai t 
of a better and brighter world, can even remotely 
estimate this. One need not, however, rely on the 
eulogies of the students and alumni of Haines Col¬ 
lege. All one needs to be convinced of the high 
character of the work being accomplished by Miss 
Laney, is to ask any citizen of Augusta, irrespect¬ 
ive of race, or pay a visit to the school, where the 
work speaks for itself. 

Hon. William H. Taft, shortly before his inaugu¬ 
ration as President of the United States, visited 
Haines School, and, speaking of Miss Laney, who 
is considered one of the most brilliant daughters 
of the colored race—said to the friend with him: 


“That a colored woman could have constructed this 
great institution of learning and brought it to its 
present state of usefulness speaks volumes for her 
capacity. Therefore, I shall go out of this meet¬ 
ing, despite the distinguished presence here, carry¬ 
ing in my memory only the figure of that woman 
who has been able to create all this.” 

The faculty and pupils of Haines College, from 
the Principal down, took a prominent part in all 
world war work; always, oversubscribing their 
quota of Bonds and Thrift Stamps, as well as be¬ 
ing liberal contributors to the Red Cross, Y. M. C. 
A., Salvation Army, and all War Community Ser- 
' M Ws. Haines always answered “Ready” when our 
country called. 

Vol 2 of Negro Education, published by the gov¬ 
ernment makes the following statement of Haines 
Normal and Industrial School: 

A secondary school with a large elementary en¬ 
rollment. Two-thirds of the pupils are girls. The 
management is effective. The wise administration 
of the principal has won for the school the confi¬ 
dence of both white and colored people. 

It is affiliated with the Presbyterian Board of 
Missions for Freedmen, but has an independent 
board of trustees. Title to the property is vested 
in the Presbyterian Board. 

Attendance—Total, 860; elementary 711, secon¬ 
dary 149; male 289, female 571. Of the pupils 
above the eighth grade 84 were boarders. Of those 
reporting home address 65 were from Augusta, 47 
from oth£r places in Georgia, and 35 from other 
states; 17 were from farm homes and 132 from 
city homes. 

Teachers—Total 22; all colored; male 4, female 
18 ; academic 19, industrial 2, music 1. The teach¬ 
ers are well prepared and doing thorough work. 

Organization—Elementary: There are eight 

grades and kindergarten. 

Secondary: The secondary course requires En¬ 
glish, 4 years; Mathematics, 4; and History 3. 
Elective subjects included: Latin, taken by 91 pu¬ 
pils; French, taken by 31; German, 26; Greek, 17; 
psychology, 21; physics, 16; physiology, 14; chem¬ 
istry, 9; history and civics, 19; sociology, 6. 

Financial—The accounts of the school are hon¬ 
estly kept. 

Sources of income : Presbyterian Board, $4,595 ; 
tuition and fees, $1,680; general donations, $1,561; 
entertainment, $989. The non-educational receipts 
were from the boarding department and amounted 
to $3,751. 

Items of Expenditure: Supplies for boarding 
and other departments, $6,751; salaries, $4,554; 
fuel, light, and water, $976; equipment, $596; labor, 
$480; repairs, $86. 


503 


Thomas T. Pollard 



HOMAS T. POLLARD, a Texan 
by birth, rearing and occupation, 
is one of the men who made the 
“Lone Star State” famous in ed¬ 
ucation. Mr. Pollard was born in 
Danville, Montgomery County, 
Texas, February 22nd., 1866. Having spent suf¬ 
ficient time in the public schools of his native coun¬ 
ty, spending his spare hours on the farm, he matri¬ 
culated at the Prairie View Normal and Industrial 
Institute. Graduating on the twenty-sixth of June, 
1888, he immediately entered the profession of 
school teaching. Mr. Pollard was fortunate enough 
to be elected to a principalship at the outset. He 
became the head of one of the ward schools of 
Beaumont, and has remained in his post these thir¬ 


ty years. He has grown with educational ideas, 
introducing into his school new methods as the 
time demanded such. 

Further finding that the school teacher should 
take the lead not only in the progress of educa¬ 
tional ideas, but in all that pertains to the life of a 
community, he has several times ventured into 
business, and into plans for the improvement of 
his community. 

In 1900 he organized the People’s Drug Company 
of Beaumont, having seen a crying need for a con¬ 
genial place where his people could buy drugs and 
sodas unmolested. The business was a success 
from the day it opened its doors. Foreseeing that 
everyone must live more and more out of his own 
garden, Professor Pollard introduced Home Gar¬ 
dening into his school. From here, he took it into 
the city homes. This he has been making a spec¬ 
iality, thereby training the people to cope with the 
stringency of the times. 

Few school men allow more real life to come in¬ 
to their routine than does this principal at Beau¬ 
mont. He is classed among the most daring and 
yet the safest bear and deer hunters in East Texas. 
He had at one time a hand to hand encounter, so 
to speak—no—not with a bear—but with a 140 
pound buck, which had been wounded. His rifle 
being inaccessible, he had to despatch the beast 
with his hunter’s knife. 

He is like many a Texan, a live politician. In 
1896, he was a delegate from the fourteenth Con¬ 
gressional district to the Republican National Con¬ 


vention, in Saint Louis, which gave the country 
William McKinley, for President. 

Active in politics and in sports, he takes also a 
leading part in church and secret orders. He is a 
Missionary Baptist, a Free and Accepted Mason, 
a Knight of Pythias, and an American Woodman. 
He is not an extensive traveler having covered only 
a few of the Southern and Western states, but like 
the Chicle in Snow Bound, he knows the brooks 
and shrubs, the nooks and by patches, in the woods 
and in the vast fields of his section of Texas. 

Professor Pollard was married June 30th, 1892, 
at Beaumont, to Miss Francis Ventun Charlton. 
Mr. Pollard owns personal property, valued at 
$ 10 , 000 . 

He is one of the veteran educators of his state, 
and seems to have dedicated the best and most 
conscientious energies of his life to the profes¬ 
sion of teaching. He is an afifable, congenial and 
unassuming man, and enjoys universal appreciation 
and confidence. Success has crowned his efforts in 
the past and the future will but the more emphat¬ 
ically bestow upon him the rewards and glories 
which an honorable, upright and useful life will 
always merit. With him the profession of teach¬ 
ing is a labor of love. The almighty dollar influ¬ 
ences him not, for in continuing to teach school 
he is really making a sacrifice instead of a gain of 
dollars; but it is his love for the work and his 
earnest desire to do good for the race that cause 
him to continue to pull in pedagogical harness. 
Prof. Pollard is not of a grasping, avaricious na¬ 
ture, nor does he consider the dollar as the sum 
total of human existence. He realizes that there 
is a serious responsibility devolving upon the edu¬ 
cated colored man of the South, and that it is the 
bounden duty of the educated colored man to do 
his part in the great work of uplifting his be¬ 
nighted people. Personally he is in practically in¬ 
dependent circumstances, but it has ever been his 
earnest desire to lift others up with him while he 
was climbing. He considers the educational ad¬ 
vantages that he has received as a dispensation 
from Providence to enable him to help his strug¬ 
gling and benighted people, and for this reason he 
has found the attraction of service and hard work 
in the school room to be greater than any other 
attraction in life. 


504 










Rev. William Thomas Silvey 


EV. William 1 homas Silvey has 
studded ris whole crown of life 
with church buildings. He cares 
not for the size of the church, the 
grade of the congregation, the 
large salary, the brilliant choir; 
that is these things are not the main ideal with 
him. His ambition throughout his career has been 
to see the people housed, to watch the building rise 
from the ground. All the struggle at campaigning 
for funds, the holding of suppers, giving concerts, 
using collection cards and the thousand other de¬ 
vices resorted to for the raising of funds have been 
to him so many thrilling detail by-plays of the 
game. 

Rev. Silvey began life in Ohio. He was born in 
Greene County in 1853, when slavery held his 
brothers in bondage in the South and when Ohio 
was doing yeomen service as a haven of refuge 
and a way station for the run-a-away slave. For 
several years he attended the common schools of 
the county, making his way slowly as the boy of 
his race had to do in those trying days. 

However, he could not remain in school very 
long ; neither did the way appear whereby he could 
study and work. Thus he soon bade farewell to 
the school room and sought employment on the 
farm. Forty-five years ago saw him a farm labor¬ 
er earning his bread, with only hopes and ambi¬ 
tion to lead him to a higher position of service to 
himself and to others. In 1877 he left the farm, 
having studied and thought as best he could, and 
entered the Baptist ministry. For all he had not 
been able to specialize to any great degree, he nev¬ 
ertheless had a great advantage of the mass of his 
brethren of the cloth, many of whom had had but 
little schooling of any kind and that under the most 
trying circumstances. 

His first charge was given him at Eddyville, Ky. 
Immediately he saw the crying need for the Negro 
churches. Moving now and then, but working fer¬ 
vently, he has built during his forty years in the 
ministry, fourteen churches in the State of Ken¬ 
tucky. The last was indeed worthy of his crown¬ 
ing effort. It was the handsome modern brick 
building, the First Baptist Church of Frankfort, 
Ky. Over this church, though he is well into his 
sixties, he still presides, in many ways as vigorous 
and as ambitious as in the early days of his career. 

Notwithstanding the fact that Rev. Silvey is a 
minister of the gospel and an eloquent divine, yet 
his very life, humble in origin, filled with strug¬ 
gles and hardships in its early days, and now beau¬ 
tified and glorified with unbound success, is the 


most eloquent sermon that he has ever preached in 
the course of his brilliant career. By reading his 
life and comparing his humble origin with his 
present position of influence, dignity and power, 
every ambitious youth of the race may be encour¬ 
aged, stimulated and inspired to persevere until 
he reaches the goal of his ambition. From an un¬ 
tutored, hard-working boy on a farm to the lead¬ 
ership of one of the great churches of the race is 
a sublime height to climb, and this great honor is 
a fitting - monument to his patience, perseverance 
and determination to make himself serviceable to 
his race, to the cause of humanity and to the Cre¬ 
ator of mankind. J he Rev. Silvey is really a bea¬ 
con light of inspiration that lights up the pathway 
of hope for the youth of the whole race, and no 
son or daughter of Africa should be discouraged in 
the ambition to aspire to the best and the greatest 
in American life. Whether as plowboy on the 
farm, or hard laborer in the ditch, or student in 
the school room, or teacher in the small churches, 
or an inspired minister of the gospel, the life of 
Rev. Silvey is worthy of emulation by the aspiring 
youth of the race, and should be treasured by them 
as one of their most precious legacies. 

The leadership of a race is something that can 
not be assumed by any man, for it is an attribute 
that results from the mental attitude of those 
whose prerogative it is to accord or withdraw. 
Rev. Silvey has every requisite and every equip¬ 
ment for the ideal leader of the race that he is. 
He is one of the best prepared men in the galaxy 
of the race’s greatness, and his many years of con¬ 
secrated effort for the advancement and uplift of 
the race is worthy of the race’s greatest appre¬ 
ciation. He is one of the pillars of his branch of 
the Baptist Church, and his clarion notes have been 
heard in a majority of the churches of Kentucky, 
exhorting the race to take a stand against vice, 
corruption and iniquity, and to show to the world 
that it stands for education, morality, religion and 
everything that will help the world to move ever 
upward, onward and heavenward 

Rev. Silvey owns his residence and one other, 
which he rents. These are valued at $5,000. He 
was married in Lime County in 1878, one year 
after entering the ministry, to Miss Ida Holland. 
There have been eight children born into Rev Sil¬ 
vey’s family. . One of these, Miss Virginia, is de¬ 
ceased. Two others, Marion and Ed, are coal 
miners. Miss Gertrude and Bessie are married. 
Miss Catherine is a seamstress and Miss Lutitia 
and Willie are engaged in school teaching. 

505 






TYPE OF GRADUATES OF PHILANDER 
SMITH COLLEGE 

HILANDER Smith College, a 
school offering elementary and 
secondary grade as well as col¬ 
lege courses- is located in Little 
Rock, Arkansas. The school is 
owned and controlled by the 
Ereedmen’s Aid Society of the Methodist Episco¬ 
pal Church. The school owes its existence chiefly 
to the generosity of the family of Philander Smith 
of Oak Park, Illinois. He gave the first ten thous¬ 
and dollars toward the present main building. This 
gift was made in the early part of 1883. The school 
was at this time six years old. 

In connection with the Philander Smith College 
the Adeline Smith Home for Girls is maintained. 
The Home is the property of the Woman’s Home 
Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church and was dedicated in 1884. In this home 
for girls the true principles that underlie strong, 
honest womanhood, are taught, and daily practiced. 
The Home is strictly religious, giving much time 
to the teaching of the Bible and requiring each 
girl to get a good portion of it in her memory. 
In the Home the courses offered are cooking, or¬ 
ganization of home, sewing, fancy work. In all 


these branches of Domestic Art the teaching is 
thorough and is so taught as to make it a real part 
of the lives of the students. 

In the government, appeal is made direct to the 
students’ sense of right. In so far as possible self- 
government is practiced. But the rules and regu¬ 
lations of the institution are rigid and all must 
obey. All the work and activities of the Adeline 
Smith Home is a part of the educational activities 
of Philander Smith College. Although the work 
of the two plants is separate in some ihings, the 
real school work is together. 

The land owned by the Philander Smith College 
is valued at $15,000. It is in two separate lots. 
The main building is located on a lot which com¬ 
prises about half a city block. The Girls’ Home is 
on a large city lot some distance from the Main 
Building. The Main Building is a four-story brick 
structure that is used for offices, classrooms and 
boys’ dormitory. The girls’ dormitory is a three- 
story brick building and is a new, well constructed 
one. There are in addition to these, two frame 
buildings used for classes in grade work and for 
shops. 

The course of study is basecl^ largely on the 
Freedmen’s Aid Society course. Strong emphasis 
is placed on the classical languages. The courses 
include the Elementary, with industrial work for 
the girls in the Adeline Smith Home ; College Prep¬ 
aratory and Normal courses; and a College course. 
In industries the work is limited to the Domestic 
Art work in the Home for the Girls. 

In offering a thorough Teachers’ Normal Course 
the school fills a great need of the state. Like 
most of the Southern States the teachers in the 
rural districts are lacking in thorough training. In 
establishing this course the authorities of Philan¬ 
der Smith had in mind the preparation of well- 
trained and efficient teachers for public and rural 
schools. The course of study was so arranged as 
to meet the needs of the Normal Training High 
Schools of the State. Along with the regular 
studies required in this course there are several 
literary and social activities that are compulsory 
upon students taking this course. These are the 
Literary Society, Y. M. C. A., Y. W. C. A. and the 
lecture course Although in most schools these or¬ 
ganizations exist they are not compulsory. Realiz¬ 
ing the needs of all teachers of well rounded lives, 
this school has made the attendance upon these or¬ 
ganizations compulsory. 

The man at the head of this school is Mr. J. M. 
Cox. Through his efforts he has brought the school 
up to a good standard. Mrs. H. M. Masmyth, a 
white woman, is superintendent of the Girls’ Home 
that is connected with this college. 



506 









George L. Knox and W. A. Attaway M. D. 



GEORGE L. KNOX 



HE veteran editor and publisher of 
the Indianapolis Freeman first 
saw the light of day in Wilson 
County, Tenn., during the days 
of slavery. For many years while 
a slave he worked as a plantation 
laborer. He was afterwards transferred by his 
master as an apprentice in the shoe makers busi¬ 
ness. He served in the Union Army for one year 
and after the war took up the barber’s trade. From 
the barber shop he entered the journalistic field and 
became publisher of the Indianapolis Freeman. 
This paper under Mr. Knox has grown to be a pow¬ 
er to be reckoned with. 

Mr. Knox is a self-made man in every sense of 


the word; he educated himself and at the same 
time supported his family. He is a staunch mem¬ 
ber of the M. E. Church. 

Mr. Knox married Miss Aurrila Harvey of In¬ 
dianapolis, Indiana in 1866. This couple have five 
children, four boys and one girl. The only sur¬ 
viving boy, Edward C., is the business manager of 
the Freeman. 


Dr. Attaway, has been a factor in the profes¬ 
sional and financial life of the State of Mississippi 
for a number of years, yet he is still a man, in the 
very prime of life. He has been tried in the cruci¬ 
ble of business responsibility, and has demonstated 
to the world his ability to make good. His suc¬ 
cess as a business promoter in the State of Mis¬ 
sissippi has been phenomenal and few other mem¬ 
bers of the race have been endowed with the same 
degree of confidence to bring to a successful con¬ 
clusion such undertakings, when confronted with 
the same difficulties. 

I he subject of this sketch is the President of 
the Mississippi Beneficial Life Insurance Com¬ 
pany, a company that is chartered under the laws 
of Mississippi, and is now operating in all sections 
of the state, The insurance company in question 
is the result of the brain, finance and confidence 
of Dr. W. A. Attaway, who was willing to blaze 
out the path to success in this novel business ven¬ 
ture and, if necessary, sacrifice his career as an ex¬ 
ceptionally successful physician trying to promote 
the business welfare of the race. 

It is one of the few insurance companies operat¬ 
ed by Negroes that is now writing all kinds of old 
line insurance policies. 

It is the history of business institutions that 
they are monuments to the brain and brawn of 
some one man, who not only has everv requisite 
for intelligent and successful leadership, in the 
business ventures with which he is connected but 
is endowed with a sixth sense that enables them to 
select assistants of a type that can be welded into 
an organization that is the acme of efficiency. 

Dr. Attaway is a big man in every department 
of human excellence. He is one of the leading- 
physicians of the Southland; he is a successful bus¬ 
iness promoter and business man; he is among the 
foremost insurance magnates of the country; he is 
broad in his conceptions for the welfare of the Ne¬ 
gro. He has made good as have few men in the 
ranks of the state’s leading men. 

The subject of this sketch is not only a splendid 
physician, but a business man of first magnitude, 
and his mere word stands for as much as that of 
any other in the State of Mississippi. He is the 
central figure in one of the largest combinations 
of capital that has ever been gotten together in 
the state, and this combination of capital is but a 
faint testimonial of the appreciation in which his 
remarkable business talents are held by his ad¬ 
mirers and friends. 

He stands high in the respect and esteem of both 
races in his home town of Greenville, Miss. 


507 











A. F. Henderson and A. D. Price 


R. Herndon is one of the wealthiest 
Negroes in Atlanta, Georgia. He 
is said to be worth well up in six 
figures. His rise in the scale of 
prosperity was marked by many 
hardships which required an in¬ 
domitable will and true courage 
to overcome. He was born a 
slave in Walton County, Georgia, June 26, 1858. 

After emancipation his mother went out into the 
world with two children, a corded bed, and a few 
quilts. Hiring out by the day, she received in pay 
potatoes, molasses and peas, to maintain the fam¬ 
ily. She found shelter in a one room log cabin 
also occupied by four other families. 

The space allotted to his mother was only suffi¬ 
cient for her bedstead, under which she stored her 
daily earnings. 

Alonzo Franklin (the boy’s name), began to 
work at the early age of about seven years and 
worked for his grandfather until he was thirteen 
years old for his board and keep, at which time he 
was pulling a cross-cut saw with full-grown men. 

His old master then hired him for three years, 
paying his mother $25 for the first year, $30 for the 
second and $40 for the third. 

At the age of twenty, with his meager savings 
of $11.00 he stole away in the darkness of night, 
with his little hand-trunk on his shoulder, and 
walked fourteen miles to Covington, Georgia. 

He had received twelve months schooling in the 
common school before he was twenty, receiving 
five weeks a year. 

When he reached Atlanta he hired himself to a 
barber for $6 per month. He soon learned the 
trade and passed from one stage to another in it, 
finally establishing a shop of his own which has 
grown until now he owns three shops, all modern, 
and one noted as the largest sanitary barber shop 
in the world. The pictures in this shop cost twelve 
thousand dollars and it is one of the show places of 
Atlanta. It has twenty-five chairs and requires 
the services of forty men. 

Mr. Herndon founded the Atlanta Mutual Insur¬ 
ance Association, which absorbed eight other com¬ 
panies. It is one of the largest insurance com¬ 
panies in America owned by Negroes and doing 
purely industrial insurance business with colored 
people. 

He is President of Atlanta Loan & Trust Com¬ 
pany, Secretary Southview Cemetery Association ; 
Director Atlanta State Savings Bank, Gate City 
Drug Store, Inc., Trustee Leonard Street Orphan 
Home. 

He is a member of the Congregational Church. 
Member Odd Fellows, and in politics a Republican. 

His first wife was Adriene McNeal, who died 
leaving him one child. 

May 30, 1912, he married Jessie Gilespie, of Chi¬ 
cago, Ill. 

Mr. Herndon is a great believer in real estate 
as an investment and is showing his faith bv-his 
works. He owns about one hundred rental houses. 

His magnificent home situated on a high hill, 
overlooks Atlanta near Atlanta University. 


One of the remarkable signs of development of 
the colored race is the large number of men who 
are engaged in large business enterprises. There 
was a time when the activities of the colored man 
were cast in a small mold, but that time is past and 
a new day has dawned for them. 

He has rightly reasoned that if others could ac¬ 
complish great things so could he if he would pre¬ 
pare himself for his work and apply himself dili¬ 
gently to his task. Realizing that a man must be 
informed who desires to do big things he has set 
himself earnestly to secure an education, for he 
knows that the educated man has an advantage 
over the ignorant one. 

Such a man is A. D. Price of Richmond, Vir¬ 
ginia. He was born in Hanover County, Virginia, 
August 9, 1860, and has risen to his high standing 
as a business man in his native state. 

Commencing in a small way, step by step, he has 
advanced to a position which commands the respect 
of both the white and black citizens of Richmond. 

He attended the first public school established 
for colored children after the Civil War. 

After leaving school he began his business career 
as a clerk, which he followed for several years. 
Standing behind the counter was not to his taste 
so he gave it up and learned a trade. He took up 
blacksmithing and after working with others un¬ 
til he had mastered the science, in 1881, he opened 
a shop of his own. Here he began to recognize his 
powers of business management. His blacksmith 
and wheelwright establishment grew to such an 
extent that it required the services of twelve men 
and boys. In his employment were both white and 
colored laborers. In 1886 he began to branch out. 
He established an undertaking and livery business, 
but it failed to meet with the success anticipated 
so he gave it up. However, he never gave up his 
purpose to establish such a business, and in 1893 
he again entered it. His next efifort was crowned 
with great success and he now has the satisfac¬ 
tion of being the proprietor of one of the best 
arranged and conducted undertaking establish¬ 
ments in the South. 

It requires twenty-five persons to carry on the 
business. 

Mr. Price is the President of the Southern Aid 
Society of Virginia. This institution is doing a 
world of good in the State of Virginia ,where it 
reaches hundreds of homes with its benefits. 

He has learned that real estate is the true foun¬ 
dation of wealth and when wisely purchased is 
sure to prove a fine investment. The value of his 
real estate holdings is estimated at six figures. 

He owns a business block in which are located 
halls used for lodge rooms and for other public 
purposes. He owns some of the most modern ten¬ 
ement buildings in the City of Richmond for col¬ 
ored tenants. His residence is one of the finest 
owned by one of his race in the South. 

Mr. Price is interested in other business institu¬ 
tions. He is a director of the Mechanic’s Savings 
Bank, the Capital Shoe and Supply Co., and the 
American Beneficiary Insurance Company. 



508 





Nathan K. McGill and Robert R. Church, Jr. 



NATHAN K. McGILL 



ORN of a slave mother Nathan K, 
McGill of Jacksonville, Fla., 
knows the day, month and place 
of his birth but not the year. But 
he also knows that as a pick- 
aniny he was hungry for an 
education. Student in Cookman Institute, Jack¬ 
sonville, Fla., whose principal secured for him a 
chance to run a barber shop at Monument Beach, 
Mass., during the summer vacation. 

It was at this seaside resort that he met the 
noted Boston Philanthropist, Rufus B. Tobev, who 
agreed to assume all expense of completing his 
education on condition that when properly train¬ 
ed, he would return to Jacksonville and devote his 
life to assisting his people, a promise he has faith¬ 
fully kept. 

Graduate Boston University Law School in June, 
1912. Qualified to practice before the Court of 
every state in the Union as well as before the U. 
S. Supreme Court. Mr. McGill is a member of 
Ebenezer M. E. Church. 

Fie married Idalee P. Thornton, August 1st, 1917. 
They have one boy, Nathan K. Jr. 


Robert Reid Church, Jr., is among the compar¬ 
atively few American Negroes to have a big name 
to defend and uphold. 

Mr. Church was born at Memphis, Tenn., Octo¬ 
ber 26, 1885. He is the son of Robert R. Church 
and Annie Wright Church, and a brother of Mrs 
Mary Church Terrell of Washington, D. Q. the 
noted writer and wife of Judge R. R. Terrell 
Robert R. Church was a well known man. He 
was looked upon as one of the biggest and wealth¬ 
iest citizens of Memphis, Tenn., regardless of color. 
Indeed some of his acts led the Memphis citizens 
to regard him not only as a leader, but as a bene¬ 
factor. When Memphis was in a bankrupt condi¬ 
tion the elder Church was the first citizen to come 
forward and aid. 

He purchased No. 1 of the city bonds at 
$2000. This act was looked upon by the leading 
citizens of Memphis as one of great importance 
When in 1894 the big daily Memphis Schimitar, 
issued its 50th anniversary edition, Robert Church 
was the only Negro recognized in its pages. The 
paper gave him a full page article with a portrait 
of family and engraving of his home. 

Robert Church, Jr., was educated in the Protest¬ 
ant Episcopal Parochial School at Memphis, Tenn.. 
and completed his course at Oberlin College, Ohio. 
From the first the younger Church looked forward 
to assuming the responsibility of carrying forward 
his father’s business. On finishing at Oberlin, he 
plunged immediately into business. He began his 
career as cashier of the Solvent Savings Bank and 
Trust Company in Memphis, Tenn., in 1905. Three 
years later, that is in 1908, he became its President. 

Conducting the business of the Solvent Savings 
Bank and T rust Co. with success brought Mr. 
Church unlimited prestige in the Negro business 
world. 

Also Mr. Church like his father, took active in- 
tei est in the public affairs of the citv and in the 
affairs of the nation. In both of these arenas he 
soon became an effective worker. When the 
Standard Life Insurance Company of Atlanta, Ga., 
was established Mr. Church was chosen one of the 
directors. 

He is a staunch Republican and was the only col¬ 
ored delegate from Tennessee to the National Re¬ 
publican Convention in 1912. 

Mr. Church is a Mason and is a member of the 
famous “Frogs” in New York City. He was mar¬ 
ried July 26th, 1911, to Miss Johnson of Washing¬ 
ton, D. C. Mr. and Mrs. Church have one daugh¬ 
ter, Sarah Roberta, who lives with them at their 
beautiful home on South Lauderdale Street in 
Memphis. 


509 








Enos L. Scruggs and Mrs. Anna R. Fisher 


ENOS L. SCRUGGS, B. D., A. M., D. D. 

R. Enos L. Scruggs was born in 
Cole County, near Jefferson City, 
Mo., Feb. 23rd, 1858. He was 
left an orphan when a boy. He 
graduated from Lincoln Institute, 
Jefferson City, Mo., in 1885. Un¬ 
ion Theological Seminary, (now the Divinity 
School of the University of Chicago), with the 
degree of B. D. in 1890. Dr. Scrug gs’ first pas¬ 
torate was the Second Baptist Church of Ann Ar¬ 
bor and while there he attended a course of 
lectures at the University of Michigan. Ac¬ 
cepted the presidency of Western College, Macon, 
Mo., in 1892. Became pastor of Calvary Baptist 
Church, Monmouth, Ill., in 1906; took charge of 
Mt. Emory Church, Jacksonville, Ill., in 1915. From 
Jacksonville, he went to his present pastorate in 
Jefferson City, Mo., Oct. 1st, 1918. 

In recognition of his services as an educator, 
Western College and Lincoln Institute conferred 
the degree of Master of Arts upon him, and the 
Arkansas Baptist College, Little Rock, honored 
him with the degree of Doctor of Divinity. 


When visiting in Missouri, in almost any part, 
if you talk about men and women who have gone 
out with nothing for a start iud made good, very 
soon some one will mention the name of Mrs. 
Anna R. Fisher. 

Mrs. Fisher was one of a large family of children 
and since her parents were poor, she had little 
opportunity to attend school. She did attend the 
district school nearest her when she could be spar¬ 
ed from the work at the house and in the fields, but 
this was not for a long time. 

But the little foundation gained by Mrs. Fish¬ 
er at this time has proved sufficient for her 
to amass quite a fortune for a colored woman. 
She is a caterer. She is just naturally one. She 
started out with little and added to her stock and 
undertook larger affairs till now she owns silver, 
china and linen enough to set a table for one 
thousand. Aside from using this silver for her 
own banquets and dinners, she rents it out, at her 
own figure, to others who want to serve large 
numbers. 

Mrs. Fisher owns a beautiful home. She bought 
the stone, the brick, the lumber, herself; lived in a 
tent on the place, hired all the workmen and bossed 
the job. Asked what her home cost her she said: 
“Well, Eve never told anybody yet.” Asked again, 
“Do you know what it cost you,?” she replied, 
“Yes Madam, to the fraction of a cent.” Mrs. 
Fisher makes beaten biscuit which she ships to all 
points in and out of the State. Catering is her 
trade, but on the side she runs a farm. Here she 
raises all the hams that she uses in her dinners and 
banquets as well as a great many other things. 

Besides her catering business she sells about five 
hundred dollars worth of meat a year from her 
farm; her rental property brings her twelve hun¬ 
dred a year more. 


RESIDENCE OF MRS. ANNA R. FISHER 


510 






Isaiah J. Whitley 


HE life of Isaiah J. Whitley dif¬ 
fered much in his youth from the 
majority of the Negro boys who 
came up out of poverty and great 
tribulation to occupy their sta¬ 
tions in life. 

He was born in Franklin, Washington County, 
Alabama, of honest, industrious and respected 
parents. His father was a prominent farmer of 
the county in which they lived and was the lead¬ 
ing Baptist of his day. Isaiah was reared on the 
farm and because his father was in good financial 
condition he never experienced the life of a ser¬ 
vant. 

After receiving an elementary education he en¬ 
tered the Selma University and graduated with 
honor, being valedictorian of his class. While at 
Selma University he was President of the College 
Y. M. C. A. and served as assistant bookkeeper to 
the institution. 

He also took courses at both the Tuskegee In¬ 
stitute and the Hampton Institute, studying the 
trade at both institutions. 

He chose teaching as his profession and has serv¬ 
ed a number of schools. He taught school at Fair- 
ford, Alabama, and five years in the common 
schools of Alabama; three years in the State of 
Mississippi; served one year as principal of the 
Aldrich Grammar Schools, Aldrich, Alabama; and 
for the past eight years has been principal of Mo¬ 
bile County Training School. Under his manage¬ 
ment the school has grown from 80 pupils and two 
teachers to 441 pupils and nine teachei >. 

Mr. Whitley is broad minded and progressive. 
He is a prime mover in every educational and up¬ 
lift work in the community. He is a member of 
the National Association of Teachers m Colored 
Schools, is secretary of the Alabama State leach- 
ers’ Association, and president of the National 
Rural Teachers’ Association. He is the founder of 
the Plateau Farmers and Truckers Conference, 
and his work in this connection cannot be too high¬ 
ly praised. He not only stands high in the esteem 
of the Negroes, but is so well thought of by the 
white citizens of his home county, that he was 
made a member of the Draft Board, and Colored 
County Food Administrator during the World 
War and was highly commended for his work m 
both places. 

He married Miss Cornelia Leon Carrington, 
Sept. 8, 1910. They have two boys and one girl. 
He is a member of the Baptist Church, a Mason, 
and K. of P., and the owner of a comfortable home. 


Unlike a great many members of the Negro race 
the career of Dr. Leath has been smooth and pleas¬ 
ant. The secret of his tranquil life is no doubt due 
to his loving and sympathetic disposition and his 
intense spirit of loyalty. He was an affectionate 
and loyal son and brother, and always rendered to 
his parents that honor and consideration due from 
a child to its father and mother. His father died 
in 1900 and his mother in 1912 and it is a source of 
great satisfaction to him that he can let his mind 
dwell upon them with only thoughts of sweet and 
pleasant memories. 

He was one of thirteen children, and frequently 
did his part in helping his mother clean house and 
cook. In the course of his life he has worked on 
the farm, stood behind the barber’s chair, solicited 
insurance, filled the office of teacher and now stands 
in the pulpit and on the rostrum. In securing an 
education he attended the public schools of Colum¬ 
bia, Alabama, afterwards teaching in these same 
schools, then went to the Tuskegee Normal and In¬ 
dustrial Institute, graduating in 1897; then to 
Payne University; graduating from the scientific 
course in 1901; he took a correspondence course 
in Howard University, studying Greek under Ger¬ 
man scholars. Having received the necessary pre¬ 
paration for his work he entered the ministry of 
the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and in 
the course of his ministry, has served some of the 
best colored churches in the South. He is now 
Presiding Elder of the Mobile, Alabama, district. 

He is the Secretary of the Board of Trustees of 
Payne University. His ministerial career has been 
one of continued success and he has made friends in 
every field where he has labored. He was espec¬ 
ially fond of children and because of his intense 
love and sympathy for them he won many of them 
to himself and to the cause of his Savior. Dr. Leath 
is an able man from every standpoint. He is an 
able orator, a great educator and a splendid preach¬ 
er and pastor. He is an untiring worker and gave 
his services unstintingly in behalf of his country 
during the Worlds War. He is a member of the 
Masons and has held high office in that body. 

) Dr. Leath has prospered from the material 
standpoint and owns a 100 acre farm, and a house 
and lot at Greensboro, Ala. 

The position he has obtained in the district he 
presides over has made it possible for him to be of 
great service to other members of his race. 

He married Miss Pinkie C. Reece of Autauga- 
ville in 1901, who has been a great help to him 
in his work. 









c. w. 

/jrj l T is said a prophet is without hon- 
or in his own country, but this 
J&yJ J-JlKj declaration is far from being a 

fact in the case of the serviceable 
ILF Vi] and popular subject of this sketch, 
/Sffl whose life story forms the bur¬ 

den of this narrative, for no other man of the race 
in the city of Mobile, Ala., be he native born ot 
otherwise, has been more highly honored or shown 
himself to be more deserving of trust, confidence 
and honor. 

Mr. Allen is a native of the city of Mobile, and 
was born October 17, 1872. Unlike the majority 
of men that have risen to place and prominence in 
the domain of church or state, he can not claim 
the pride of birth on a farm; nor can he claim an 
experience with any of the hardships that ate in¬ 
cident to farming life. In his case, at least, it has 
been demonstrated that it is not necessary to be 
born on a farm and inured to its hardships in order 
to attain to the highest degree of service and use¬ 
fulness to one’s fellow citizens and country. 

The fact that he is one of the worthy native 
sons of Mobile, possibly accounts for the high es¬ 
teem in which he is held by the citizens of Mobile. 

The parents of Mr. Allen were in most humble 
circumstances, and thus could not give to their son 
the educational advantages that they would have 
been glad to do if they had been able. His educa¬ 
tion was gained largely by his own earnest efforts 
and hard work. He was educated in the public 
schools of Mobile, Ala., and at Emerson Institute 
of the same city. Emerson Institute is one of the 
pioneer educational institutions of the race in the 
city of Mobile, and has done much to improve the 
intellectual and moral life of that community. This 
school was long ago established by the American 
Missionary Association, and has been the only 
Alma Mater of many of the worthiest and most 
successful men and women of the city of Mobile. 
Mr. Allen has not the honor of a diploma from this 
worthy institution, but he gained in its hallowed 
halls an inspiration to accomplish something wor¬ 
thy in life. 

He started out in life early to make an honest 
living. At the age of fifteen years he took up the 
responsibilities of a wage-earner. Beginning at 
the humblest stage of menial service, he gradually 
worked his way up to employment in the govern¬ 
ment service in the position of carrier in the Mo- 


Allen 

bile postoffice. He served as a carrier for ten 
years, and made a record for high efficiency. While 
serving in postoffice he had the honor of repre¬ 
senting the Mobile Letter Carriers’ Association 
three different times at the National Conventions 
of Letter Carriers at its sessions in Denver, Col., 
Chicago, Ills., and New York City. 

Mr. Allen is a veteran dealer in real estate, and 
in co-partnership with Mr. James T. Peterson, he 
successfully engaged in the realty business for 
several years. The firm operated under the name 
of Peterson & Allen, and it was one of the leading 
real estate firms in the State of Alabama. 

On the 10th of November, 1904, Mr. Allen, in 
partnership with Mr. Harney, purchased the un¬ 
dertaking firm of A. N. Johnson, which at that 
time was one of the most complete and one of the 
costliest funeral establishments in the South. Since 
purchasing this well established business they have 
added to their equipment, modernized it and de¬ 
veloped it along progressive and up-to-date lines, 
until now it is second to few,df any, in this whole 
country. 

The Company has modern and up-to-date equip¬ 
ment and facilities and it can satisfy the wishes 
of the greatest dignitary in the State. “A 
maximum of service for a minimum cost” is the 
business maxim of this premier funeral establish¬ 
ment of the race, and it is the concensus of opinion 
on the part of the people of Mobile that the com¬ 
pany carries out its business maxim to the letter. 

On the 6th of June, 1893, Mr. Allen married 
Miss Josephine Blackledge, of Mobile, Alabama. 
She is a graduate of the Mobile Colored High 
School, and was also a student of Emerson Insti¬ 
tute of the same city. A woman of great intelli¬ 
gence and influence in her community, she is one 
of the useful and serviceable women of the race, 
and has done much for their welfare and uplift. 

Mrs. Allen was an honored teacher in the Mobile 
Colored High Schools for three years. In the year 
of 1898 she organized the widely known Josephine 
Allen Private School. The growth of this school 
has been phenomenal in every respect from its 
very beginning. 

Mr. Allen is an organizer and a man of splendid 
executive ability. As a financier he has few supe¬ 
riors, if any, and his administration of affairs, both 
fraternal and personal has demonstrated the fact 
that he is an extraordinary business man. 


512 








Ralph W. Tyler 


NE of the later fields for the Ne¬ 
gro to enter was that of journal¬ 
ism. While the Negro journalist 
soon learned to do well on papers 
of his own he found it difficult to 
enter the arena with the re¬ 
porters of the big daily and metropolitan papers. 
Here as elsewhere he found an almost impassable 
barrier. First of all he had no background, his 
only hope of commendation would have to be bas¬ 
ed upon experience and excellence in the calling. 
The only way of getting these was upon these very 
dailies for which he aspired to work, thus the thing 
ran in a circle, shutting door after door to him. 

In the South, it is customary to have at least one 
Negro reporter on all the dailies, but as yet few of 
the northern papers have adopted this policy. 

Among the few upon whom the goddess of Tol¬ 
erance smiled in the Editorium Sanctum, w as 
Ra’ph W. Tyler of Columbus, Ohio. Fortunately 
Mr. Tyler gained an entrance in his native town. 
Born and reared here at Columbus, he did not ha\e 
the awful task of getting used to the Editors of 
his town, or having them to get used to him. 

On finishing High School at Columbus, Ohio, Mr. 
Tyler began his journalistic apprenticeship. He 
gained his experience on the staff of the Columbus 
Evening Despatch, where he began work in 1884. 
The satisfaction which he gave the editors of this 
paper both as an apprentice and as a seasoned 
worker must have been the best for he remained 
on the Evening Despatch for 17 years. Working 
for the Despatch he rose from reporter to assistant 
to the Manager and confidential secretary to the 
publisher. 

Leaving the Evening Despatch, Mr. lyler ac¬ 
cepted work with the Ohio State Journal. Here 
he remained for three years. Throughout this 
score of years on the Evening Despatch and the 
Ohio journal Mr. Tyler was the only Negro reg¬ 
ularly employed on a white daily paper in the 

State of Ohio. 

In 1905 because of his effective work as a jour¬ 
nalist, Mr. Tyler was called to a position of prom¬ 
inence in the United States Government. In this 
year he was appointed by President Theodore 
Roosevelt as auditor to the Navy. He was re¬ 
appointed by President Taft, thus he served in tins 

post for eight years. 


During the interim between 1913 and 1916, Mr. 
Tyler was contributor to both the white and col¬ 
ored newspapers. When Emmett J. Scott became 
special assistant to the Secretary of War, Mr. Ty¬ 
ler took work in Mr. Scott’s office as publicity 
agent. In this capacity he had one of the most 
trying positions in public life to fill. He was com¬ 
pelled to see that the magnificent part being play¬ 
ed by the Negro in the world was brought before 
the public and kept there. It was his duty to see 
that conditions needing correction, were brought 
before the public in a way that would bring the 
desired result without gaining the antagonism of 
that class of the press that is always ready and 
willing, on the slightest provocation to flaunt the 
red flag. That he met the issue with honor to him¬ 
self and to his people is shown by the fact that he 
was the one Negro war correspondent sent abroad 
by the United States Government to tell the story 
of our troops in France. 

Mr. Tyler is a descriptive writer of rare ability. 
He not only ranks as the foremost Negro Journal¬ 
ist and special correspondent, but ranks high 
among that galaxy of stars irrespective of race, 
that were selected by their countries to send the 
news back home of the every movement of the 
armies that contained the flower of their young 
manhood. His writings are of such character that 
he will be remembered not as a great Negro Jour¬ 
nalist, but as a great American Journalist and war 
correspondent. 

Who has not read the wonderful word pictures 
drawn by this brilliant young journalist? 

Who has not been thrilled by his stories of the- 
exploits of the Famous 92nd Division? 

There is something inspiring in the human in¬ 
terest stories that he sent back from the battle 
scarred fields of Europe, and it is certain that many 
of his articles will be handed down to future gen¬ 
erations as classics. 

For more than thirty years Mr. Tyler has been 
engaged in newspaper and publicity work. He has 
served on the staff of some of the most famous 
dailies in the United States, and has made a repu¬ 
tation that is nation wide for his fearlessness in 
defending the interests of the Negroes. His efforts 
in behalf of the race cannot ever be approximated. 



513 




VIRGINIA HALL—SUNG UP BY THE HAMPTON SINGERS, 1872-73. 


AMPTON Institute, the pioneer 
industrial school for the training 
of colored and Indian youth, 
which is situated on the Lower 
Peninsula of Virginia, is now pre¬ 
paring for intelligent public ser¬ 
vice and at the expense of gener¬ 
ous citizens who represent many 
sections and classes, some 900 earnest Negroes and 
a small group of Indians in its Boarding Depart¬ 
ment. 

Between four and five hundred colored boys and 
girls attend the Community graded school, known 
as “The Whittier School,” which “offers excellent 
opportunities for the training of teachers under 
natural conditions.” 

The Hampton boys and girls are making a brave 
struggle to become leaders in community improve¬ 
ment work and efficient homemakers. 

Over one hundred and fifty Hampton men are al¬ 
ready in the United States Army and Navy doing 
their bit—intelligently and cheerfully to make the 
world safe for democracy. 

Founded in 1868 by Gen. Samuel C. Armstrong, 
for over fifty years, through the co-operation 
and support of many of the best people of America, 
Hampton Institute has been training young peo¬ 
ple for unselfish and reliable service to their re¬ 
spective races and to their white neghbors. 

The training of an army of over 2000 graduates 
and nearly 8000 former students—-“soldiers of the 
common good”—represents a vast sum of money 
and effort which the American public has invested 
in carefully selected, ambitious colored and Indian 
youth. 

Increased returns from farm lands, the multipli¬ 
cation and improvement of public schools, the 
building of good churches, the establishment of 


clean, pure homes—these are some of the fruits of 
the “Hampton Spirit.” 

The late Dr. Hollis B. Frissell, principal of Hamp¬ 
ton from 1893 to 1917, said in his last report to the 
trustee: 

“We hear much, in these days of preparedness 
for service, of how young people can be trained so 
as to be of the greatest possible use to their com¬ 
munity and their country. This is the keynote of 
Hampton. He said shortly before his death: “Tell 
the American people that Hampton is a war meas¬ 
ure.” 

The Robert C. Ogden Auditorium, designed bv 
Ludlow & Peabody, of New York, is now complet¬ 
ed. It accommodates some 2500 persons and has 
cost over $200,000. The money was raised by pop¬ 
ular subscription. Gifts have come from white, 
colored, and Indian friends. 

The General Education Board of New York has 
donated $25,000. The interest from this fund will 
be used for the maintenance of the Ogden Audito¬ 
rium. 

Students of the Hampton Institute Trade School 
recently completed their work on the new Admin¬ 
istration Building. 

They have also placed a new water tank on the 
tower of “Stone Building,” which is one of the lar¬ 
ger dormitories for boys. This tank will be used 
in connection with the sprinkler system for fire 
protection which is to be installed in the audito¬ 
rium. 

James Hall, the building of which was made pos¬ 
sible through the gift of the late Mrs. Willis D. 
James, of New York, is a modern, fireproof dormi¬ 
tory which accommodates about 175 boys. It was 
built by Hampton Institute students. 

Mrs. John S. Kennedy, of New York, through a 



514 






















OGDEN HALL—IN MEMORY OF ROBERT C. OGDEN 


similar gift, will make possible the building of new 
dormitories for the Hampton girls. 

Clarke Hall, a two-story brick building, which 
is another Hampton Trade School product, was the 
first Negro student Y. M. C. A. building in this 
country. 

Some 250 acres adjacent to “Shellbanks,” the 
Hampton Institute farm, which is some six miles 
out from Hampton, have been acquired to give 
more Hampton students practical training in farm¬ 
ing. 

Hampton Institute also has a modern cold-stor¬ 
age equipment, as well as facilities for making- 
steam, ice, and electricity. 

Hampton Institute is, in short, an industrial vil¬ 
lage, and “an educational demonstration center 
where three races work out daily, with a minimum 
of friction, the problems of everyday life.” 

General Armstrong described the aim of Hamp¬ 
ton in these striking words: “To train selected 
youth who shall go out and teach and lead then 
people, first by example by getting lands and homes 
—to teach respect for labor; to replace stupid drud¬ 
gery with skilled hands ; and to these ends to build 
up an industrial system, for the sake not only of 
self-support and intelligent labor, but also for the 
sake of character.” 

This aim was not changed by Dr. Frissell. It 
was developed, however, with rare skill and wis¬ 
dom through his remarkable principalship of nearly 
twenty-five years. 

Hampton has always emphasized the importance 
of self-sacrifice and service. Dr. Booker T. Wash¬ 
ington, who founded Tuskegee Institute and Dr. 
Robert R. Moton, who has succeeded Dr. Washing¬ 
ton as principal of Tuskegee, were both trained at 
Hampton under General Armstrong and Doetoi 
Frissell. 


Hampton students have been fitted for life. They 
have also been trained to live for others. Through¬ 
out the South and West especially, there are many 
communities which have been literally reconstruc¬ 
ted through the patient, thoughtful, and persistent 
work of Hampton graduates and former students. 

Since Hampton Institute aims to train young 
people to earn an honest living and help improve 
the economic and social conditions of their races, 
the courses of study combine industrial training 
with academic work. 

The regular courses are four years in length, and 
include Academic-Normal, Agricultural, Business, 
and Trade courses in any one of the following thir¬ 
teen trades: Blacksmithing, Bricklaying and Plas¬ 
tering; Cabinet making; Carpentry; Machine 
Work; Painting; Printing; Shoemaking; Steam¬ 
fitting and Plumbing; Tailoring; Tinsmithing; Up¬ 
holstery; and Wheelwrighting. A two-year, ad¬ 
vanced course in Teacher-training is also offered. 
Through the Hampton courses young men and 
women are trained to earn an honest living by 
practicing a useful vocation. 

Colored and Indian girls at Hampton receive 
thorough training in cooking, sewing, laundering 
gardening, and methods of teaching. 

In the Domestic Science Work Class, for ex¬ 
ample, “the girls work daily for twelve months in 
the laundry and in the boarding departments under 
the supervision of experienced teachers, and carry 
on their academic studies in the evening the same 
as the boys in the Work Class. 

“The mental and moral training that the year 
of combined work and study gives makes it one of; 
the most valuable years of the course. The work¬ 
ing day for the girl is shorter than for the boy; 
but a girl can earn from $15 to $18 a month. This 


515 










the Hampton board of trustees, says: “Hampton 
is small compared with many great universities, 
but it is not the size, it is the type, it is the method, 
it is the result in the individual, that gives it today 
the right to be considered the most important sin¬ 
gle institution of learning in the country.” 

Through General Armstrong and Doctor Fris- 
sell, as well as a large company of devoted workers 
and friends Hampton Institute has rendered a 
significant service to the nation (1) by training- 
thousands of colored and Indian youth to believe in 
themselves and in their races; (2) by teaching hun¬ 
dreds of thousands of white people to believe in 
members of the red and black races; and (3) by 
helping to reshape public opinion, not only in mat¬ 
ters of racial goodwill, but also in matters of sound 
educational policy. 

Dr. Frissell’s stirring words will live on and on: 
“Out from Hampton there are going every years 
young people who carry the thought of service to 
others—the thought which Christ brought into the 
world when He said, ‘Whosoever will save his life 


CLASS IN DOMESTIC SCIENCE 
HOME ECONOMIC DEPARTMENT 

enables her to be entirely self-supporting during 
her first year in school, and to accumulate a bal¬ 
ance toward defraying the expenses of the second 
year. 

“In the Academic-Normal course girls receive 
training in Agriculture, Art, Bible, Business Trans¬ 
actions, English, Georgraphy, History, Home Eco¬ 
nomics, Physical Training, Sociology, and training- 
in Teaching.” The object of all Hampton’s work 
is to fit leaders for service to their communities. 

Some interestinng tributes have been paid to 
Hampton and its constructive work. 

President Wilson has said: “The people who are 
aiding Hampton Institute are doing a really great 
work for their country.” 

Former President Taft, who is the President of 



RUG WEAVING 

HOME ECONOMIC DEPARTMENT 



PRESS ROOM OF PRINTING DEPARTMENT 
HAMPTON TRADE SCHOOL 

shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for 
My sake shall find it.” 

Dr. James E. Gregg, formerly a Congregational 
minister of Pittsfield, Mass., is the present princi¬ 
pal of Hampton Institute. William Howard Taft, 
former President of the United States, who is the 
chairman of Hampton’s board of trustees, refers to 
Dr. George as “straight-forward, effective, earnest, 
religious, broad, and feeling the joy of service and 
full of the greatness of the task he has assumed.” 

George Foster Peabody, Hampton’s senior trus¬ 
tee, introduced Dr. Gregg to the great Hampton 
family of friends, alumni, workers, and students in 
these words: 

“The new principal. Doctor Gregg, brings to his 
task the moral courage which made General Arm¬ 
strong daring and the spiritual serenity which 
made Doctor Frissell wise. The friends of the 
school look with renewed confidence and hope to 
the beginning of Hampton’s half-century of nat¬ 
ional service under the leadership of a man so well 
equipped as Doctor Gregg.” 


516 
















Sidney Dillon Redmond, A. iVJ., M. D. 


OST striking and one of the 
most sensational examples of pro¬ 
fessional and financial success 
in the great State of Mississippi, 
or in the whole of the United 
States, for that matter, is in the 
case of Dr. Sidney Dillon Redmond, of the capital 
city of the State of Mississippi. It is true that in 
fortunate mining investments and in lucky specula¬ 
tive ventures fabulous fortunes have been the re¬ 
ward of the efforts of a few years or a few months; 
but in the ordinary channels of legitimate business 
and professional skill there are indeed few men in 
the State or Nation, regardless of race, that have 
as much in a material way to show for their labors 
as has the successful physician and sterling busi¬ 
ness man whose name not only graces this sketch, 
but is a source of inspiration to thousands of the 
race, who are ambitious to give a better account 
of themselves in the material walks of life. 

Dr. Redmond was born at Ebenezer, in Holmes 
County, Miss., Oct. 12, 1872. His father having 
died when he was twelve years of age, his mother 
moved to Holly Springs, Miss., for the purpose of 
providing for her children the advantage of a good 
education. After completing the graded school 
courses, Dr. Redmond entered Rust University, 
from which he graduated in 1894. As an evidence 
of the esteem m which his scholarship was held, by 
the powers of Rust Cmversity, he was called to fill 
the chair of mathematics in that institution, which 
position he held one year. At the expiration of that 
t me, he was promoted to the prncipalship of Me¬ 
ridian Academy, Meridian, Miss., which school is 
one of the preparatory centers for Rust University. 
He left here to enter the Illinois Medical College, 
m 1894, and graduated with honors in 1897. 

Many times during his course at Illinois he was 
hard pressed for funds, but he knew that his peo¬ 
ple were suffering in many cases from poorly train¬ 
ed physicians and surgeons and he detei mined that 
ho would obtain a training that would enable him 
to give his patients the benefit of every amount of 
skill and knowledge it was possible for him to ob¬ 
tain. 

After his graduation in 1897, he decided to return 
to his native State to practice his profession. Car¬ 
rying this resolution into effect, he arrived in the 
city of Jackson, Miss., November 15, 1897. 


The only asset of the doctor at this time was a 
splendid education. He passed with flying colors 
the rigid examination of the medical board of ex¬ 
aminers of the State of Mississippi, and it is said 
that the Board of Examiners gave him the honor 
of having passed the best examination of the two 
hundred and fifty (250) applicants that were pres¬ 
ent at that time, and one of the best in the history^ 
of the State, irrespective of race. After practi¬ 
cing his profession in the city of his choice for a 
season, he went to Boston, Mass., and pursued a 
post-graduate course in medicine at Harvard Med¬ 
ical College. He is one of the best prepared phy¬ 
sicians in the medical profes non, and his opinions 
have the weght of authority among his fellow 
practitioners. He is a specialist in surgery, with a 
State-wide reputation. 

That the doctor is a capital business man is evi¬ 
dent from the various business enterprises with 
which he is connected. He owns stock in the Cap¬ 
ital Light and Power Company and in a number of 
the banks of Jackson, Miss. 

It is believed by many people who are in position 
to know, that Dr. Sidney Dillion Redmond is the 
owner of more city property than any other col¬ 
ored man in the . State of Mississippi. However, 
doubtful this statement may be, the writer is cer¬ 
tain of the fact that the doctor is the owner of more 
than one hundred houses in the city of Jackson, 
among which are some of the most substantial and 
most pretentious buildings in the city. He owns 
business blocks in the center of the city’s business 
section. In addition to his residence property, he 
owns a number of stores, several three and four 
story offce buildings and a theater and roof garden 
in the heart of the city. The doctor is the owner 
of two of the largest drug stores in the city of 
Jackson, one of them being located on the main 
part of the principal street in the cityv 

In 1894, the doctor married Miss Ida Alcorn Re¬ 
vels, of Holly Springs, Miss., the talented daugh¬ 
ter of ex-United States Senator H. S. Revels of the 
State of Mississippi. Mrs. Redmond is a graduate 
of the Academic Department of Rust University; 
and taught for a year as assistant to her husband 
when he was at the head of Meridian Academy. 
Two children have been born to the doctor and his 
estimable wife—Esther and Sidney Dillion, Jr. 



517 






Hon. Perry W. Howard, A. B., A. M., LL. B. 


OR some reason thousands of the 
foremost men of the nation have 
taken great pride in calling to the 
attention of the world the fact 
that they have rejoiced because 
their infant mouths missed the 
proverbial golden spoon that, figuratively speaking, 
plays such a prominent part in the lives of those 
who are born to the purple; but there is one dis¬ 
tinguished man in the State of Mississippi that 
brings to his rescue no plea of poverty by birth, 
but who, on the contrary, is proud of the fact that 
the circumstances of his parents were such as en¬ 
abled them to look well to the interest of their 
children from every si andpoint involving their wel¬ 
fare. This exceptional man is none other than 
Honorable Perry W. Howard, the able and eminent 
barrister of Jackson, Miss. 

Like his fellow citizens, that eminent physician, 
surgeon and financier, S. D. Redmond, Mr. Howard 
was born at Ebenezer, Holmes County, Miss. He 
first saw the light of day June 14, 1878. His father 
was a successful blacksmith in comfortable circum¬ 
stances, who believed in using his means for the 
education of his children. After completing his 
preliminary studies in the public schools of Holmes 
County, Mr. Howard entered Alcorn A. & M., in 
1891. In 1893, he transferred his allegiance to Rust 
University, of Holly Springs, Miss., from which 
place he graduated with the degree of Bachelor of 
Arts, in 1899. 

Immediately after his graduation from Rust Uni¬ 
versity he was elected to the presidency of Camp¬ 
bell College, of Jackson, Miss., one of the leading 
colleges of Central Mississippi, and he served at 
the head of this institution until the conclusion of 
the school session in the year of 1900. In the same 
year, while serving as President of Campbell Col¬ 
lege, it was the pleasure of the trustees of that 
well-known Institution of learning to confer upon 
the distinguished subject of this sketch the honor¬ 
ary degree of Master of Arts, as an humble testi¬ 
monial to his ability. From the Presidency of 
Campbell College he was elected to fill the chair of 
mathematics in Alcorn A. & M. College, and he 
served in that capacity for five years, or until the 
year of 1905. While occupying the chair of math¬ 
ematics in Alcorn University he diligently applied 


himself to the study of law. Three months of 
each year were spent at the Illinois College of Law, 
Chicago, Ill. He graduated from this law school 
in the year of 1905, with the degree of LL. B. He 
resigned the chair of mathematics in Alcorn Col¬ 
lege, began the practice of law in Jackson, Miss. 
He demonstrated his fitness for the practice of his 
profession by running the gauntlet of examination 
by the members of the Supreme Court of Mississ- 
ippi. 

In abandoning the profession of teaching for that 
of law, he was merely carrying out the plan of life, 
adopted by him when he first entered college, and 
adhered to throughout. 

He was a teacher of the highest qualification and 
that breadth and depth of mind that enabled him to 
take such a high rank in the teachers’ profession 
have enabled him to take a rank of even greater 
magnitude in the legal profession. He is one of the 
leading political orators of the State, and an effect¬ 
ive man on the hustlings in any capacity. He did 
Roman’s service for Ins country in this respect 
during the world’s war. 

Mi. Howard is as successful in business as he 
is m the practice of law. He is a large stock hold¬ 
er m many of the commercial enterprises of tfie 
city of Jackson. 

i-ie married Miss Wiihelmina Lucas, of Macon, 
Miss., in 1907. Her mother, who was a Miss Rob¬ 
inson, was the first female graduate of Fisk Uni¬ 
versity, Nashville, Tennessee, and a member of the 
original Fisk Jubilee Lingers for five years. Mrs. 
Howard is a graduate of Fisk University, and had 
much experience m the teachers’ profession. She 
was once a teacher in the literary department of 
Tuskegee Normal Institute, and at another time 
she was a teacher in the music department of Al¬ 
corn A. & M. College. 

Lawyer Howard is peculiarly adapted by temper¬ 
ament for success, in the practice of his profession. 
He has had the literary training; he has had the 
legal training, and he has undying confidence in his 
ability to look well after the interests of his client, 
and confidence under such conditions is nine points 
m his favor. His gentlemanly bearing and unfail¬ 
ing courtesy have won for him the friendship and 
respect of both the white and colored members of 
the State bar of Mississippi. 



518 











Louis K. Atwood, A. B. 


OME score of years ago, some¬ 
body asked if it was Booker T. 
Washington who discovered Mis¬ 
sissippi. Since the wizard of Tus- 
kegee is blamed and credited with 
so many feats it would not be 
altogether inappropriate to credit him with the 
Right discovery of Mississippi. To be sure every¬ 
body knew that the land of Private John Allen and 
Jefferson Davis was there, but the real resource¬ 
ful Mississippi and especially Negro Mississippi 
was not known until recent years. Then it was 
found on the farms, in the delta lands, in the vil¬ 
lages, in the small towns and in a few large towns 
there were Negroes of considerable wealth. 

To be a peer with a financier of Mississippi is 
no mean post. Such is the good fortune of L. K. 
Atwood of Jackson, Mississippi. Mr. Atwood was 
born in Alabama. He completed the work in ele¬ 
mentary education in his native state. He then 
went to Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, 
whence he was graduated in 1874 with the honors 
of his class. For some years after graduation he 
taught school in Hinds County, Mississippi. 

Showing greater freedom and aspiring to man¬ 
age larger finances, Mr. Atwood engaged in the 
mercantile business. In the mean time he also 
read law and in 1879 was admitted to the bar in 
Mississippi. In this year and in 1883 he was a 
member of the Mississippi Legislature. In both 
years Mr. Atwood goes down in history as the can¬ 
didate who won the best vote ever polled for a 
representative in Hinds County. His most dis¬ 
tinctive work in the Mississippi Legislatuie was 
that of securing liberal appropriation for Alcorn 
College. In 1899 Mr. Atwood was made Deputy 
United States Collector of Internal Revenue for 
the States of Mississippi and Louisiana. In busi¬ 
ness and in a number of the secret organizations 
Mr. Atwood is a man of great power and far- 
reaching influence. 

Probably no one Negro in the State of Missis¬ 
sippi can state with greater pride his regard for 
benevolent society work than Mr. Atwood. In the 
year 1884 he joined the Order of Jacobs. Under his 
leadership, for he was master of the order, this 
body has paid out more than $410,000 in benefits 
to the Negroes in the State of Mississippi. 

This powerful fraternity is one of the most ben¬ 


eficent organizations soliciting the patronage of 
the public. It has come before the people of Mis¬ 
sissippi for recognition and support solely on its 
merits. It is founded on Gibraltar like business 
principles. While its ritualistic work is sublime, 
the fact must not be overlooked that this fraternity 
is first of all, a high class business organization. 
'While the primary object of any fraternal organ¬ 
ization is the promoting of the moral, physical, in¬ 
tellectual and material welfare of its members, 
(Mr. Atwood knows this can be done only by com¬ 
bining correct business principals with proper 
mental and moral training and this accounts for 
his success with the Jacobs. 

Mr. Atwood is Editor of the Jacobs Watchman as 
well as master of the order. Through this paper he 
reaches and knows many people both in and out 
of the State of Mississippi. Finding a success in 
the order and in politics, Mr. Atwood turned his 
attention to banking. In the year 1904 he organ¬ 
ized at Jackson, the American Trust and Savings 
Bank. Its first dividend paid 27 per cent. Two 
years later he resigned his place with the Ameri¬ 
can Trust and Savings Bank and organized the 
Southern Bank, of which he is president. 

There is not a man in the State of Mississippi 
that is more widely and more favorably known 
than Mr. Atwood. He conducts all of his business 
on a safe and sane basis and his pronounced suc¬ 
cess in this particular should be an inspiration to 
others. In his relation to his many employes he 
accords them every courtesy. He has not resorted 
to domineering methods to get the required 
work out of the men in his employment, but 
has ever been just and considerate and gets the 
maximum of service and loyalty from his em¬ 
ployees. As measured by his achievements, he is a 
highly successful man. He is an organizer and a 
worker and has the power of initiative so essen¬ 
tial for the success of any leader. He has the 
ability to carry on to a successful conclusion, a 
great many different enterprises at one time. He 
is a convincing conversationalist and a forceful 
orator. He is well poised and never loses his dig¬ 
nity. 

He is widely known both in Mississippi and in 
Negro business circles as a successful banker, 
astute lawyer, and able financier. 



519 







IRVINE GARLAND PENN, A. M„ LITT. D. 


RVINE Garland Penn was born at 
New Glasgow, Virginia, October 
7, 1867, and is 52 years of age. 
His present place of residence is 
Cincinnati, Ohio. His parents, 
Isham and Maria Penn, moved to 
Lynchburg, Virginia, when he 
was five years of age to give their 
children the advantage of city educational facili¬ 
ties. He graduated from the elementary and High 
School of Lynchburg and received his college train 
ing under private tutorage and was given the de¬ 
gree of Master of Arts from Rust College. Later 
the honorary degree of Doctor of Literature was 
conferred upon him by Wiley College. 

He is the oldest of five children. He had there¬ 
fore to get an early training in life that he might 
help his parents educate his brothers and sisters. 
His father never earned more than $30.00 per 
month and for years received only $25.00 as his 
wage. 

He began therefore to teach in the public schools 
of Virginia at 18, was editor of a newspaper at 19 
and principal of the public schools in Lynchburg, 
Virginia, at 20, continuing until he resigned in 
1895 to accept the National Commissionership of 
Negro Exhibits at the Cotton States and Interna¬ 
tional Exposition. 

He has been a general officer in the Methodist 
Episcopal Church for 23 years. He has also been 


a member of the General Conference of the Meth¬ 
odist Episcopal Church which is the highest law 
making body of the church, for 28 years in contin¬ 
uous service. He has held four important salaried 
positions in 34 years of public life, always resign¬ 
ing the one to accept another, namely, principal in 
the public schools in Virginia, for 10 years, Nat¬ 
ional Commissioner Negro Exhibits Cotton States 
and International Exposition, Atlanta, Georgia, 
one year 1895, General Secretary for colored peo¬ 
ple of the Epworth League of the Methodist Epis¬ 
copal Church residing in Atlanta, Georgia, 16 years 
and Corresponding Secretary of the Freedmen’s 
Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church re¬ 
siding in Cincinnati 7 years. 

He has traveled extensively for 23 years 
throughout the United States as a general officer 
in the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

He married December 26, 1889, in Lynchburg, 
Virginia, Miss Anna Belle Rhodes, a teacher in the 
city schools of Lynchburg and a classical graduate 
of Shaw University, Raleigh, N. C. He has been 
married 30 years and has seven children and three 
grandchildren. The names of these children are 
Mrs. Wilhelmina Franklin, Cincinnati ;Rev. I. Gar¬ 
land Penn, Jr., Maysville, Kentucky; Mrs. Georgia 
S. Williams, Little Rock, and Misses Elizabeth, 
Louise, Marie and Anna B. Penn. 

When at Atlanta, Georgia, as National Commis¬ 
sioner of the Cotton States and International Ex¬ 
position in 1895, he received a gold medal of first 
award for the excellence of the Negro Exhibit. He 
is credited with having given Dr. Booker T. Wash¬ 
ington and Tuskegee its new impetus because he 
selected Dr. Washington to make the famous ad¬ 
dress which was conceded to be the turning point 
in the life of that great man. 

His career in literary life has been that of the 
author of the Afro-American Press, a book of 600 
pages and the only authoritative history of Negro 
journalism and its relationship to the abolition of 
slavery. He is also co-author with Dr. Northrup 
in the preparation and publication of The College 
of Life or Self Educator and with Dr. j. W. E. 
Bowen in the publication of the United Negro. He 
was the originator of the Congress of Christian 
Workers and Educators known as the Young Peo¬ 
ples’ Christian and Educational Congress which 
met in Atlanta in 1902 and in Washington in 1906. 
These meetings have been since duplicated in vari¬ 
ous churches throughout the United States and 
furnished greater stimulus to religious and educa¬ 
tional work among Negro people than any other 
meetings ever held. The meeting at Atlanta was 
attended by 10,000 of the most representative peo¬ 
ple of the Negro race and has the record of being 
the largest attended meeting ever held before the 
since of the Negro race. 

Secretary Penn participated in the Centenary of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church as the Freedmen’s 
Aid representative by appointment of his Board. 
He helped in the raising of the 112 millions for 
education and missions. This Centenary is to ben¬ 
efit the Freedmen’s Aid Society in contributing to 
the endowment and building program of the 
schools. 



520 




















SAMUEL N. VASS, D. D. 


R. Vass, son of Major W. W. and 
Annie Victoria (Mitchell) Vass, 
was born in Raleigh, N. C., May 
22, 1866, and educated in St. Aug¬ 
ustine School and Shaw Univer¬ 
sity, located in his native city. At 
fourteen years of age, being poor, he began teach¬ 
ing school in the country during vacation and also 
for two months during the school session, but he 
kept up with his studies. Graduating from St. 
Augustine School at seventeen, he was elected 
Vice-Principal of one of the public schools in Ral¬ 
eigh, was called to teach at Shaw University. He 
began at the bottom, but was promoted gradually 
until he was the Dean of the college department. 
He resigned at Shaw in 1893, to become Sunday 
School Missionary of the American Baptist Publi¬ 
cation Society for Virginia, Maryland, and the D.s- 
trict of Columbia. After serving as Missionary for 
about three years, he was made the Disti ict Sec¬ 
retary for the Southern States, with headcpiai ti i s 
at Atlanta, Ga. 

About this time many leaders of the colored 
race inclined to a policy of entire separation from 
their white friends in all denominational work, and 


the great National Baptist Convention itself lent 
its influence for a while in this direction, and great 
race bitterness was developed, and bitter dissen¬ 
sions among the Negro Baptist leaders. Dr. Vass 
was the central figure in this controversy, which 
lasted a decade, his position being that the time had 
not arrived for Negroes to part with their white 
friends in denominational work, and he advocated 
cooperation as the proper policy of the race and 
denomination. 

Today, co-operation is the watchword of the en¬ 
tire Negro Baptist family. Negro Baptist consti¬ 
tute so large a percentage of the Negro race that 
the policy of the Baptists largely dominated the 
policy of the race, with the result that Dr. Vass be¬ 
gan to assume, national importance and is today 
one of the most prominent men of the race. 

During the sixteen years he has been continuous¬ 
ly in the service of the Publication Society, he has 
been twice offered the presidency of one institution 
of learning, and was recently elected to take charge 
of another school, at Augusta, Ga. He has also 
been urged to assume the pastorate, but he has 
preferred the field work on account of the great 
possibilities of reaching the largest number for 
good. 

The Publication Society has promoted Dr. Vass 
to become its Superintendent for Colored Work for 
the entire United States. He supervises the field 
work of colored missionaries and suggests to them 
the best methods of doing the field work, and from 
time to time calls them all together into a school of 
methods. 

Dr. Vass has made a specialty of normal work, 
and he restricts his normal work to its applica¬ 
tion to Bible study and teaching. He illustrates 
his method of actually imparting Bible knowledge 
at the same time he teaches method. In fact, he 
pays as much attention to teaching the Bible as he 
does to imparting method, and he often gathers 
ministers and other workers in conference at strat¬ 
egic points for the special study of the Bible. A 
recent conference at Shreveport, La., had an at¬ 
tendance of more than a hundred preachers. 

He is often invited to do this normal Bible work 
before state conventions. There is very close co¬ 
operation between the work of Dr. Vass and that 
of the National Baptist Convention, and he holds 
joint meetings with National Convention workers 
on the field and occupies an important and influen¬ 
tial place among the leaders of that body today. 
Dr. Vass enjoys the highest confidence of the great 
society under which he works. 

He has a national reputation as an author and his 
works are widely read. 

Dr. Vass married Mary Eliza Haywood, of Ral¬ 
eigh, N. C., June 1885. They have two children, 
Maud Lillian, (Mrs. N. F. Bass), and Dr. R. S. Vass. 



521 










Richard Robert Wright, Jr., 

ICHARD Robert Wright, Jr., is 
the son of Major R. R. and 
Mrs. Lydia Elizabeth Howard; 
Wright. His father has been for 
twenty-five years the president 
of the Georgia State Industrial 
College, Savannah, Ga., and was major and pay¬ 
master of the United States Volunteers in the 
Spanish-American war. He was born April 16, 
1878, at Cuthbert, Ga. He is a member of a fam¬ 
ily of nine children. Entered school at the age of 
six years, and attended school about eighteen years 
in all, attending the graded schools of Augusta, 
Ga.; Haines Institute, Augusta, Ga.; Georgia State 
College, University of Chicago and University of 
Pennsylvania. Graduated from the normal depart¬ 
ment of the Georgia State College in 1895, receiv¬ 
ing gold medal for scholarship. He received A. B. 
degree from Georgia State College, 1898; A. M., 
Georgia State College, 1901; B. D., from the Uni¬ 
versity of Chicago, 1901 ; A. M., from the Universi¬ 
ty of Chicago, 1904; Ph. D., from the University of 
Pennsylvania, 1911. He was Research Fellow in So¬ 
ciology, 1905-6. and Special University Fellow in 
Sociology at University of Pennsylvania, 1906-8. 
During 1903-1904 he studied in the University of 
Berlin, Germany; in 1904 he was a student at the 
University of Liepzig, Germany. He refused to ac¬ 
cept the honorary degree of D. D. from Wilber- 
force University, in 1914, because of the convic¬ 
tion that no man under forty years of age should 
receive an honorary degree. He was converted 
February, 1891, and joined Bethel A. M. E. Church, 
Augusta, Ga. He has been an exhorter, local 
preacher, Sunday school teacher, secretary and as¬ 
sistant superintendent of Sunday schools, and pres¬ 
ident of Allen Christian Endeavor. Licensed to ex¬ 
hort by Rev. S. D. Roseborough, in 1898, and li¬ 
censed to preach in 1899 at St. Phillip’s, Savannah, 
Ga., by Rev. T. N. M Smith ; joined the Iowa An¬ 
nual Conference under Bishop Arnett, September, 
1899, at Bethel Church, Chicago, Rev. R. C. Ran¬ 
som, pastor; ordained deacon, September, 1900, at 
Minneapolis, Minn., by Bishop Grant; ordained el¬ 
der September, 1901, at St. Stephen’s, Chicago, by 
Bishop Grant. Dr. Wright has held the following 
appointments: Assistant pastor of the Institu¬ 
tional Church, Chicago, 1900-01 ; instructor of 
Hebrew and New Testament Greek in Payne The¬ 
ological Seminary, 1901-1903; on leave of absence 
to study in Germany, 1903-1904; Elgin, Ill., 1904; 
Trinity, Chicago, 1904-1905 ; in University of Penn¬ 
sylvania, 1905-1908; Conshohockon, Penn., 1908; 
editor Christian Recorder since 1909. He was a 


A. B., A. M., B. D., Ph.„D. 

member of the general conference of 1912, and 
business manager of the Book Concern, as well a: 
editor from February, 1909 to 1912, succeeding L 
H. T. Johnson editor and Dr. J. H. Collett, man¬ 
ager, both deceased. He was a delegate to the 
Ecumenical Conference, Toronto, Canada, 1911; 
was elected editor of Christian Recorder in 1912 
and re-elected without opposition in 1916. Mar¬ 
ried Miss Charlotte Crogman, daughter of Dr. W. 
H. Crogman, then president of Clark University, at 
Atlanta, Ga., in 1909. They have three children— 
Ruth, 5 years; Richard R., Ill, 3 years; Alberta, 
1 year. In July, 1911, when the Book Concern was 
to be sold by the sheriff for a $5000 judgment, Dr. 
Wright prevented the sale by purchasing the judg¬ 
ment for $1900 of his own funds. In 1916 he pur¬ 
chased a permanent church home for St. John’s 
Mission, Philadelphia, for more than $2000 cash. 

Dr. Wright was elected instructor of sociology 
in Howard University, at $1500 per year, but de¬ 
clined. He is the founder and president of Eighth 
Ward Settlement Building and Loan Association, 
member of board of managers of Association for 
Protection of Colored Women, Spring Street So¬ 
cial Settlement, member board of direction of 
Work for Colored Churches, of Federal Council of 
Churches of Christ in America, Abolition Society, 
Mercy Hospital, member American Academy of 
Political and Social Science, Sigma Pi Phi, Alpha 
Boule, American Negro Academy. Author of 
“Negro in Pennsylvania, “Teaching of Jesus,” 
“The Negro Problem,” and numerous pamph¬ 
lets, magazine articles. His sociological studies 
have been published by United States Bureau of 
Labor, Pennsylvania Bureau of Industrial Statis¬ 
tics, Pittsburgh Survey, Annals of American Acad¬ 
emy of Political and Social Science, Southern 
Workman, Star Center, Inter-Municipal Review, 
publications of the Southern Sociological So¬ 
ciety. He has lectured at Howard University, 
Wilberforce, Georgia State College, Morris Brown 
University, Allen University, Campbell College, A. 
and M. College (Mississippi), Lincoln Institute 
(Missouri), A. and T. College (Greensboro, N. C.), 
the University of Pennsylvania, Institute for Col¬ 
ored youths, and numerous educational institutions. 

The above sketch reproduced from the “Ency¬ 
clopedia of African Methodism” gives some idea of 
the preparation of the guiding spirit in that tre¬ 
mendous undertaking and accounts for the high 
character of the contents. The Encyclopedia of 
African Methodism was compiled by Dr. Wright in 
1916, assisted by John R. Hawkins. 



522 






Toussaint L’Overture 


OUSSAINT L’Overture is regard¬ 
ed by historians and the thinking 
world as one of the best instances 
of what a pure blooded Negro can 
make of himself even under try- 

_ ing conditions. He was born a 

slave"near" - Cape Francais in the Island of Hayti, in 
1743. His father and mother were African slaves. 
His particular work on the farm was that of coach¬ 



man, and afterwards assistant to the overseei on 
his master’s sugar plantation. In contact with the 
overseer and his master in these two capacities, he 
gained some education which as all the woild 
knows he used to great advantage for his fellow 
countrymen. As is well known, the French Revo¬ 
lution broke out in 1789. The islands of Hayti and 
Santo Domingo being among the chief if not the 
chief possessions of the French Government quick¬ 
ly imbibed the spirit of Revolution. Negroes had 
been imported upon these islands from every sec¬ 
tion of the world. So numerous had they become 
that they out-numbered the whites about 17 to 1. 
The population of Hayti in 1700 numbered about 
500,000. Of these 38,300 were Europeans, 45,3/U 
were free mulattoes. Caught in the whirl of the 
Revolutionary spirit, the Negroes started a revo u- 

tion. 

the European Governments saw to it that even 
the mulattoes had little freedom, though the latter 
were wealthy and intelligent as a class. In .May, 
l/Pl, the French General Assembly gave to the free 
iMegro rights of citizenship, these rights, however, 
the Colonial planters were inclined to suppress. n 
August ol the same year the slaves began their in¬ 
surrection. T he mulattoes and whites dropped then 
quarrels and turned their attention to the Revolu¬ 
tion the mulattoes joined forces with the slaves. 
It was m this uprising that loussaint L'Overture 


won distinction. 

1„ the second battle in 1/92, Toussaint joined 
with the Spaniards and succeeded in routing the 
French T he next year the French Commissioners 
proclaimed universal freedom. This won the Ne¬ 
gro to the colours of the French Republic. At this 
time the English were beseiging Fort An Prince. 
Toussaint rushed to the aid of the French and suc¬ 
ceeded in repelling the English. The French Gen¬ 
eral who was defending Port Au Prince was named 
Laveaux. It is from Laveaux, so history records, 
that Toussaint gained his surname L’Overture. 

Laveaux is said to have exclaimed: "Vais set 
homme fait ouverture patout.” After this L’Over¬ 
ture was made a general of the division and fought 
bravely against the Spaniards. 


In 1796 he was made Commander-in-chief of the 
French forces on the Island. The next year he 
caused the surrender of the English who were at 
that time invading Hayti. In a quarrel with the 
French Commissioner Hedoville, Toussaint sent 
him home. By 1801, he had put down all foes and 
had the island under complete subjection. 

From now on he was the dictator on the island, 
however he ruled with moderation and justice to¬ 
wards all classes. Under his dictatorship, both 
Hayti and Santo Domingo reached great heights 
of prosperity. It is probable also that in no pe¬ 
riods of these has there been such uniform peace. 

In his private life, he was said to have been kind, 
reasonable and modest. In public he assumed a 
good bit of pomp in order to inspire his followers. 
His title was “Life President.” 

At last, however, the French Commander Le- 
clerc promised the whole island absolute freedom. 
He thus won to him the Negro chieftain. Toussaint 
was treacherously seized and sent to France to 
die in a dungeon. 

The climax of Wendell Phillips’ speech in com¬ 
paring Toussaint L’Overture with other great gen¬ 
erals of the world should be known by every Ne¬ 
gro. Phillips says: “Hayti from the ruins of her 
colonial dependence, is become a civilized State, 
the seventh Nation in the catalogue of commerce 
with this country, inferior in morals and education 
to none of the West Indian Isles. Foreign mer¬ 
chants trust her goods as willingly as they do our 
own. Thus far she has foiled the ambition of 
Spain, the greed of England and the malicious 
statesmanship of Leclerc. Toussaint made her 
what she is. In this work there have been grouped 
around him a score of men mostly of pure Negro 
blood who ably seconded his efforts. They were 
able in war and skilful in civil affairs, but not like 
him remarkable for that rare mingling of high 
qualties whch alone makes true greatness and en¬ 
sues a man leadership among those otherwise al¬ 
most his equals. Toussaint was indisputably their 
chief. Courage, purpose, endurance—these are the 
tests. He did plant a state so deep that all the 
world has not been able to root it up. 

I would call him Napoleon, but Napoleon made 
his way to empire over broken oaths and through 
a sea of blood. This man never broke his word: 
“No retaliation,” was his great motto and the rule 
of his life; and the last words uttered to his son in 
France were these: “My boy, you will some day go 
back to Santo Domingo; forget that France mur¬ 
dered your father.” 


523 








Hon. Edward Wilmont Blyden, LL. D. 


ITHOUT doubt, the Hon. E. W. 
Blyden was the most learned man 
of the race, especially in the lan¬ 
guages, and as such, was acknow¬ 
ledged a man of a most gigantic 
intellect and acquisitive powers, 
in St. Thomas, one of the Danish 
West Indies, August 3, 1832, but lived in the Un¬ 
ited States for some time during his youth. From 
this country, accompanied by his brother, he went 
to Liberia, landing January 26, 1851. At this time 
he was about nineteen years old. He was educated 
at Alexander High School, of which he became 
principal. This school was situated up the river 
St. Paul, about twenty miles from Monrovia. He 
has held many positions of honor and trust under 
the Liberian Government. He has been twice the 
Secretary of State of Liberia, and secretary of the 
interior once. For eight years he was minister 
plenipotentiary and envoy extraordinary to the 
Court of St. James. He was candidate and nom¬ 
inee of the Liberia Republican Party, for the Pres¬ 
idency, in 1884, but was defeated by H. R. W. John¬ 
son, who was for years President of Libeiia. 

Dr. Blyden was a distinguished linguist and or¬ 
iental scholar ,and a prolific magazine writer, and 
had a wonderful knowledge of the Arabic language, 
having been professor of this language at one 
time. The following notice appeared in the Lon¬ 
don Official Gazette and is here quoted by way of 
information: 

“The Liberian Minister To The Court of St. 
James.” 

“Osborne, August 3.—This day had audience of 
Her Majesty, Edward Wilmont Blyden, esq., Min¬ 
ister Plenipotentiary from the Republic of Liberia, 
to deliver new credentials, to which audience he 
was introduced by the Marquis of Salisbury, K. 
G., Her Majesty’s principal Secretary of State for 
Foreign affairs. 

Dr. Blyden has the honor of being the first Ne¬ 
gro Plenipotentiary of the First Christian Negro 
State in Africa ever received at a court in Europe. 

In 1866, he visited Palestine and Egypt, and af¬ 
terwards published an account of his travels in a 
volume, entitled “From West Africa to Palestine.” 
In 1871, he resigned his professorship in the col¬ 
lege and traveled in England. On his return to 
Africa he accepted the appointment from Governor 


Kennedy of Sierra Leone, of envoy to the pagan 
King of the Soolima Country. His report on that 
expedition was printed by the government and pub¬ 
lished in the proceedings of the Royal Geographical 
Society. 

In 1873, he was sent by Governor J. Pope Hen- 
nessy on another mission to a Mohammedan chief, 
three hundred miles northeast of Sierra Leone. In 
1874, he was authorized to re-open the Alexander 
High School, on the St. Paul River, which is now 
in charge of an assistant. In 1877, he was appoint¬ 
ed by President Payne, minister to England, and 
President Gardner has continued the appointment. 

Dr. Blyden has contributed several articles to the 
Methodist Quarterly Review in New York, and 
Fraser’s Magazine in England. His local paper 
on “Africa and the Africans” has appeared in Fras¬ 
er for August, 1878. 

Dr. Blyden has been chosen an honorary member 
of the Atheneum Club, one of the most aristocratic 
and exclusive clubs of London. On the committee 
who elected him are such men as Sir John Lubbock, 
Lord Carnarvon, Herbert Spencer, Viscount Cald¬ 
well and Dean Church. The Marquis of Salisbury, 
the foreign secretary, is a member of the club. Dr 
Blyden is probably the first Nergo who has been 
so honored.” 

It is said that he was acquainted with more than 
forty languages and speaks all of them fluently. 
He has been a believer in the Christian religion, 
but it is now currently reported and pretty satis¬ 
factorily understood that he became an advocate of 
the Mohammedan faith. He wrote a series of ar¬ 
ticles upon that topic to the A. M. E. Review, in 
which it is apparent he seeks to commend the fine 
points concerning the doctrines of that faith. Be¬ 
ing brought in contact with many of the Arabic 
professors, he had an abundant opportunity of in¬ 
quiring into the faith more practically than any one 
else of his color, because he gathered his informa¬ 
tion from the actual professors of that faith. 

Mr. Blyden returned to Africa and spent the bal¬ 
ance of his days there. He was formerly a Pres¬ 
byterian minister, but abandoned the pulpit. This 
man’s ability, scholarship and talent was a wonder¬ 
ful example of the native ability of the Negro. His 
intellect towers above that of ordinary men as the 
church steeple above the brick chimney of the or¬ 
dinary house. 



He was born 


524 






Th omas Green Bethune, “Blind Tom’ 


HOMAS Green Bethune, better 

I 

known as “Blind Tom,” was born 
May 25, 1849, in Columbus, Geor¬ 
gia. Thomas was born blind and 
as the beauties of nature could 
only be revealed to him through 
the sense of hearing, and retained by the power of 
memory and imitation, these faculties were culti¬ 
vated to a remarkable degree, making him a mar¬ 
vel to the age in which he lived. 

He was the embodiment of music, and in this 
art his powers were unlimited. 

He first had access to a piano when he was four 
years of age, and his joy could not be imagined 
when he could perform on the instrument the 
thoughts of his youthful brain. 

After exhausting his store of lessons he began 
to improvise for himself, playing what he said “the 
wind said,” or the trees or birds. 

His “Rain Storm,” composed during a thunder 
storm when Tom was but five years old, is so per¬ 
fect that the hearer instinctively looked for the 
lightning flash. His soul was the master of music, 
and so great a master that musicians declined to 
instruct him. Said one musician: “1 can’t teach 
him anything; he knows more of music than we 
know or can know. We can learn all that great 
genius can reduce to rule and put in tangible form ; 
he knows more than that. I do not even know 
what it is; but 1 feel it is something beyond my 
comprehension. All that can be done foi him will 
be to let him hear fine playing; he will work it all 
out by himself after awhile.” 

When a babe Thomas seemed totally blind and 
it was because of this that he received the cog¬ 
nomen, “Blind Tom.” As he grew he was enabled 
m time to enjoy to a limited extent the blessing of 
sight. 

When a young child, often he might be seen with 
head upturned, gazing intently upon the sun, and 
he would thrust his fingers into his eyes with such 
force that they would bleed. 

This he continued until he became able to dis¬ 
tinguish any very bright object. 

Mr. Trotter says of him: “Considering that in 
early life he learned nothing, and later but little 
from sight, that he is possessed by an overmas¬ 


tering passion which so pervades his whole nature 
as to leave little room for interest in anything else, 
and the gratification of which has been indulged 
to the largest extent, it is not surprising that to 
the outside world he should exhibit but few mani¬ 
festations of intellect as applicable to any of the 
ordinary affairs of life, or that those who see him 
under its influence should conclude that he is 
idiotic.” 

He had a most extraordinary memory of names, 
dates and events, a wonderful power of imitation 
and an elegance of taste and power in his perform¬ 
ances. 

He adhered strictly to what he believed was 
right, was uniformly polite and exhibited a nice 
sense of propriety. 

Eminent musicians both in America and Europe 
bear testimony to his musical genius. 

Among his classical selections was Andante by 
Mendelssohn and Sonata “Pathetique” by Beetho¬ 
ven. His marches include “Delta Kappa Epsilon,” 
Pease; “Grand March de Concert,” Wallace; “Gen¬ 
eral Ripley’s March,” Amazon March, Masonic 
Grand March. 

His powers of imitation were so perfect as often 
to deceive the hearer. They were imitations of 
the Music Box, Dutch Woman and Hand Organ, 
Harp, Scotch Bagpipes, Scotch Fidler, Church Or¬ 
gan, Guitar, Banjo, Douglass’ Speech, Uncle 
Charlie, The Cascade, Rain Storm and Battle of 
Manassas. The two latter were his own compo¬ 
sition, representing his descriptive music. 

His fame is world wide. He has visited all the 
large cities of America and Europe and has enter¬ 
tained thousands, who have listened to his perfor¬ 
mances with wonder and accorded him enthusiastic 
applause. 

Doubtless more persons have flocked to see and 
hear him than any other living wonder. 

After playing, he generally sprang up and ap¬ 
plauded himself vociferously. 

For a while he disappeared from the stage, but 
reappeared in New York in 1904-05 and finally 
ended his career in Hoboken, N. J., in 1908, where 
he died. 

An article of this length can merely touch upon 
his most wonderful career. 



525 









Samuel Coleridge Taylor 


OMMON are the names of the Ne¬ 
gro poet, the orator, the business 
man, indeed the names of black 
folk in nearly every achievement. 
But somehow when you call for 
the Negro composer the names 
are not so familiar. It appears that only in very 
recent years has the Negro himself begun to appre¬ 
ciate either music or the musician in our midst, 
and especially the genuine composer. 

Coleridge Taylor, or to give him his full name, 
Samuel Coleridge Taylor, is worthy of the name he 
carries. The poet, after whom no doubt his name 
has been chosen, though differently placed, was in 
everything a mystic. I he critics say that ever in 
his composition the musician is true in this mysti¬ 
cism to the spirit of the past. Coleridge Taylor 
comes almost fresh from the land of mystery and 
weird songs and lurid lights. His father was a na¬ 
tive of Sierra Leone ; his mother a British woman. 

For a while after their marriage the parents lived 
happily together in England. Then the fathei re¬ 
turned to Africa. The lad remained in England 
with his mother. Young Taylor was a prodigy 
from the first. His aptness inspired his mother to 
direct even at a very early age, his attention speci¬ 
fically to music, thus saving time and energy and 
perhaps saving to the world a splendid musician, 
for had she tried to send him through regular cur¬ 
riculum who knows what might have happened to 
the musical prodigy. 

Born in London, in 1875, young Taylor entered 
the Royal Academy of Music at the age of fifteen. 
Before entering he had had some training with 
the violin and the piano. At the Royal Academy 
the young man soon took his place as the most bril¬ 
liant in the school, for he distinguished himself by 
winning the prize for musical composition in 1893, 
during his third year there. He continued his stu¬ 
dies here, putting himself under the famous Vil¬ 
li vers-Stanford until 1896. 

In 1903, he landed his first endeavor in organiza¬ 
tion. Fortunately he hit upon the task in which he 
was to excel at the very first. At Craydon, in the 
year mentioned he organized and brought to a very 
successful conclusion a series of orchestral con¬ 
certs. 

This marked the beginning of musical fame, both 


as a composer and as a musical director. From 
that time on the world knew him for his weird and 
me’ancholy music. From this time for a score of 
years later he held sway first in the British music 
halls and then in American. 

Phileas, it is said got all of his images of the 
Greek Gods from the poet Homer. The sculptor 
took the blind poets words and made them live in 
stone. Such was the genius of Coleridge Taylor. 
He took the words of the poet and gave them a 
new meaning with note and bar. Who does not 
know his Hiawatha, which he rendered himself 
with a chorus, more than once in this country. His 
music but puts new meaning into the words of 
Longfellow. So with the poems of Dunbar and 
with the works of others, he gave to them the 
touch which only music can offer as the finish to 
verse. 

No real music shelf is now complete without one 
or two pieces of his work. Indeed, few entertain¬ 
ments, and none among Negroes are given without 
at least one selection from his hand. In addition 
to Hiawatha and the poems of Dunbar already 
mentioned, Coleridge Taylor has the following fa¬ 
mous pieces: “The Blind Girl of Castle“Guille,” 
“The Atonement,” “Dream Towers,” which is an 
operetta. He has also piano music, and anthems 
as well. 

Whatever may be his fate abroad and in his nat¬ 
ive land, Coleridge Taylor is pretty sure of immor¬ 
tality among the American Negroes. He will pro¬ 
bably never be popular but among those who strive 
for perfection and for the highest in musical com¬ 
position he will always be famous. During his life 
time and immediately after his death, the devotees 
of the art sought to make his election to popular 
fancy sure by naming many choral clubs after him. 
No doubt this will hold his name before the public 
a little longer, but before it binds itself around the 
public heart, the worshippers at his shrine must 
raise the standard so high that the rag-time and 
the jog will not so easily drown out the voice of 
the master. Until they can accomplish this let the 
few continue to worship at his shrine and the whole 
race rejoice that at least one Negro commands the 
best artists, wherever good music is loved and 
played. 



526 






LT. COLONEL CHARLES YOUNG 


B MIDST the sharp, even harsh, 
competition for rank, it is a rare 
and glorious honor to be distin¬ 
guished in any one of the wars of 
America. How happy must the 
soldier be therefore who receives 
laurels from any battle fields and from periods of 
history, and who amidst it all is a candidate foi 
new fields and battles and a rival for the highest 
military honors his nation has to give. 

Such is the good fortune of Lieutenant Colonel 
Charles Young, who received the rank of Lieuten¬ 
ant Colonel in 1916 during the world war. The 
subject of this sketch had by his skill, intelligence, 
courage and hard work been in the ascendency foi 
the last score of years. Indeed Colonel Young is 
one of the picked men. The rank he now holds is 
the highest ever attained by a Negro in the regular 
army. He is one of the three Negroes to be grad¬ 
uated from West Point, having completed the 
course there in 1889. 

Colonel Young is a native of the State of Ken¬ 
tucky. On completing his course at West Point 
he was commissioned to the Tenth Cavalry. It 
was not long before his distinguished services won 


for him the rank of Major. It was during the 
Spanish-American War that Colonel Young and his 
horse began to win fame. It was the famous Tenth 
who, following their tactics which they had learn¬ 
ed in fighting the Indians, succeeded in rescuing 
the Rough Riders and their Colonel, Roosevelt, 
from sure defeat. From now on Colonel Young 
and his men are famous whether they are camp¬ 
ing, doing a practice drill or actual service. 

Following the Spanish-American War Colonel 
Young was assigned to the Island of Philippines. 
Once more thorough workmanship, coolness under 
fire, geniality and diplomacy characterized his life 
here. At another period of his life he was Com¬ 
mandant of cadets at Wilberforce University in the 
State of Ohio. Another time he was sent to the 
Republic of Liberia to give instruction in Military 
science, a post which he filled with credit to him¬ 
self, his race and his country as well. 

When Mexico under Villa, began to attack 
America on the southern border Colonel Young 
was sent to Texas with his men to protect his coun¬ 
try. As in all other battles he and his famous 
Tenth came off with the glory. During the war 
in Europe some question arose as to the health of 
Colonel Young. It was alleged that his heart was 
too weak to stand the strain of European service. 
Specialists examined him, but found his heart 
sound. However, he was for a time retired and 
sent back to Wilberforce. To demonstrate Hie 
soundness of the whole man, Colonel Young rod ' 
horse back all the way from the West to the Na¬ 
tion’s Capitol. He was re-instated during the lat¬ 
ter part of the war. 

Not only is Colonel Young a soldier, he is a 
military scholar and a man of exceptional diplo¬ 
macy, and while in the army so conducted himself 
as to gain the respect and esteem of every officer 
he came in contact with. Colonel Young is an au¬ 
thority on cavalry. He has written a most learned 
treatise on cavalry service. Much of his time since 
the war Colonel Young has spent in appearing in 
public, inspiring the Negro to patience and hope 
under the new conditions brought by the war in 
Europe. 

Personally, Colonel Young is modest and unas¬ 
suming. and no one would ever judge by his con¬ 
versation that he was one of the most noted cav¬ 
alry leaders this country has produced. 

He set an example of military discipline and re¬ 
spect for superior officers that would make a 
splendid standard for any country to adopt. 

He is absolutely fearless and inspired his men 
in,a manner that made them absolutely fearless. 

Colonel Young deserves to be classed with t 1 '- 
really Great Negroes, and it is regrettable that he 
did not see active service in Europe. 


527 






H on. Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback 


HE subject of this sketch was born 
May 10, 1837, while his mother 
was in transit from Virginia to 
Mississippi. His father was a 
prominent planter in Holmes 
County, Mississippi. His mother, 
was of mixed blood and known as a 
mulatto, though she claimed to have Indian blood 
in her veins. 

Though freed, she returned with the father of 
her children to Virginia. Pinckney was born free. 

In 1846, in company with his brother Napoleon, 
who was seven years his senior, Pinckney was sent 
by his father to Cincinnati to attend Gilmores High 
School. 

In 1848 they returned home. The same year his 
father died, and his mother with five children, were 
sent to Cincinnati by the administrator of his fa¬ 
ther’s estate. His brother Napoleon, the mainstay 
of the family, lost his mind in Cincinnati, which 
compelled Pinckney at the tender age of twelve to 
start out into the world on his own responsibility. 

He secured work as a cabin boy at eight dol¬ 
lars a month on a canal boat on the Miami canal, 
running from Cincinnati to Toledo, Ohio. 

Several years were spent in canal boating on 
the Miami, and also the Ft. Wayne and Toledo 
canals. 

From 1854 to 1861 he followed steamboating on 
the Red, Missouri and the Mississippi rivers and. 
had reached the position of steward, when the war 
interrupted that business. 

May 10, 1862, in Yazoo City, Mississippi, he 
abandoned the steamer Alonzo Childs, of which he 
was steward, ran the Confederate blockade and ar¬ 
rived in New Orleans two days after. 

May 16, 1882, he had a serious difficulty with his 
brother-in-law, John Keppard, who was wounded 
in- the encounter. The civil authorities arrested 
him, but he gave bail. While awaiting trial, the 
military authorities re-arrested, speedily tried and 
convicted him for assault with attempt to murder 
and sentenced him to two years in the work house. 

May 25. 1862, he was committed and August 18, 
1862, released to enlist in the First Louisiana Vol¬ 
unteer infantry. A few days after enlistment he 
was detailed to assist in recruiting the Second Lou¬ 
isiana infantry. 

October 12, 1862, the second regiment, Louisiana 
Native Guards, with Captain Pinchback in com¬ 
mand of Company A, was mustered into the service 
of the United States. 

The Federal soldiery, rank and file, in the main 
were as hostile as the bitterest Confederates. 


In his efforts to maintain the manhood and 
equality of rights of the colored soldiery, Captain 
Pinchback was often placed in great peril. 

His boldness always excited admiration, and 
many have wondered that he did not lose his life. 

Passing over further notice of his military ca¬ 
reer we come now to consider his advent into pol¬ 
itics. 

April 9, 1867, he made his first move in the po¬ 
litical field, upon which he afterward won such 
distinction, by organizing the Fourth Ward Re¬ 
publican Club of New Orleans, Louisiana. 

From that time on he filled a large place and 
many important positions. Almost continuously he 
was a member of the Louisiana Republican State 
Committee. 

The first civil appointment for which he held a 
warrant was Inspector of Customs, made by the 
Hon. William P. Kellogg ,May 22, 1867, who at 
that time was collector of the port of New Orleans. 
However, the position was declined. 

He was an influential member of the Convention 
called for the purpose of establishing a constitu¬ 
tion and civil government for the State of Lou¬ 
isiana. 

At the election to ratify the Constitution, April 
17 and 18, 1868, he was elected a State Senator. 
The same year he was elected a delegate at large 
to the Republican National Convention held at 
Chicago, May 20, 1868. 

In 1869 he was appointed registrar of the land 
office at New Orleans, but declined the office. 

December 25, 1870, he started the publication of 
the New Orleans Louisianian, which he ran for 
eleven years with great credit to himself and ad¬ 
vantage to his race. From March 18, 1871, to 
March, 1877, he served as Educational School Di¬ 
rector of the City of New Orleans. 

He was nominated by the Republican State Con¬ 
vention for Governor of Louisiana, but in order to 
bring together two factions of the party, a com¬ 
promise was made and he was elected to the United 
States Congress. In 1873 he was elected Lhiited 
States Senator. 

To recount all the honors heaped upon Mr. 
Pinchback and the incidents of his active career, 
would require more space than that given to this 
article. He has made his place in history and his 
name will live, although he has passed into the 
other world. 

He was a prudent, economical financier, and ac¬ 
cumulated a very handsome fortune. His income 
from stocks and bonds amounted annually to about 
$ 10 , 000 . 



528 






Hon. John Mercer Langston, A. B., A. M., LL. D. 


HE subject of this sketch is not 
only one of the greatest Negroes 
of America, but is on the list of 
America’s great men irrespective 
of color. He was born in Louisa 
County, Virginia, December 14, 
1829, and the blood of three races ran through his 
viens: Indian, Negro and Anglo-Saxon. He has 
the fortitude of the first, the pride of the second 
and the progressiveness of the third. 

He was born in slavery, his father being his own¬ 
er, so he took the name of his mother’s family, 
which was Indian and Negro mainly, and was clos¬ 
ely related to the family of Pocahontas. 

By will his father emancipated him when a mere 
child, and he was sent to the State of Ohio, where 
he grew to manhood, and was educated and pur¬ 
sued a professional and official life to the year 
1867. 

In 1884 he entered Oberlin College, located at 
Oberlin, Ohio, and graduated after five years reg¬ 
ular collegiate study in 1849. He then sought ad¬ 
mission to a law school, conducted by Mr. J. W. 
Fowler, at Ballston Spa, New York, but was re¬ 
fused admission on account of his color. 

He was also refused admission to a law school in 
Cincinnati, Ohio, for the same reason. 

His next step to secure a legal education was to 
seek a situation as a student in some lawyer’s of¬ 
fice. He made but poor success in this direction. 
Only the Hon. Sherlock J. Andrews, of Cleveland, 
Ohio, would consent to furnish him books, with an 
occasional opportunity for explanation of law doc¬ 
trines and principles, so that no interference was 
made in ordinary office business. He accomplished 
but little in this way and the attendant embarrass¬ 
ment so discouraged him, that he abandoned the 
study for a while, and entered the Theological De¬ 
partment of Oberlin College, from which he grad¬ 
uated in 1853. 

He finally entered upon the study of law under 
the tuition of Hon. Philemon Bliss, of Elyria, Ohio, 
at the time one of the first lawyers of the Ohio Bar. 
About one year later, Mr. Langston appeared by 
order of the court for examination, with lefeience 
to his admission to the bar, before a special com¬ 
mittee appointed by the court, composed of two 
Democrats and one Whig. 

The matter of admitting colored men to the bai 
was novel. No one of this class up to that time 
had the temerity to offer himself as a candidate foi 
such an honor. 

The question of legality of admitting a coloi cd 
man to the Ohio Bar arose and was decided against 


such admission. The question of Langston’s color 
was inquired into and it was decided that he had 
more white than Negro blood, so he was ordered 
to be sworn by the court as a lawyer, October 24, 
1854. 

Owing to ill health, and upon the advice of his 
physician, immediately after being admitted to the 
bar, he went upon a farm in Brownhelm, Lorain 
County, Ohio. He was the only colored person 
residing in that section of Ohio, but he received a 
cordial welcome and given opportunity for the em¬ 
ployment of all the ability, legal and otherwise, 
which he possessed. 

In the fall of 1854, one of the leading lawyers as¬ 
sociated with him in an important case involv¬ 
ing landed‘interest. The court, the witnesses, the 
lawyers, except Langston, were all white. Such 
was the success of the colored lawyer in connection 
with the case that he found himself at once sur¬ 
rounded by numerous clients with fat retainers. 
From that time he grew in business and influence 
rapidly. 

In 1855, he was elected to the clerkship of one of 
the most advanced townships of the state by a 
white vote. 

He moved to Oberlin in 1856 and was at once el¬ 
ected clerk of the township of Russia ; next year he 
was elected a member of the City Council of Ober¬ 
lin, a position he held for two years, and for eleven 
years was a member of the Board of Education. 

In the fall of 1860, he was engaged in looking 
after the school interests of the colored youth of 
Ohio, organizing schools among them and supply¬ 
ing teachers thereof. 

In 1867 he was appointed to act as general in¬ 
spector of the schools of the freed people of the 
country, and in July of that year he made his first 
'trip Southward on the errand indicated. 

In 1867, he was admitted to practice in the Su¬ 
preme Court of the United States. 

In 1869 he was called to a professorship in the 
Law Department of Howard University. He at 
once became Dean of that department, organizing 
it, and for seven years he was at the head of wlr 
was recognized as one of the finest law schools in 
the country. 

In 1877 he was appointed by President Hayes, 
United States minister resident and consul-general 
to Hayti. As a diplomat he was an entire success, 
and won the respect and approval of all with whom 
he had to deal. 

In 1885 he was elected by the Board of Education 
of Virginia, President of the Virginia Normal and 
Collegiate Institute. 



529 








Richard Theodore Greener, 

HERE are some men whose lives 
or opportunities in life, you envy. 

It is not that they have necessar¬ 
ily done anything startling or 
lasting. Indeed this question is 
not considered. But somehow 
certain men manage to be on hand at the right mo¬ 
ment and this, too, through no ingenuity or fore¬ 
thought of their own. 

Such was the good fortune in many ways of 
Richard T. Greener, of Washington, D. C. In the 
first place, Mr. Greener escaped many of the hard¬ 
ships of slavery and the vexations of the days of re¬ 
construction. Shortly after the Civil War the Bos¬ 
ton daily papers carried two news stories. In the 
one they told of a young Southerner, a former Re¬ 
bel soldier, who was entering Harvard College. In 
the other they related that a Negro was also ma¬ 
triculating here. Thus came together under the 
shade of the old Elms the three forces of the great 
struggle of ‘63, the Yankee, the Southerner and the 
Negro. 

Mr. Richard T. Greener was this Negro. Happy 
the man to be at Harvard at any time. Thrice 
happy to be there is those days ! There was Charles 
Sumner, and Wendell Phillips and William Loyd 
Garrison and Holmes and Longfellow and Emerson 
and Lowell—Alas! one almost chokes with both 
envy and despair at the luxury of being even in or 
around Cambridge in those days. Why there was 
Mr. Greener right in the wake of the making of 
those essays, poems and orations, not to mention 
Hawthorn’s and Poe’s influence, that have made 
American literature. One could no doubt almost 
feel on the breeze from Back Bay the impulses 
from “Self-Reliance,” from the “American schol¬ 
ar,” from the “Chambered Nautilus,” and the “Vil¬ 
lage Blacksmith,” so pregnant was the air with the 
inspiration from the rich harvest of geniuses. 

Mr. Greener lived in this atmosphere, caught 
much of the inspiration and turned it to account. 
Mr. Greener prosecuted his studies, won scholar¬ 
ships, and came forth the first Negro to receive a 
degree from Harvard University and he lives to¬ 
day, the oldest Negro graduate from the halls of 
the crimson. 

Leaving his Alma Mater, Mr. Greener like most 
educated Negroes of that time felt called to the 


A. B., LL. B., LL. D. 

school room. For many years he taught and man¬ 
aged in the schools of South Carolina. Having- 
completed his law studies he became after a time 
Dean of the Law Department of Howard Univer- 
sity. Here, as afterwatd, all that culture which he 
gained from living in that refined and intellectual 
atmosphere at Cambridge stood him in good stead. 
He was able to give by his very life a culture that 
few Negroes at that time could impart. 

Mr. Greener also took part in the affairs of state. 
Under the McKinley and Roosevelt administra¬ 
tions he was both a national and an international 
figure. His most signal service was that rendered 
as Consul in Russia, especially at Vladivostok. He 
spent seven and a half years in Russia, seeing few 
Americans and fewer Negroes. Both his diplom¬ 
acy and his general conduct were during this time 
above reproach. 

On returning to America, Mr. Greener took to 
the lecture platform and to his pen. He is opti¬ 
mistic in his messages to the black American. His 
experience and long life give him a perspective de¬ 
nied to many. Nothing better illustrates this than 
a paragraph from one of his addresses : 

“I am old enough to remember when John Brown 
fired the shot at Harper’s Ferry heard ‘round the 
world—the shot which made a rebellion possible 
and precipitated a conflict which, had it not come 
then would, perhaps, have left us in a condition of 
slavery today. I remember, too, at the beginning 
of the war when Negro slaves were not allowed 
to help preserve the Union—when the Negro was 
simply known as a “contraband of war.” When I 
recall the condition of the colored people at that 
time throughout the United States I venture to 
think that those who are unduly alarmed at the 
sporadic instances of race persecution, of which 
we hear so much at times—do not value the ex¬ 
tent of the opportunities we have for substantial 
progress, nor do they measure adequately the force 
and effect of the real American civilization of to¬ 
day.” 

Mr. Greener represented officially Japanese and 
British interest during the Russian-Japanese War. 
For service to Chinese Boxer War in 1900 and for 
aid to Shansi famine sufferers, he was decorated 
with the order of Double Dragon by Chinese Gov¬ 
ernment, 1902; the only colored man so honored. 



530 









Major John R. Lynch 


R. Lynch, was born in Concordia 
Parish, Louisiana, September 10, 
1847. The bonds of slavery fast¬ 
ened themselves upon his young- 
life and held him from the bene¬ 
fits of freedom, culture, and from 
developing into a full grown man, such as the pe¬ 
culiarity of our institutions can bring forth. Des¬ 
titute of the means by which a youth is inspired 
to gieatness, he came forth after the war naturally 
lacking those qualities which would make a com¬ 
petent statesman and a capable leader. It is as¬ 
tonishing, indeed, how great have been the achieve¬ 
ments of most of the despised race when we re¬ 
member that without any previous training they 
were called to the most important stations in Am¬ 
erican affairs ; and the wonder is that they made no 
more mistakes than they did. 

hew have succeeded in coming out of the turmoil, 
strife, and political contest of the past with a rep¬ 
utation so untarnished as that of Mr. Lynch. He 
remained in slavery until Abraham Lincoln, with 
a stroke of his pen, cut the Gordian knot and gave 
liberty to the bondmen. 

He had no early education, but began to apply 
himself as soon as he was permitted to do so. A 
purchaser of his mother had carried her with her 
children to Natchez, where, when the Union troops 
took possession he attended evening school for a 
few months. He has given diligent attention to 
private instructors to the acquirement of a first 
class English education, and has read with consid¬ 
erable attention the best works published of an¬ 
cient and modern literature. 

He engaged in the business of photography at 
Natchez, until 1869, when Governor Ames appoint¬ 
ed him a justice of the Peace for Adams County, 
Natchez, Mississippi. He held that position until 
the fall of the same year, when he was elected to 
the State Legislature from that county for the 
term of two years. He was re-elected in 1871, and 
served during the latter term as speaker of the 
House of Representatives. He was elected a repre¬ 
sentative from Mississippi in the Forty-third Con¬ 
gress as a member of the lower house, receiving 
fifteen thousand three hundred and ninety-one 
votes against eight thousand for hundred and 
thirty for H. Cassidy, Sr., (Democrat), and was 
re-elected to the Forty-fourth Congress as a Re¬ 
publican, defeating Roderick Seals (Democrat). 
He was also re-elected to the Forty-seventh Con¬ 
gress, but was not allowed to take his seat. It 


will be remembered that the contest was between 
Lynch and Chalmers, in what was known as the 
“Shoestring” district of Mississippi. 

In the National Republican Convention at Chi¬ 
cago, in 1884, he was elected temporary chairman 
over Bowell Clayton, by a majority of thirty votes. 
Clayton was the nominee of the representatives of 
the Blaine interests; Mr. Lynch was nominated 
and supported by the different elements that were 
opposed to Mr. Blaine, but he also received the 
vote of the minority of the Blaine men. He is 
the first and only colored man who has ever presid¬ 
ed over any National Convention of the Republican 
Party, and in this respect it shows very plainly that 
he is a man of large influence and of high standing 
in party councils—one who has so conducted him¬ 
self as to be chosen from all the vast number of 
colored men who have from time to time attended 
these conventions, to preside over the deliberations 
of a convention which was fraught with so much 
interest and pregnant with such vast results. 

Mr. Lynch, like Langston and Bruce, worked his 
way into the political world against the keenest 
competition possible. He was a representative 
from Mississippi in the Forty-third, Forty-fourth, 
and Forty-seventh Congress. Thus he spent six 
years in Washington and conducted himself coolly 
and courteously under trying circumstances. He 
has been an inspiration and a source of pride to the 
Negro both young and old, since his day. 

Major Lynch served his country faithfully dur¬ 
ing the Civil War. Following the War as has been 
pointed out, he served both his country and race. 
When he could no longer be a soldier or represent¬ 
ative statesman. Major Lynch was appointed au¬ 
ditor in the treasury for the Navy Department, 
Washington, D. C, from 1889 to 1893. He then 
began the practice of law in Washington, under the 
firm name of Lynch and Terrell, and followed this 
profession until 1898. He was paymaster in the 
United States Army from 1898 to 1911 when he was 
retired with the rank of Major. This last named 
position was made famous by the way in which it 
was handled by him. 

Major Lynch is a member of the Episcopal 
Church. A Mason and honorary member of the 
Appomatox Club. He is author of: “The Facts of 
Reconstruction,” which is considered a master es¬ 
say on that turbulent period. Major Lynch mar¬ 
ried Mrs. Cora E. Williamson, of Chicago, Ill., Aug¬ 
ust 12, 1911. 



531 




Henry Ossawa Tanner 


VER since Colonial days the Ame¬ 
rican Negro has steadily progress¬ 
ed in the field of Art. The acme of 
progress has been made in this di¬ 
rection by Henry O. Tanner, of 
Philadelphia, Penn., who makes 
his home in France. Mr. Tanner is the son of Bish¬ 
op Benjamin T. Tanner, of the A. M. E. Church. 

The artist, Henry O., was born at Pittsburg, 
Penn., in 1859. He prosecuted his studies in the 
Academy of fine arts under Thomas Eakins. Later 
he opened a photographic gallery in Atlanta. Ga.. 
where he also undertook to teach art. This ven¬ 
ture failing he taught for a time the subject of 
Freehand drawing in Clark University in the same 
town. 

However his general ambition was to study in 
Paris. With the assistance of friends, Mr. Tanner 
being poor, he finally made his way to France. Here 
he studied under Jean Paul Laurens, and Benjamin 
Constad. 

His first real success was in 1900. In this year 
he won the Lippincott prize at Philadelphia, and 
the Medal at the Paris Exposition. 

Growing up in religious environments the artist 
chose almost invariably his themes from the Bi¬ 
ble. These he has been able to surround with a my¬ 
sticism that reflects Bible times and Bible spirits 
upon canvas without parallel. 

His “Raising of Lazarus” hangs in the Luxem¬ 
bourg gallery, his “Christ and Nicodemus,” and 
“The Denunciation” are both in Philadelphia. The 
former is in the academy of fine arts, the latter in 
Memorial Hall at Fairmont Park. 

Nothing gives better appreciation of Mr. Tariner 
and his art than the article published some years 
ago in the New York Herald. The art critic in the 
Herald says of Mr. Tanner and his work: 

“Works of Mr. Henry Tanner, a distinguished 
American Artist, long resident in Paris, who has 
been honored abroad, are shown in a comprehen¬ 
sive exhibition for the first time at the American 
Art Galleries. All are religious paintings, and 
veal, as in flights of poetic fancy, the story of “The 
Prince of Peace.” The thirty-three canvasses form 
a veritable epic, and unfold the life of Christ from 
the Nativity to Golgotha, and then picture events 
that followed the Resurrection.” 


Mr. Tanner is the son of a bishop and from his 
earliest years the inspiring traditions of the Old 
Testament and the New have been to him realities. 
With the development of his genius came the wish 
to show his conception of the ideals which to him 
had been realities from a child. Yet his point of 
view is not that of a religionist, but that of a true 
artist. He has sensed events, removed by the lapse 
of nineteen centuries, and has depicted them with 
such sincerity and feeling that the personages seem 
to live and breathe. Such qualities as these en¬ 
abled him to make a deep impression in Paris, and 
two of his canvasses were purchased by the French 
Government for the Luxembourg. 

The largest painting in the present exhibition 
was received with the warmest praise and occupied 
a prominent place in the last Paris Salon. It ir 
entitled “Behold the Bridegroom Cometh,” and its 
theme is the familiar parable of the wise and fool¬ 
ish virgins. This with its numerous figures of life 
size, occupies an entire panel of one of the galler¬ 
ies. The Master of Ceremonies is in the act of 
giving his summons and the maidens are forming 
themselves into the procession which is to go forth 
and meet the Lord. The masterly composition, the 
oriental richness yet softness of the colouring, the 
instinctive command of detail have drawn the va¬ 
rious elements together into a convincing picture. 

Among notable canvasses are several which, on 
account of the ideality of their conception and 
beauty of their tone, will at once draw to them the 
notice of the observer. They are : “Christ at the 
home of Mary and Martha,” Christ and Nicode- 
mus,” “The Return of the Holy Women,” “On the 
Road to Emmanaus,” and “He vanished out of their 
sight.” 

To Henry O. Tanner all true lovers of art point 
with pride. He is an American recognized every 
where as one of the best. To Henry O. Tanner 
the Negro points not only in pride, but in hope. 

He is a man that commands the respect of the 
white race to the same extent that he does the peo¬ 
ple of his own race. He is a man among men 
irrespective of race, and his friends who are legion, 
treasure his friendship as one of their most price¬ 
less possessions. His place is made with the “Im¬ 
mortals.” 



332 






Crispus Attucks 


ROM the Boston Gazette, of Oct¬ 
ober 2, 1750, the only copy in ex¬ 
istence, now carefully preserved 
in the great antiquarian library of 
Worcester, Mass. Advertisement 
of that slave is as follows: “Ran 
away from his master William Brown, of Fram- 
ington, on the 30th of September last, a mulatto 
fellow about twenty-seven years of age, named 
Crispus, six feet two inches high,” etc., describing 
his dress and warning ship captains not to hire him. 
“Ten pounds reward, old tenor, will be paid for his 
return.” Crispus Attucks was not returned but 
served as a sailor up and down the coast and 
worked on the wharves of Boston. He became 
known as a powerful turbulent fellow, leader of the 
street gang and Deacon Wm. Brown didn t try fui - 
ther to get him back. 

When British troops occupied Boston, and that 
port was under embargo, there were no vessels 
loading or unloading and hence no work for wharf 
men. This made the street mob angry at then- 
jobs and Attucks, now forty-seven years old was 
their fearless leader. 

On that famous evening of March 8, 1770. c 
Boston, about eleven o’clock, the young fellows on 
the street near the Old State House were making 
noise when out came the British Captain I reston 
with a tile of soldiers and ordered them to disperse. 
Attucks encouraged them to refuse, shouted: 
“These soldiers don’t dare fire,” stepped up to the 
line, seized one of the men, threw him down and 
took his musket away from him. Then to show 
his contempt he tossed the man’s musket away 
from him and turned away with a laugh. 1 he 
angry soldier springing up seized his gun and with¬ 
out orders shot Attucks dead. Captain Preston 
then ordered his men to fire and as the dead pa¬ 
triot’s companions rushed forward over his body 
four more of them were killed. The whole five 
fell within a circle of about ten feet diameter, 
which is now marked by the paving bricks being 
there laid in concentric circles to distinguish that 
sacred spot from the rest of the street pavement. 
It was near midnight. There was newly fallen 
snow on the ground and, in the starlight, the red 
blood of these martyrs poured out on it made a 
vivid contrast. 


On Boston Common near the Tremont Hall 
stands a granite monument, twenty feet high, bear¬ 
ing on it’s base a bronze tablet picturing that Bos¬ 
ton Massacre. In the upper shaft are carved the 
names of these five martyrs of the Revolution with 
Crispus Attucks at the top. The old Granary bury¬ 
ing ground is on Tremont Street, just ofif the Com¬ 
mon. At the extreme right hand corner near the 
front iron fence is the granite boulder which marks 
the grave of that Revolutionary champion of Ame¬ 
rican liberty, Governor Sam Adams. And next to 
that is a long mound which then bore five little flag 
staffs and flags. At the head of this stood and still 
stands, a polished slab of dark stone bearing this 
inscription, “here are buried the remains of five 
victims of the Boston Massacre of March 8, 1770.” 
Then follows the names, the third of which is Cris¬ 
pus Attucks. Immediately after his death the fol¬ 
lowing lines appeared: 

“Long as in freedom’s cause the wise contend, 

Dear to your country shall your fame extend; 

While to the world the lettered stone shall tell, 
Where Caldwell, Attucks, Gray and Maverick fell.” 

Daniel Webster said, speaking of the assault, 
“From that Moment we may date the severance of 
the British Empire.” 

For all his heroism, Attucks, like Toussaint L’- 
Overture, like Phyllis Wheatley, like Booker T. 
Washington, was born a slave. History places his 
birth about 1720. He was a half breed Indian or 
mulatto. His birth place is Framingham, Massa¬ 
chusetts. Little is known of his boyhood and 
youth, it is evident however that he was a restless 
temperament, and that he did not take peacefully 
the change of freedom even in New England. Some 
say he was a mere loafer and lounger, others say 
he was a seaman and that on the action of the mas¬ 
sacre he had just returned from a voyage. 

Be he slave or vagabond, be he full Negro or In¬ 
dian or half-breed, he still holds the title of being 
the first to give his life for the cause of American 
freedom. From him date the American Negro 
Soldier, and the American Negro patriot. Both 
the white people and the Negroes in America are 
coming more and more to do him honour as the 
years go by. Thus can the Negro point to an un¬ 
broken line of service, from the revolution to the 
world’s war. 











Senator Blanch K. Bruce 


LANCH K. Bruce, the famous 
Mississippian of Reconstruction 
clays, falls into that class of the 
enviable first and only. He was 
the first Negro to put his signa¬ 
ture to the money of the United 
States Government. In 1881, on the twenty-third 
of May he was made Registrar of the treasury by 
James A. Garfield. He had won this honor by his 
distinguished services in the State of Misissippi. 

Like his contemporary John M. Langston, Blanch 
K. Bruce was born in the State of Virginia. Like 
Langston also Bruce was born a slave. He was 
a native of Prince Edward County, where he was 
born in 1841. In his early training Bruce was ex¬ 
ceptionally fortunate. In other cases, even where 
the Negro child was akin to the master, the line 
between the two was closely and persistantly 
drawn. In Bruce’s case, however, this was not 
done. Thus the Negro lad gained his early train 
ing with his master’s son. 

Receiving his freedom, Bruce went into the State 
of Missouri, where for several years he taught 
school. For a time he studied at Oberlin College, 
in Ohio. Wearying of school teaching, Mr. Bruce 
went south, and in 1869 became a planter in the 
rich bottoms of Boliver County in Mississippi. 
Here in the home of his adoption he became a big- 
man and he continued to be a man of affairs and 
a large cotton planter. Even in recent years his 
widow still handled many hundreds of bales of cot¬ 
ton from their plantation. As a man of affairs, 
Bruce was at one time sheriff of the county and at 
another superintendent of public schools. As is 
well known he was Senator from Mississippi from 
1875 to 1881. Here again, Bruce blazed the way, 
as he had done in Mississippi. He had been the 
first Negro sheriff of his section, he had also been 
the first Negro county Superintendent of schools in 
Mississippi. He was the second Negro to hold 
a seat in the United States Senate. It was at the 
conclusion of his career as Republican Senator 
from Mississippi that Bruce was made Registrar 
of the Treasury, in 1881. Just prior to this appoint¬ 
ment he had refused offers as Minister to Brazii 
and 3rd Assistant Postmaster General. This post 
he held for four years, going out of office in 1885. 


However, Bruce was no slacker either with his 
purse, his brain or his endeavors. He continued 
to do yoeman labor for the Republican Party, st> 
that when William McKinley came to office he 
once more appointed Bruce in 1897. However, he 
had done his work. With the armor of the good 
soldier on, he died in 1898. 

B. K. Bruce exerted a wonderful influence over 
the Negro youth of America. His had been a dif¬ 
ferent experience in his early childhood from that 
of most qf the other celebrated Negroes. These 
had been tardy in their educational advantages. 
They had not known culture and contact, without 
which true education is incomplete, as had Bruce. 
Thus the Senator from Mississippi fell heir natur¬ 
ally to many things those giants like Douglass and 
Washington had to struggle for. This the black 
youth of the country saw and still sees, and by it 
was, and is, inspired to seek refinement from every 
possible source. 

Again Bruce became a man of wealth. He made 
no noise about it, because once more wealth was 
to him a natural heritage. Even though he had 
not been used to owning it he had been accustomed 
to contact with it. Handling bales of cotton by 
the hundred, handling plantation hands, mules, im¬ 
plements, were all education that had come to him 
by contact. This served him greatly when he was 
in the presence of those who thought and spoke 
and dealt with things on a big scale. He married 
Miss Josephine B. Wilson, of Cleveland, Ohio, June 
24, 18/8, and made a bridal tour of the principal 
countries of Europe, where marked attention was 
shown the young couple by European statesmen, 
and members of the American embassies. They 
were highly entertained by Minister Welch in Lon¬ 
don, and Minister Noyes at Paris. 

All this has gone into the life of the Negro youth 
of Amei ica who honor and appreciate him more 
than even the youths themselves know or proclaim. 

Senator Bruce was a splendid orator, and de¬ 
voted much of his time in his later vears to the 
lecture platfoim. He never became so eng'rossed 
m his work that he would not, on short notice, de¬ 
liver one of his forceful speeches if he thought it 
was for the good of his people. 



534 






J&egro Eate 


Prtef Ifistoty of tfje 



THE NEGRO IN HISTORY 

Only a brief sketch of the part that the Negro 
has played in the world and in civilization can be 
given here. Wherever races have played a part 
the Negro from the dawn of history has come in 
for his share of responsibility and por his share of 
the glory. 

First let us decide what a Negro is. As a general 
rule the term Negro is applied to black people of 
unimixed blood and also to persons of any race 
whatsoever who have some Negro blood in their 
veins. 

The states where the Negro question is most ac¬ 
ute have undertaken to define definitely the term 
Negro. Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, 
Tennessee and Texas state that “a person of color 
is one who is decended from a Negro to the third 
generation inclusive, though one ancestor in each 
generation may have been white. In Alabama one 
is a Negro wbo has had any Negro blood in his an¬ 
cestry in five generations. In ; Michigan, Nebraska, 
and Oregon one is not legally a person of color who 
has less than one fourth Negro blood, while in Flor¬ 
ida, Georgia, Indiana and Missouri and South Car¬ 
olina one eighth Negro blood makes a Negro of a 
man. But in general practice the term Negro is 
applied to any person having any Negro blood 
whatever. 

Because of this definition of the race, the coloi ed 
race includes persons of all colors, many of whom 
are fairer than some members of the white iace. 
It is of this race with its many mixtures that we 
are trying to give a brief history. The black people 
are natives of Africa, Asia and the Pacific Islands. 
From his native home he has been brought by tiad 
ers to this country and to other countries. 1 he 
first Negroes brought to America were with the 
the explorers. As early as 1501 Negroes were 
brought to Hispaniola and as early as 1516 Negroes 
were helping in the affairs of America. It was in 
that year that Balboa with the assistance of thirty 
Negroes built the first ship that was ever con¬ 
structed on the Pacific Coast of America. After 
that the Negro was in most of the expeditions. 

They were with Cortez in his conquest of Mex¬ 
ico; they were with Vasques de Ayllon m his at¬ 
tempt to establish a settlement in what is now 


North and South Carolina; they were with the ex¬ 
peditions of Panfilo de Narvaez to conquer Flor¬ 
ida ; and in many of the other expeditions. The 
second settler in the State of Alabama (1540) was 
a Negro who was a member of the De Soto expedi¬ 
tion. 

In this manner the Negroes first came to this 
country. Afterward they were brought over as 
servants and as slaves later. The history of slav¬ 
ery in the United States is outlined more fully else¬ 
where. But in bringing over the Negro men and 
women for slave purposes there were brought over 
more than one class of Africans. The Negro who 
was a slave in his own country and was sold to 
traders for a small sum represented by bright bits 
of colored beads and bright colored cloth was 
brought over. With him came Negroes from other 
tribes that had been taken in war between the 
tribes. This second class were of a higher type. 
But the highest type of Negroes brought direct 
from Africa was taken from the ruling class. Some 
of these were gotten by being fooled aboard ships 
and other underhand methods used by the un¬ 
scrupulous traders who first got the interest and 
the confidence of the Negro and then took advan¬ 
tage of it. Among those who are represented in 
this class we have an ancestor of Robert R. Moton, 
Principal of Tuskegee Institute. The story of the 
coming to this country of this Negro of royal blood 
is interesting and is told as follows : The young 
prince with a drove of slaves to sell to the trader 
went down to the ship. The commander of the 
vessel after settling for the slaves he had pur¬ 
chased asked the young prince if he would not like 
to look over the vessel. Replying in the affirma¬ 
tive he went aboard and was shown around with a 
great deal of ceremony. When he came back from 
his tour of inspection the ship was miles out at sea. 
While speaking of this case it might be added that 
R. R. Moton, recognized as one of the leaders of 
the race is of pure blooded African descent. This 
goes to prove that the theory, that all the achieve¬ 
ment of the Negro in this country is due to the 
white blood that is now mixed in the race, is false. 

Another case will show that the Negroes of ro¬ 
yal blood from Africa were held in respect by the 
others. There was brought to Massachusetts a 


535 









young girl of the ruling class. Two men from 
her tribe were in the same place. The owner of 
the men tried to make one of them marry the girl 
or at least mate with her, but remembering that 
she had royal blood in her veins, even in this coun¬ 
try where they were held in bondage he refused 
to so insult the daughter of his king. 

Not only were the Negroes brought over of dif¬ 
ferent classes, but there were brought over persons 
who were sold as Negroes who were not in the 
strictest sense of the word Negroes, but were of 
the other darker nations that occupy the conti¬ 
nent. This in a measure accounts for the differ¬ 
ent types we have at present where mixed blood 
cannot be offered as the solution. 

Thus from the beginning of the history of the 
Negro in this country there was more then one 
class, and with the education and development and 
the mixing of the race's there has been developed 
a race of men far superior to the general concep¬ 
tion when the term Negro is used. Since coming 
to the United States the Negro has played an im¬ 
portant part in the affairs of the country, directly 
and indirectly, for indirectly the Negro is respon¬ 
sible for the great wealth that has come to this 
country through the cotton industry. 

HISTORY OF SLAVERY IN AMERICA 

African Slave trade was begun by Portugal in 
1442. Spain, took a part in it in 1517. England, 
France, Holland, Denmark and the American col¬ 
onies one by one took part in this trade. The Am¬ 
erican Colonies afforded a good place for the trad¬ 
ing of these slaves. Thus to our country came the 
institution of slavery. 

In the year 1619 the first African immigrants 
were landed in Virginia. According to Monroe N. 
Work, in the “Year Book” these twenty Negroes 
were not necessarily sold into slavery, but into ser¬ 
vice. He says, “It was not uncommon practice in 
this period for ship masters to sell white servants 
to planters ; hence an inference that these twenty 
Negroes were slaves, drawn from the fact that they 
were sold to the colony or planters would be un¬ 
justified.” The first record of a “Negro servant for 
life” or a slave in the state of Virginia was in the 
year 1640. In that year also the first record of 
discriminating against Negroes in the state of Vir¬ 
ginia is recorded. Both came out in the same ac¬ 
count. Three servants ran away, one a Dutch¬ 
man, one a Scotchman and one a Negro. They 
were caught. Each was given thirty lashes. The 
Dutchman and the Scotchman were condemned to 
serve four years beyond their indenture. The Ne¬ 
gro, John Punch, was condemned to servitude for 
life. In the year 1662 slavery was declared here¬ 
ditary in the State of Virginia. This was done by 


decreeing that the issue of slave mothers should 
follow in the condition of servitude. Thus by the 
end of the year 1662 slavery was fully established 
in Virginia, the oldest of the colonies. 

New York (1628), New Jersey (1628) Massachu¬ 
setts (1630), Connecticut (1631-1636), Delaware. 
(1636), Rhode Island (1647), South Carolina (1665.) 
North Carolina (1669) one by one saw the traffic 
in slaves fully established within their borders. 
New Hampshire was founded in 1679 with slavery 
in all probability already established. Pennsylvania 
was ceded to William Penn in 1681 with slavery 
probably already established. Georgia was found¬ 
ed in 1733, but slavery was forbidden within the 
borders till 1749. The reason for the change of at¬ 
titude toward the institution was the lack of prog¬ 
ress being made by the State. The surrounding- 
states were in a very prosperous condition, due to 
the labor of the slaves. Seeing this Georgia 
changed her laws in order that some of the wealth 
derived from Negro labor might come her way. 

Slavery in the Colonies did not develop without 
opposition. As early as 1688 the first step was tak¬ 
en to check the sale of Negroes. Virginia, the 
state that led in the establishing of slavery, also 
tried to lead in the prohibition of the importation 
of slaves ,but the mother country, England, did not 
allow any of these acts to become law. 

In the far South the Negroes soon outnumbered 
the whites and this caused the whites to live in con¬ 
stant fear of an uprising. For this reason they 
placed very heavy duties on the importation of 
slaves. None of these measures, however, were 
able to check the rapid growth of the institution 
once it had a good start. 

There are those among colored people today 
who claim that their people were never slaves. This 
is especially true of people coming from. Virginia 
and the Carolinas. There is some ground for the 
claim. Back in the days of the colonies there were 
many free Negroes. The Negro gained his free¬ 
dom in several ways. Some were allowed to hire 
their time to other people. All that was earned 
above the $100 the master required for their time 
became the possession of that particular slave. Ar- 
ter years of toil some had money enough to pur¬ 
chase their own freedom. Sometimes a master at 
death gave a number of his slaves their freedom. 
Slaves were sometimes given their freedom be¬ 
cause of some act for the good of the community. 
But by far the larger number of free Negroes dur¬ 
ing the days of the colonists, “inherited” their free¬ 
dom. There was a law making free the children of 
indentured white mothers and Negro fathers after 
a period of thirty or thirty-one years of service. 
From these various ways the number of free Ne¬ 
groes increased. But the lives of these free Ne¬ 
groes were hedged about with difficulties and hard- 


536 


ships. He could not associate with the Negro 
slaves without being- held under suspicion. His 
one great advantage came in his being able to pur¬ 
chase land and purchase the liberty of his family 
if they were enslaved. 

SLAVERY IN THE STATES. 

The Negro played a part in the war which gave 
to the States their freedom from the English yoke. 
Sentiment had been aroused against slave trade in 
England. When the war broke out, the governor 
of Virginia promised freedom to all Negroes who 
would join the English army and fight against their 
masters. Thousands did this. Alarmed, the col¬ 
onists changed their attitude and began to enlist 
the Negroes in the American Army. It is estimat¬ 
ed that three thousand Negroes served in the Ame¬ 
rican army, many of whom were given their free¬ 
dom at the close of the war. 

From the first the question of the slave and the 
rights of the free Negro became an issue in the 
newly formed republic. Vermont was the first 
state to prohibit and abolish slavery. 

This measure was adopted by Vermont in 
1777, but she was not admitted to the Union till 
1791. Several of the states passed laws for the 
gradual abolition of slavery. By this method the 
children of slave parents remained in service till 
the boys and girls were twenty-eight and twenty- 
five respectively. While this method took some 
time it gave freedom to the slaves at a much eai- 
lier date than other states. New York, New Jer¬ 
sey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania 
were states with the gradual abolition system. 
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and 
Ohio took very definite stand against the institu¬ 
tion and prohibited the barter of human beings. 

Georgia ceded to the Union the land which aftci 
ward became Alabama and Mississippi. This was 
done on the condition that slavery should not be 
prohibited within this territory. An effort 'was 
made to keep the number of free and slave states 
about the same. In this manner theie was hope 
that no harm would result to the cential govei n- 
ment. But there were forces at work for the flee¬ 
ing of this slave people. For years there was sen¬ 
timent against the enslaving of the colored people 
in most of the northern states. And in some of the 
southern states there were persons who took the 
stand that slavery was wrong. 

Of all the forces that were at work for the free¬ 
dom of the slaves the book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by 
Harriet Beecher Stowe, did most to bring it about. 
Based on facts, it pictured the life of the slave in 
its best and in its worst forms. This book was 
published in 1852. Next to the influence of this 
book, Henry Ward Beecher, pastor of Plymouth 
Church, Brooklyn, Charles Sumner of the United 


States Senate along with many others talked open¬ 
ly against the institution of slavery. John Brown, 
with his enthusiastic attack on the arsenal at Har¬ 
pers’ Ferry, Virginia, in 1859 really supplied the 
spark that set the whole country in flames on the 
subject of Negro Slavery in the States. 

The question of slaves was discussed in all por¬ 
tions of the country. In some places the slaves 
were declared free, as for instance, in Georgia, only 
to have the proclamation rescinded by President 
Lincoln. But the question could not go on unset¬ 
tled. On September 22nd, 1862, President Lincoln 
issued the preliminary proclamation of emancipa¬ 
tion. January first, 1863, the Emancipation Pro¬ 
clamation was issued. This proclamation was sup¬ 
ported by the Civil War and by the amendments 
to the constitution which followed. One by one 
the States in which slavery had been abolished by 
voluntary acts, took up the matter and declared the 
non-existence of slaves within their borders. 

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD 

The Underground Railway had none of the fea¬ 
tures of the modern railway, except the carrying of 
passengers, and these were limited in kind and in 
the direction of the travel. No one could obtain 
passage on this road, unless he or she were a slave, 
and wanted to be free. The trains ran in but one 
direction, and that was Northward. There were 
no “Jim Crow” cars, no sleepers, and no smokers, 
and all passengers were carried free of charge. It 
was a railroad without stockholders, but it had 
innumerable directors. No dividends were paid ex¬ 
cept to passengers, and such dividends were in the 
form of certificates of freedom from bondage. 

To be more explicit, the Underground Railway 
was a system of clandestine travel, extending from 
the borders of “Mason and Dixon’s Line” through 
the North and West to Canada. 

It required large sums of money to keep this 
Underground Railway system in motion. The run¬ 
aways must be fed, clothed, and their passage paid 
across the lake to Canada. Mr. Douglass was in 
the lecture-field most of the time to raise money 
to do his part. The Female Anti-Slavery Society, 
with its branches throughout the North, solicited 
funds and clothing, and as these unfortunate fugi¬ 
tives were invaribly destitute, means had to be 
supplied them until they could secure employment 
under the British flag. 

The majority of the escapes were made in Win¬ 
ter, when the oversight on the plantation was less 
rigid than in the working season, and many who 
were given passes during the Christmas holidays 
to visit neighboring towns or plantations, seized 
that opportunity for a longer journey. 

The western and southwestern branch of the 
Underground Railway was operated from Cincin- 


nati, Ohio, and through Michigan to Canada. Fu¬ 
gitive slaves from Kentucky, Tennessee, Missis¬ 
sippi, Arkansas and Louisiana took this route. The 
whole number of slaves who successfully made 
their escape through the system has never been as¬ 
certained. 

The manner of Douglass’s flight—riding out of 
Baltimore, Maryland, in daylight and in sight 
of those who knew that he was a slave is a 
good illustration of the boldness and ingenuity of 
some of the escapes. Among the hundreds of in¬ 
teresting cases cited by Mr. Still, is that of William 
Crafts, who gained his liberty by acting the part of 
a valet or body-servant of his wife. She was of 
light brown complexion, and for this adventure 
wore men’s clothing. Another case is that of a 
slave-woman who hitched up her master s hoi se 
and carriage, and taking her family of five children 
and several others, drove off to liberty. Box Brown 
was the name of a slave, who permitted himself to 
be nailed up in a box and sent by express to Balti¬ 
more. Two colored women dressed in deep mourn¬ 
ing and rode Northward to freedom in the same 
coach as their masters, who did not know them. 
In some cases slaves secreted themselves for sev¬ 
eral months and, when search for them had ceased, 
crept off unsuspected. In hundreds of instances, 
the parts were as cleverly played as if the fugitives 
had had special training in the drama of running 
away from their masters. In nearly all cases these 
black men and women took desperate chances. The 
conductors of the Underground Railway were ev¬ 
erywhere, and at all times on the alert. They 
knew every path, the byways and highways in 
which slaves might hide or on which they might 
travel to reach freedom. The stations were al¬ 
ways open and ready to receive them. It was nev¬ 
er too late, or too early, or too difficult, or too per¬ 
ilous to be on the lookout to welcome, to protect, 
and pass on fugitives to the next place of safety. 
Clothing, food, shoes, carriages, wagons, horses, 
and mules were always at hand. No secret so¬ 
ciety has ever veiled its proceedings in deeper mys¬ 
tery than this widely separated army of determin¬ 
ed conspirators and emancipators. The secret-ser¬ 
vice men of the government tried to locate the sta¬ 
tions and the station agents, but the more they 
searched, the less they found. It is a curious fact 
that the Uited States secret service men seem to 
have had just as little success in uncovering the 
systematic plans for aiding slaves to escape to the 
Northern states as in preventing the smuggling of 
slaves from Africa into the Southern states. The 
traffic of the Underground Railroad continued to 
increase in volume and the slave once off United 
States soil was beyond reach of recall. 


EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION 

Whereas, on the 22nd day of September, in the 
year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and 
sixty-two, a proclamation was issued by the Pres¬ 
ident of the United States, containing, among 
other things, the following, to-wit: 

That on the first day of January, in the year of 
our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty- 
three, all persons held as slaves within any State 
or designated part of a State, the people wdiereof 
shall then be in rebellion against the Lhiited States 
shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and 
the Executive Government of the United States, in¬ 
cluding the military and naval authority thereof, 
will recognize and maintain the freedom of such 
persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such 
persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may 
make for their actual freedom. 

That the Executive will, on the first day of Jan¬ 
uary, aforesaid, by proclamation, designate the 
States and parts of States, if any, in which the 
people therof respectively shall then be in rebel¬ 
lion against the United States; and the fact that 
any State, or the people thereof, shall on that day 
be in good faith represented in the Congress of the 
United States, by members chosen thereto at elec¬ 
tions wherein a majority of the qualified voters of 
such State shall have participated, shall, in the ab¬ 
sence of strong countervailing testimony, be deem¬ 
ed conclusive evidence that such State, and the 
people thereof, are not then in rebellion against 
the Lhiited States. 

Now, therefore, I, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, Pres¬ 
ident of the United States, by virtue of the power 
in me vested as Commander-in-Chief of the Army 
and Navy of the United States in time of actual 
armed rebellion against the authority and Govern¬ 
ment of the United States, and as a fit and neces¬ 
sary war measure for suppressing said rebellion, 
do, on this first day of January, in the year of our 
Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three 
and in accordance with my purpose so to do, pub¬ 
licly proclaimed for the full period of one hundred 
days from the day first above mentioned, order 
and designate as the States and parts of States, 
wherein the people thereof respectfully are this 
day in rebellion against the United States, the fol¬ 
lowing, to-wit: 

“Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, (except the parish¬ 
es of St. Bernard, Plaquemine, Jefferson, St. John, 
St. Charles, St. James, Ascension, Assumption, 
Terre Bonne, LaFourche, St. Mary, St. Martin, 
and Orleans, including the city of New Orleans), 
Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Car¬ 
oline, North Carolina and Virginia (except the for¬ 
ty-eight counties designated as West Virginia, and 
also the counties of Berkley, Accomac, Northamp- 


538 


ton, Elizabeth City, York, Princess Anne, and Nor¬ 
folk, including 1 the cities of Norfolk and Ports¬ 
mouth), and which excepted parts are for the pres¬ 
ent, left precisely as if this proclamation was not 
issued. 

“And, by virtue of the power and for the purpose 
aforesaid, I do order and declare that all persons 
held as slaves within said designated States and 
parts of States, are and henceforward shall he free; 
and that the Executive Government of the United 
States, including the military and naval authori¬ 
ties thereof, will recognize and maintain the free¬ 
dom of said persons. 

“And I hereby enjoin upon the people so declared 
to he free, to abstain from all violence, unless in 
necessary self-defense ; and I recommend to them 
that, in all cases when allowed, they labor faith¬ 
fully for reasonable wages. 

“And I further declare and make known that 
such persons, of suitable conditions, will be re¬ 
ceived into the armed service of the United States 
to garrison forts, positions, stations, and other 
places, and to man vessels of all sorts in said ser¬ 
vice. 

“And upon this act, sincerely believed to be an 
act of justice, warranted by the Constitution upon 
military necessity, I invoke the considerate judg¬ 
ment of mankind, and the gracious favor of Al¬ 
mighty God. 

“In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my 
name and caused the seal of the United States to 
be affixed. 

“Done at the City of Washington, this 1st day 
of January, in the year of our Lord 1863, and of 
the independence of the United States the eighty- 
seventh. 

ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 

By the President: 

William H. Seward, 

Secretary of State. 

NEGRO IN BUSINESS. 

Perhaps the two greatest agents to foster and 
promote Negro business in this country have been 
the Negro banks and the Negro secret organiza¬ 
tions. The secret orders have undoubtedly been 
the prime movers because they have not only been 
built by Negro capital in large sums, but the build¬ 
ings themselves are of such a sort that any one 
would be proud to conduct a business within them. 
Such buildings as the Mosiac Temple in Little 
Rock, Arkansas; Odd Fellows Building, in Atlanta. 
Georgia; Pythian Temple, in New Orleans; Pyth¬ 
ian Building, in Louisville, Kentucky; Mosiac 1 em- 
ple, in Jacksonville, Fla.; Pythian Building in Dal¬ 


las, Texas, furnish inspiring centers for the colored 
people to have their businesses in. 

1 he factory that was established by Madam 
Walker and in which she gave employment to hun¬ 
dreds of Negro women and girls is another type 
of building that has been erected by the colored 
race, and that has done so much good for the up¬ 
lift of the race. This work of Madam Walker is 
described in full elsewhere in this volume. Similar 
to the establishment of Madam Walker in the 
point of the articles manufactured is the Poro 
Building. 

Under the name of Poro College, there is ope¬ 
rated in St. Louis, Missouri, the largest manufac¬ 
turing plant of its kind in the world. It is owned, 
controlled and operated wholly by colored people. 
Through this plant 40,000 girls and women are en¬ 
abled to earn a livlihood; 150 of this number work 
in the plant. It was founded in 1900 by Mrs. An¬ 
nie M. Pope-Turnbo Malone, who had made a spe¬ 
cialty of the study of chemistry and put her know¬ 
ledge into these compounds, which together with 
the Poro System have revolutionized Hair Culture. 

The new Poro Building which was completed in 
1918, cost upward of $250,000.00. The building is 
three stories, has basement, mezzanine floor and 
roof garden. It is indeed an inspiration to any one 
to visit this wonderful plant. It is so planned that 
all the needs of the visitor can be satisfied within 
the plant. There are 95 dormitories, there is a 
public dining room, is an auditorium with 
a seating capacity of 800, is a refrigerating 
plant that furnishes ice water for the entire build¬ 
ing, and Lamson pneumatic tube carriers. In the 
section that is reserved for beauty, hair and scalp 
treatment there are thirty-one booths. The kit¬ 
chen is most modern and is thoroughly equipped . 
the halls reserved for receptions are very beauti¬ 
ful and spacious; there is in the rear a room set 
apart for the care of small children where they 
may receive kindergarten training. Everything 
about this plant is wonderful. The order, the spirit 
of cheer, the most wonderful art of all working to¬ 
ward one end—all are to be felt when paying a 
visit to this establishment. 

The two people who are responsible for this 
wonderful piece of business among the Negroes are 
Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Malone. Mrs. Malone spent 
her early life in Metropolis and Peoria, Illinois. 
Mr. Malone for a number of years was a teacher 
in Illinois, serving as principal of some of the large 
schools. Both of these people, who are still young, 
are genii in the business world and it is through 
their wise administration of their affairs that the 
phenomenal success of Poro has come. Mr. and 
Mrs. Malone are philanthropists. To the St. Louis 
Y. M. C. A., they gave $75,000, the largest sum giv¬ 
en by colored people to any one institution. A 


539 



REPRESENTATIVE HOMES OF NEGROES jN DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF THE COUNTRY 




















































"RE8. OF L.H.STEWA'R.T- EVANSVILLE, 1ND. 


RES. OF J. J. EVAN^, — SHREVEPORT, LA . 


RES. OF 

PRESTON TAYLOR- 
GREEMWOOD PARK, 
NASHVILLE, TENN. 






* 


RE5.0? JOS.L.JOKES, CIPCINHATT, 
OHIO, 


"RTS. of Dr. 5.H.GEORGE,- PADUCAH, KY. 


RE5. of D*.W.T.R)LIXTL,- 
. SUFFOLK, VA. 


PRY of J.N.CLINTON,- TAMPA, TLA. 


•-: 




V.'v ' vCs'-&! 




■ 



RES. OF DR.S.W. HARRISON,- 

FT. SMITH, ARK, 

Uplgl mmmmmamrnmUMlmMmimm 


Res. of W. Curtis Reich, Muskogee, 


REPRESENTATIVE HOMES OF NEGROES IN DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF THE COUNTRY 




































few months ago to Tuskegee Institute they gave 
$1200, and to Wilberforce they gave $1000.00. They 
support the St. Louis Orphans Home and contri¬ 
bute largely to many institutions without letting 
the public know anything about it. 

With Poro College as a manufacturing plant, and 
hotel for our people, Mr. and Mrs. Malone deserve 
great credit for producing a business of this size 
that is perfectly planned, perfectly executed and 
wholly an asset to the race. 

Another business of great importance to the 
Race is that in Durham, North Carolina, known 
as the North Carolina Mutual and Provident Asso¬ 
ciation. This was founded by John Merrick. This 
work is described in full elsewhere in this volume. 

The Standard Life Insurance Company of Atlanta 
Ga., the only Old Line Insurance Company owned 
and controlled by Negroes. 

E. C. Brown’s Theatrical Syndicate, details of 
which are found elsewhere in this volume. 

The Baptist Publishing House at Nashville, Tenn¬ 
essee is another example of a large business owned 
and operated by members of the colored race. This 
work is told in full elsewhere. A. M. E. Sunday 
School Union Publishing House. In nearly every 
town and city where Negroes are at all in prevail¬ 
ing numbers are found various Negro stores, some 
of them run in as orderly a fashion as those run 
by members of the other race. There are in all 
about 43,000 places of business being run by col¬ 
ored people. This does not include barber shops, 
shoe shops and blacksmith shops. The National 
Negro Business League is responsible for stimu¬ 
lating and increasing Negro Business enterprises. 
It was for this purpose that Dr. Washington in his 
wisdom organized this League and through it and 
its branches in the various cities of the country 
the colored man has been shown just what can 
be done through organized effort. 

NEGRO HOMES 

Nothing has been a greater seurce of pride to 
the colored man in America than the progress he 
has made in the improvement of his home and 
home life. Beginning at Boston, Massachusetts, 
running the whole length of the coast to the Gulf 
and going across the continent to San Francisco, 
to Denver, to Portland, one finds dotted here and 
there Negro residences comparing favorably with 
any. Many of these homes cost from $10,000 to 
$20,000 and there are a few that cost a great deal 
more than that, notably among these last is the 
home of Madam C. J. Walker, on the Hudson, 
which cost $300,000.00. These homes are kept with 
the same skill and neatness as those of any people 
in similar corcumstances. There are hundreds and 
thousands of homes that are not so pretentious, 
but are models in the manner in which they are 


kept. It is for the purpose of training the young- 
girls and women of the race in matters pertaining 
to home making that the courses in Home Econ¬ 
omics and Domestic Science are maintained in all 
of the schools that are provided by the church*'and 
the state. This training is now even being offered 
in the courses of the rural schools of the South¬ 
land. There is still a large class of people who 
remain unreached, but the beginning is made and it 
is a great and good beginning. 

Some of the cities are more noted for the beau¬ 
tiful residences owned by the colored people than 
are others. In Washington, New York, Baltimore, 
Richmond, Raleigh, Durham, Atlanta, Birmingham, 
Jacksonville, St. Louis, and Chicago there are 
homes that are second to none owned by the av¬ 
erage well-to-do citizen. In these various centers 
are sometimes whole streets owned by Negroes. 
One instance of this is the Beautiful West Belle, 
in St. Louis. This was once an exclusive residen¬ 
tial district for white people. Gradually it has 
changed hands and is now the best residential sec¬ 
tion for Negroes. These property holders have 
made an effort to keep up the standard of the 
street and it is beautiful to visit. 

Home life among Negroes has developed during 
the past fifty years, as has everything else that be¬ 
longs to them. But even in the days of slavery 
when many lived under the worst circumstances 
there were examples of beautiful home life, beaut¬ 
iful from the standpoint of the regard in which the 
members of the family held each other and the 
character that the mothers tried to build up in their 
children. From these families have sprung some 
of the best and most noted of the colored people 
who are prominent today. Take for an example, 
Booker T. Washington. He lived in a hut with his 
mother and brother and sister, yet this mother 
managed to surround them with the spirit of home, 
the spirit that made her provide food for them at 
regular intervals, the spirit that made her gather 
them to gether and teach them to pray and to fear 
God and live right. It was the spirit that made the 
home. Many are the humble examples of this 
type of home today in which are trained some of 
the best people. 

But the same spirit may be had in the great and 
rich homes as well as in the humble ones. Take 
the home life of Booker T. Washington after he 
was able to have the comforts and some of the lux¬ 
uries of life. The same spirit of keeping the chil¬ 
dren together that his mother had shown in her 
humble home was apparent in his home. If he came 
home and missed one of the boys, immediately 
that child was asked for and if necessary sent for. 
Although he was much away from home he always 
tried to get back to his family for the holidays in 
order that he might be with his wife and children. 


542 


The spirit of love, of tenderness, of protection in 
which he held his children was beautiful to see. 
This side of this wonderful man is one that is not 
often referred to, but is one of the things that 
helped make him the great man that he was. 

There are many other examples that might be 
cited of the beautiful home life within the beauti¬ 
ful home; of beautiful home life within the well 
kept modest home. In fact it has been in a large 
measure the home life that has made for the won¬ 
derful advancement of the Negro during the past 
fifty odd years. 

NEGRO IN PUBLIC LIFE 

Ever since Crispus Attucks fell in Boston, the 
Negro of America has had some claim to public of¬ 
fice. Regardless of politics he has managed, some¬ 
how, to hold office under nearly every administra¬ 
tion. Among these a few of the noteworthy ex¬ 
amples may be mentioned—Blanche K. Bruce, born 
in the State of Virginia, a slave, was sent to the 
United States Senate in 1895, from the State of 
Mississippi. 

Another Senator from the State of Mississippi 
was a colored man. This was Hiram R. Revels, a 
native of North Carolina, and a free man. He was 
educated during the days of slavery at Knox Col¬ 
lege, from which he was graduated in 1847. He 
became the first of all the colored United States 
Senators: Judge Robert H. Terrell, of Washington, 
D. C.; Congressman John M. Langston, of Vir¬ 
ginia; John R. Lynch, of Mississippi; George W. 
Murray, of South Carolina; Charles W. Anderson, 
of New York City; Hon. John W. Green, of Cleve¬ 
land; William H. Lewis, of Boston; J. C. Napier, 
and Henry W. Furniss, most of whom are told 
about in full elsewhere are examples of colored of¬ 
fice holders who during the terms of office received 
from two to ten thousand dollars per year for their 
services. 

Of another type of public man was Frederick 
Douglass who became such a help in the cause of 
freedom through his lectures. 

A bright example of the man in public life as a 
public speaker of this day we have Roscoe C. Sim¬ 
mons, who is a native of Mississippi and still a man 
in his early thirties. This young man is gifted as 
a speaker and is employed in a numbei of public 
issues as a speaker. He has the ability to thrill 
his audience and paint pictures as very few men 
can do. Regardless of color Simmons is a great 
orator and uses his gift in the interest of his peo¬ 
ple. 

NEGRO FARMER 


has won his spurs and the encouraging feature of 
the whole matter is, that though many young peo¬ 
ple leave the farms, yet when the total is taken 
the number of Negro farmers as well as the num¬ 
ber of Negro farms has increased year by year. 
Today the Negro owns farm property to the extent 
of five hundred million dollars in value. Nor has 
he restricted his work to any one branch, dairy¬ 
men, stock-breeders, poultry-men, cotton growers, 
grain growers, potato growers, indeed, there is not 
a branch of agriculture in which the Negro is not 
classed. One might name such men as the po¬ 
tato king, Junius G. Groves, of Kansas; the fam¬ 
ous horsebreeder, Bass, of Mexico, Missouri; the 
cotton grower, Deal Jackson, of Georgia; as in¬ 
stances of Negroes who excel in the various 
branches of agriculture. 

In the South Negro farming has been greatly 
improved during the last, decade by the construct¬ 
ive work of the State government and of the Fed¬ 
eral government. Both of these have co-operated 
in employing agents to teach practical agriculture. 
Women trained in housekeeping, in cooking, gar¬ 
dening, and poultry raising- have gone into the 
homes of the Negro farmer and taught the wives 
the details of scientific methods of good house¬ 
keeping. Men trained in agriculture have taught 
the Negro farmer more scientific methods of 
plowing, harvesting, selecting seed, and given most 
valuable instruction on the selection and treatment 
of stock. These teachers going from farm to farm 
have increased farming values in the South. 

Coming under this head something of the life of 
Groves mentioned above will without doubt prove 
an inspiration to boys who may read this. Junius 
Groves was born a slave in Kentucky. In 1879 he 
moved to Kansas where he hired out as a farm la 
borer at forty cents a day. From the first his am¬ 
bition was to have a farm of his own; the second 
year he rented a small plot of ground and afte’- 
taking out all expenses he found that he had 
cleared $125. He continued to add to the number 
of acres that he tilled and to add to his savings 
till in 1884 he had $2,200 in the bank to his credit. 
Then Mr. Groves began to purchase land for him¬ 
self and on this land he specialized in raising tbr 
white potato. Today as a result of this careful 
hoarding of his means and a careful planning of his 
crops, Mr. Groves is worth $80,000. He has earned 
the title of “Potato King,” by producing in a single 
year 100,000 bushels of potatoes. Mr. Groves is 
not only classed as a farmer, but as a business 
man. He has made a business of his farming. 

NEGRO’S CONTRIBUTION TO EDUCATION. 


Of all the operations in which the Negro won 
distinction perhaps farming is the most marked. 
In every section of the country the Negio faimei 


For a long time it appears that the Negro did 
not feel that education of his children depended at 
all upon contributions from the black man’s cof- 


543 


fers. Reared as a dependent and sent forth as such 
he for a long time, looked to those who had been 
his master to educate the black children. How¬ 
ever, as he gained self-confidence and refinement 
he began to invest his money in the education of 
his own, and today in almost every section of the 
South, the Negro, in addition to paying his regular 
tax as assessed by the county and State is taxing 
himself to build better schools for his children, to 
buy better equipment, extend the school term and 
to secure better school teachers. 

Also with his religion the Negro carried the con¬ 
viction that his children should be educated; thus 
through the church, the denominational schools of 
the South and of the West receive staunch support 
from the colored people. The Year-book estimates 
that the Negro through the churches and other 
means raised about a million five hundred thous¬ 
and dollars. The school property being valued at 
two million five hundred thousand dollars. In 
some instances the schools are run by Negroes 
alone ; that is, the Negro has purchased the ground, 
selected the field, elected their own trustees and 
own teachers. Such schools as Morris Brown, 
Atlanta. Ga., Selma University, in Selma, Ala., and 
Western College, in Macon, Missouri, gain their 
sustenance almost wholly from Negro effort. 

Perhaps in no one field of labor has the Negro 
achieved so much as he has in that of the school. 
The Negro as a school founder, organizer and 
school teacher is probably, taken for all and all, 
the best product that the black man of America 
can show for his sixty years of freedom. The Ne¬ 
gro school man sacrificing his insight, his almost 
super-human struggles and his willingness to turn 
his efforts back into the education of his own peo¬ 
ple for a mere pittance brings him forward as the 
most sublime of his race. One needs only to think 
of the labors of Booker T. Washington and the 
men and women who surrounded him and of the 
efforts of Negro school teachers in every school of 
the country today. To justify this claim made for 
the Negro school man; add to this the fact thai 
he in part can never be an out and out teacher and 
you have even a sublimer situation. For every 
Negro man, even to this day, who interprets his 
task in the light of modern education, must be 
father, mother; in a word he must be “Black Mark 
Hopkins on the other end of the log.” 

NEGRO- ARTIST 

Under the Negro artists let us include the painter 
and the sculptor. They, like the literatee named 
above have been in some instances thought to in¬ 
terpret their own people, but not so strictly. More 
often their subjects have been universal in selec¬ 
tion and treatment rather than specific. Among 
the Negro painters perhaps Henry O. Tanner, a 


modern artist, is the most celebrated and famous. 
An American by birth and rearing he pursued his 
studies abroad. The greater part of his work has 
been done in France where his pictures hang 
among those of many of the French and Italian 
immortals in the great art gallaries in Paris and 
in the Louvre. 

Among his most famous paintings are the Holy 
Family, Moses and Elisha, and Christ Walking on 
the Sea; “Hiding of Moses;” “Christ at the Home 
of Lazarus.” A full sketch of his life appears else¬ 
where in this volume. 

The first in point of time to achieve distinction 
as a Negro painter was E. M. Bannister. His 
paintings seem to live, though perhaps he is best 
remembered by his organization of art clubs and In 
his promotion of the study of art than by any par- 
cular work. 

A young artist of great promise is William Ed¬ 
ward Scott, of Indianapolis, Indiana. He, like 
Henry O. Tanner, has studied abroad, but he has 
done most of his actual work in America. 

The leading Negro sculptor is a woman, Ed- 
monia Lewis, who resides in Italy. Her most cel¬ 
ebrated productions are the “Freed Woman,” 
“Marriage of Hiawatha,” “ Death of Cleopatria.” 

Mrs. Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller, of Pennsyl¬ 
vania rearing, but now residing in Massachusetts, 
is accepted as the leading sculptor of today. She 
too spent much time abroad studying art in Paris. 
“The Dancing Girl,” “The Wrestler,” and “Carry¬ 
ing the Dead Body” are among her best known 
subjects. 

NEGRO SCHOLAR 

Perhaps one of the earliest ambitions to throb in 
the Negroe’s breast was that to achieve distinction 
in scholarship. Perhaps one of the first and most 
facinating points in the White man’s civilization to 
attract him was that of the Caucasian’s mastering 
and using things found in books. Thus we find 
ex-slaves, men who, in some cases would have been 
regarded as having passed the plastic stage of 
learning, achieving quite wonderful things in 
scholarship attainment. However, they got no par¬ 
ticular credit in the annals of scholarship. The 
Negro scholar, as understood in popular circles, is 
he who has had the persistence and intellect to go 
forth and win the highest college degrees attain¬ 
able in some of the best universties of the country. 
At present, there are at least four thousand Negro 
college graduates and about twenty Negroes to 
gain the degree of Dr. of Philosophy from the 
leading Universities of the country, such as Har¬ 
vard, Yale, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia 
University, and the like. Further, the Negro has 
won his spurs in every phase of scholarship. Some 
of these degrees have been given in History, some 


544 


in Sociology, some in Mathematics, and some in 
Science. The Negro has proved himself a ready 
scholar, and has numbers of students to become 
members of the Phi Beta Kappa in these leading 
Universities of the North competing with the sons 
of those who were scholars generations ago. There 
are some fifty of these in this country. 

NEGRO AUTHORS 

The Negro in the field of letters began to arrive 
in some respects somewhat late. This was inevit¬ 
able for several reasons: First of all, there had, of 
course to be education and the ability to interpret; 
in the second place, the Negro had to learn that 
there was material for literature in the emotions of 
his people ; in the third place he had to learn to love 
his people in order to grasp their feelings and in¬ 
terpret them to a somewhat indifferent public, 
This, of course, is a general statement and refers 
to the conspicuous authors of later date. 

As a matter of history, the Negro author was 
among the first, foremost and most lasting authors 
in America. As has been pointed out elsewhere, 
Phillis Wheatley was one of the first and foremost 
women poets of America and still remains the lead¬ 
ing colored poet of America. 

She was not only the first Negro woman poet, 
but was one of the first and foremost of American 
poets. 

Benjamin Bannaker as a later writer and advo¬ 
cate of justice for his people was another conspi¬ 
cuous literary light of the early Colonial days. His 
rare scholarship was equalled by few Americans 
of any race in that day. 

The authors whose works will undoubtedly defy 
the ravages of time, as Shakespeare would put if 
are; Paul Lawrence Dunbar, W. E. B. DuBois, 
Booker T. Washington, Charles W. Chestnut, Kel¬ 
ly Miller, James W. Johnson, Benjamin G. Braw- 
ley. Dr. C. V. Roman, these have already establish¬ 
ed their claim to immortality and others by the 
score are clamoring for a place, but the test of 
time has not been fully applied. 

Abroad, Alexander Dumas, of France, and Alex¬ 
ander Puskin, known as “Father of Russian poe¬ 
try,” transcend all boundaries of time, or place, of 
race or nation. I hey belong to the world. Each 
of these authors, both American and foreign. ha\e 
received attention elsewhere in this volume. 

NEGRO MUSIC 

That the Negro is naturally musical is admitted 
by all, even his enemies. Back in the days of slav 
ery there were among the free, educated Negroes 
many who wrote music. Among these may be 
mentioned Dede, Snaer, and Bares Basil. Where 
the Negro could not write music, he made up the 
words and sang them to tunes that fitted perfect¬ 


ly. These songs are now classed as the Real Amer¬ 
ican Music. Some of our best Musicians of this 
day have made exhaustive study of these Negro 
Melodies. 

Samuel Coleridge Taylor, of London, England. 
1875-1912, was one of the most distinguished of 
colored writers as well as one of the best known 
modern composers regardless of race. The work 
that is best known from this famous musician is 
Hiawatha. This composition won for its writer 
fame on both sides of the Atlantic. 

Other musicians of note are Will Marion Cook, 
James Reese Europe, J. Rosemond Johnson, Scott 
Joplin, N. Clark Smith and Harry T. Burleigh— 
these men and a number of others have endeavored 
to produce music, that represents the feeling of the 
race, in such a manner that the compositions will 
live forever-. 

Will Henry Bennett Vodery is the leading com¬ 
poser of popular music. Mr. Vodery’s ability as a 
composer and arranger is recognized by the big 
Broadway producers. His services are constantly 
in demand by Ivlaw and Erlanger, Schubert, Zeig- 
fiield and others. 

The race has also produced a number of noted 
singers. Among these Madame Sisseretta Jones 
of Providence, Rhode Island, is very popular. She 
has sung in all the principal cities of Europe with 
marked success. For the past twenty years she 
has been at the head of her own company. With 
this company she has appeared in all the leading 
cities of the United States, the West Indies and 
Central America. 

Other singers of note are Mrs. Azalia Hackley, 
Mrs. Martha Broadus Anderson, Madam Anita 
Patti Brown, Harry T. Burleigh, the most famous 
baritone singer of the race, and Roland W. Hayes, 
who is regarded as one of the most remarkable 
tenors in America. 

foseph Douglass, of Washington, and Clarence 
C. White, of Boston, and Kemper Harold, of At¬ 
lanta, are violinists of distinction, Maud Cuney 
Hare, Carl Diton and L. H. Caldwell, are pianists 
of great note. 

The Negro race has also produced Thomas 
Greene Bethune, better known as Blind Tom, 1849- 
1908, who for years traveled in concert all over 
America and Europe. John William Boone, “Blind 
Boone” is another musical prodigy of the Negro 
race. A native of Missouri, he has traveled regu¬ 
larly over the Western States and Canada in con¬ 
cert since 1880. 

There are a number of organizations that have 
acquired national fame; Williams Famous Singers, 
a concert company that is fully described elsewhere 
in the Cyclopedia, are known wherever there is a 
lover of fine music. Who has not heard of Fisk 


545 


Jubilee Singrs, with a record dating back for gen¬ 
erations. 

A splendid work is being done by the Clef Club 
of New York City and the Thomas L. Shoop Musi¬ 
cal Organization of Detroit, Michigan, organiza¬ 
tions that train and furnish singers, quartettes, in¬ 
strumentalists, and dancers for private entertain¬ 
ments, cabarets, etc. The wealthiest class of so¬ 
ciety people are their chief patrons. 

THE NEGRO AS A SOLDIER. 

Very early, however, though he was confined to 
the work of the fields, the Negro began to develop 
the qualities of a soldier. The Negroes were with 
Lewis and Clark. In Colonial warfare, Negroes 
wherever called upon showed themselves equal to 
any race in endurance, in discipline and in marks¬ 
manship. 

During the Revolution Negroes in the South 
were drafted into service and served in many ca¬ 
pacities; sometimes fighting for their masters and 
sometimes by the side of their masters. In Mass¬ 
achusetts during the Revolutionary War Negroes 
wrote their names on the pages of history there to 
remain. Crispus Attucks, Peter Salem, Salem 
Poors, with many others won distinction against 
the British. The famous Negro regiment that al¬ 
lowed itself to be cut down almost to a man to save 
its commander, Colonel Nathaniel Green, at the 
battle of Redbank, New Jersey, will always be re¬ 
membered in the pages of American history. A 
large number of Negroes, as is well known, won 
their freedom by fighting in the Revolutionary 
War. In the war of 1812 the black soldiers came 
even further to the front, so well did they fight at 
the battle of New Orleans that they won from so 
stern a commander as “Old Hickory,” one of the 
finest compliments paid to American soldiers any¬ 
where. In an address to them, Andrew Jackson 
said, at the conclusion of the battle, “To men of 
color, soldiers from the shores of Mobile, I called 
you to arms; I invited you to defend the glory of 
your white countrymen; I expected much from 
you, for I was not uninformed of those qualities 
which must render you so formidable a foe. I 
knew you could endure hunger and thirst and all 
the hardships of war. I knew that you loved the 
land of your nativity and that like ourselves you 
had to defend all that is most dear to man ; but you 
surpassed my hopes. I have found in you united 
to these qualities that noble enthusiasm which im¬ 
pels great deeds.” “Just as he behaved on land, so 
he behaved on sea,” Commander Perry said of the 
black soldier. In this war they seemed to be ab¬ 
solutely insensible to danger. 

In the Civil War they were almost 200,000 strong. 
There were 160 regiments, of which 140 were in¬ 
fantry; 7 cavalry; 12 heavy artillery and 1 light. 


The first Negro regiment is said to have come from 
South Carolina. Probably the most famous in the 
Civil War was the 54th Massachusetts, which or¬ 
ganized on February 9th, 1863. The Negroes were 
in practically every battle of any importance in the 
Civil War. They were conspicuous for their brav¬ 
ery and endurance at Milliken’s Bend; at Port 
Hudson; at Fort Wagner; at Charleston and Pet- 
ersburgh. From the time of the Civil War nobody 
has questioned the Negroe’s ability as a soldier. 
There has been some doubt as to the rank he could 
hold, but nobody has questioned his ability to fight 
and to endure. 

In the Spanish-American War, in 1898, one needs 
only to mention Theodore Roosevelt, the Rough 
Riders and San Jaun Hill, to bring to mind the 
valiant deeds of the 9th and 10th Cavalry and the 
25th Infantry. At the outbreak of the great world 
war when American forces joined with those of 
the Allies the Negroes once more came to the front 
as soldiers. Once more also the famous 9th and 
10th won distinction on the field of honor. At Car- 
ranzal, in Mexico, Negro soldiers walked to their 
death singing. Their deeds here marked the one 
conspicuous fight and noble sacrifice in that rather 
desperate skirmish between the United States and 
Mexico. In France, as far is known, the Negro 
fought in the front with other nations. 

NEGRO CHURCH 

Of all the agencies to foster Negro education 
and advancement the church has played the most 
conspicuous part. The Negro was early taught in 
his church ; he has for half a century featured the 
talent of his people in his church. With the ex¬ 
ception of the schools that have sprung up and with 
the exception of a few places and a few people Ne¬ 
gro talent can find vent only in the Negro church. 

The early Negro churches were not buildings, 
but simply places to assemble to sing and pray. 
Among the early church buildings is the Baptist 
church at Williamsburgh, Virginia, which is said 
to have been erected in 1785. The M. E. Church of 
Pennsylvania, founded by Richard Allen in 1757. 
The St. Thomas Episcopal Church, in Philadelphia, 
in 1791. The A. M. E. Zion Church, founded in 
New York, in 1796. The Abyssinian Baptist Church 
in 1800. The Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, 
in 1857. The Negro church spread rapidly over 
the whole country and was often the one good 
place where colored people were allowed. Today 
they extend from Boston to Key West. In every 
large city where Negroes are in considerable num¬ 
bers the Negro Church stands out as one conspicu¬ 
ous building for them. Negro churches in Boston, 
New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Richmond, 
Birmingham, Jacksonville, Lexington, Louisville, 
St. Louis, and Kansas City, and other cities stand 


546 


out as conspicuously for architecture and grandeur 
as do churches of any people in these cities; and in 
many instances they have added educational and so¬ 
cial features, such as night schools, industrial 
schools, playgrounds, rest-rooms, etc, indeed, all 
means of improvement for their members and for 
the Colored people generally. Several Negro de¬ 
nominations own their own publishing houses, no¬ 
tably among these are the Boyd Publishing House 
and the A. M. E. Publishing House, of Nashville, 
Tennessee. In fifty odd years church property 
alone is worth some seventy-five millions of dol¬ 
lars, a fact which indicates not only spiritual prog¬ 
ress but great material wealth. 

THE NEGRO INVENTOR. 

For a long time, owing to the rulings of the 
Government, the Negro inventor got no recogni¬ 
tion for his patents, but the Negro inventor, like 
the Negro soldier, early took his place in American 
history. 

BENJAMIN BANNEKER, as is pretty well 
known, was not only an early Negro writer of the 
United States, but was among the foremost Ame¬ 
rican inventors. Be it said by the way, also that 
his efforts were not confined to inventions alone, 
but he was a leading thinker, writer and worker 
of the period as well as an inventor. He was a 
noted astronomer. Born free, November 9th, 17J1, 
in Baltimore County, Maryland. Received some 
education in a pay school. Early showed an in¬ 
clination for mechanics. He constructed the first 
clock made in America. 

JAMES FORTEN. 

Of Philadelphia, who died in 1842, invented an 
apparatus for managing sails. 

ROBERT BENJAMIN LEWIS. 

Born in Gardiner, Maine, in 1802, invented a ma¬ 
chine for picking oakum. This machine, in all its 
essential particulars, is said to still be used by the 
ship-building interests of Maine. 

WILLIAM B. PURVIS. 

Of Philadelphia, began in 1912, to invent ma¬ 
chines for making paper bags and his improve¬ 
ments in this line of machinery are covered by a 
dozen patents. He was also granted patents on 
electric railways, a fountain pen, a magnetic car¬ 
balancing device, and for a cutter for roll holders. 
His inventions covered a variety of subjects. 
JOSEPH HUNTER DICKINSON. 

Of New Jersey, has invented devices for auto¬ 
matically playing the piano. His various inven¬ 
tions in piano-player mechanism are adopted in the 
construction of some of the finest player pianos on 
the market. He has more than a dozen patents to 
his credit already, and is still devoting his energies 
to that line of invention. He is at present in the 
employ of a large piano factory. 


GEORGE W. MURRAY. 

Of South Carolina, former member of Congress, 
from that State, has received eight patents for his 
inventions in agircultural implements, including 
mostly such different attachments as readily adapt 
a single implement to a variety of uses. 

HENRY CREAMER. 

Of New York, has patents covering seven differ¬ 
ent inventions in steam traps. 

ANDREW J. BEARD. 

Of Alabama has a number of inventions to his 
credit in car-coupling devices. 

WILLIAM DOUGLASS. 

Of Arkansas, has received patents for various in¬ 
ventions for harvesting machines. 

JAMES DOYLE. 

Of Pittsburgh, has patented an automatic serv¬ 
ing system.- This device is a scheme for dispens¬ 
ing with the use of waiters in dining rooms, res¬ 
taurants and at railroad lunch counters. 

SHELBY J. DAVIDSON. 

Of Kentucky, a clerk in the office of the Auditor 
for the Post Office Department, operated a ma¬ 
chine for tabulating and totalizing the quarterly 
accounts which were regularly submitted by the 
postmasters of the country. Mr. Davidson’s at¬ 
tention was first directed to the loss in time 
through the necessary periodical^ stopping to man¬ 
ually dispose of the paper coming from the ma¬ 
chine. He invented a rewind device which served 
as an attachment for automatically taking up the 
paper as it issued from the machines, and adapted 
it for use again on the reverse side, thus effecting 
a very considerable economy of time and material. 
He also invented an attachment for adding ma¬ 
chines which was designed to automatically include 
the government fee, as well as the amount sent, 
when totalizing the money orders in the reports 
submitted by postmasters. 

ROBERT PELHAM. 

Of Detroit, employed in the Census Office Bu¬ 
reau, devised a machine used as an adjunct in tab¬ 
ulating the statistics from the manufacturer’s sche¬ 
dules in a way that displaced a dozen men in a 
given quantity of work, doing the work economic¬ 
ally, speedily and with faultless precision. The 
United States Government has leased his patents, 
paying him a royalty for their use, in addition to 
his salary for operating them. 

GRANVILLE T. WOODS. 

Of New York, assisted by his brother, Lyates, 
bears the distinction of having taken out more 
patents than any other Negro. His patents num¬ 
ber more than fifty. His principal inventions re¬ 
late to electrical subjects, such as telegraph and 
telephone instruments, electric railways and gen¬ 
eral systems of electrical control , 


547 


ELIJAH McCOY. 

Of Detroit, stands next to Woods as an inventor, 
in point of number of inventions. His first patent 
was secured July, 1872, and since that period he 
has about forty patents to his credit. His patents 
cover a wide range of subjects, but relate particu¬ 
larly to the lubricating machinery. He was pioneer 
in the art of steadily supplying oil to machinery in 
intermittent drops from a cup so as to avoid the 
necessity for stopping the machine to oil it. 

JOHN ERNEST MATZELIGER. 

Born in Dutch Guiana, 1852, died in Lynn, Mass., 
1889. He is the inventor of the first machine that 
performed automatically all operations involved in 
attaching soles to shoes. This was the only ma¬ 
chine invented up to that time that would dis¬ 
charge the completely soled shoe from the ma¬ 
chine, everything being done automatically, and re¬ 
quiring less than a minute to complete a single 
shoe. 

Matzeliger attempted to capitalize his patents 
by organizing a company but failing health frus¬ 
trated his plans. After his death the patent and 
much of the stock of the company organized by 
Matzeliger was bought up. The purchase laid the 
foundation for the organization of the United 
Shoe Machinery Company, the largest and richest 
corporation of the kind in the world. 

The list of inventors among the Negroes is al¬ 
most endless from inventing farm implements and 
manufacturing implements to the designing and 
running of airplanes and machinery devices for 
submarines. 

NEGRO Y. M. C. A. 

The first colored Young Men’s Christian Asso¬ 
ciation was organized in Washington, D. C., in 
December, 1853. Anthony Brown, colored, was the 
first president. He worked in the Patent Office. 
The second to be organized was in Charleston, 
South Carolina in April, 1866, and the third in New 
York City, February, 1867, E. B. C. Cato, President. 
The first colored student association was organ¬ 
ized at Howard University in 1869. E. B. Cato, 
who attended the Montreal Convention in 1867, 
was the first colored delegate to attend an inter¬ 
national Y. M. C. A. Convention. William A. Hun- 
ton was the first colored man to enter the secre¬ 
taryship of the Young Men’s Christian Association 
work. In January, 1888, he was appointed the 
General Secretary of the Colored Association in 
Norfolk, Virginia. In 1890 he succeeded Mr. Brown 
as an International Secretary. 

The Y. M. C. A. work has been established in a 
number of places in connection with large corpo¬ 
rate industries in which numbers of Negroes are 
employed. The company usually puts up the build¬ 
ing and pays the secretary. The running expenses 


are paid out of annual and monthly dues. The first 
rural Young Men’s Christian Association for Ne¬ 
groes was organized in 1913 in Brunswick County, 
Virginia. It is under the supervision of the St. 
Paul Normal and Industrial Institute which is lo¬ 
cated in this county. 

However, until the famous philanthropist, Jul¬ 
ius Rosenwald, of Chicago, offered to give $25,000 
to any city whose Negroes would raise $75,000, 
the Negro Y. M. C. A. stood for little. It was an 
out-of-the-way house whose rooms were dingy, 
whose equipment was dilapidated and whose se¬ 
cretaries, existing on small pay, worked but a short 
time. True, the organization began as early as 
1853, but the Rosenwald fund enabled the colored 
people to put up such brick buildings as those for 
example, in Indianapolis, Indiana ; Chicago, Illinois ; 
Kansas City, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; Atlan¬ 
ta, Ga.; and to establish the Negro Y. M. C. A., as a 
lasting organization in America. 

In the recent War the “Y” work, as it was called 
rendered valuable service to the Negro boys on the 
front. Be this also added that the Negro men 
who volunteered to serve the Y. M. C. A., were 
among the best that the race could produce, and 
thus far, the war having terminated at this writing, 
no Negro “Y” worker has been convicted of any 
adroit dealings in office. Today there is scarcely 
a state or a city where Negro population abounds 
but has a respectable Y. M. C. A. 

NEGRO Y. W. C. A. 

In 1893, students associations had been organized 
in a number of Negro schools. Associations at 
Claflin, Straight, and Tougaloo Universities, Spel- 
man Seminary and the Alabama A. and M. College 
became affilited, in the early 90’s with what was 
then the National Association of Young Women’s 
Christian Association. In 1906, the National Board 
of Young Women’s Christian Associations of the 
United States of America was formed. Its pro¬ 
gram included plans for the supervision and ex¬ 
tension of the association movement among col¬ 
ored women. 

The Y. W. C. A. is an organization much like the 
Y. M. C. A. The Y. W. .C A. is now doing effect¬ 
ive work, both in the schools and among the gen¬ 
eral public for colored young women. The Y. W. 
C. A. is scarcely more than a quarter of a century 
old. Certainly its active work does not date back 
much further than this. Such colored women as 
Mrs. Wm. A. Hunton, wife of Y. M. C. A. Worker, 
W. A. Hunton; Mrs. Elizabeth Ross Haines; Mrs. 
Eva D. Bowles; Mrs. Josephine Penyon, are among 
the early sponsors for the work of the Y. W. asso¬ 
ciation. Mrs. William A. Hunton was the first col¬ 
ored secretary. She spent the winter of 1907- 
OS investigating the colored field and interesting 


548 






VM.C.A. Building, Ashville-, N.C. 


y M.C.A. Building*, 

Louisville?) Ky. 

' 

----- ;ri . | | 


Xxl. Y.M.C.A Building, Washiw&ton,D.C. 




[.ClA, Building, 

Nas h vi llk.Tentv. 


TYPES OF MODERN NEGRO Y. M.C. A. BUILDINGS 


























































the colored women in the work. She founded four¬ 
teen student Associations and four City Associa¬ 
tions: New York, Brooklyn, Baltimore, and Wash¬ 
ington. In 1908, Miss Elizabeth Ross was appoint¬ 
ed to be the special worker for the National Board 
among colored students. Miss Ross was succeed¬ 
ed in 1910 by Miss Cecelia Holloway, and Miss Hol¬ 
loway, by Miss Josephine Pinyon. 

In 1910, Mrs. Elizabeth Ross Haynes and Mrs 
Hunton undertook a systematic and intensive de¬ 
velopment of city association work among colored 
women and the placing of trained secretaries in lo¬ 
cal associations. In 1913, Miss Eva D. Bowles was 
appointed by the National Board to have special 
supervision of the city work. In order that pros¬ 
pective secretaries may gain a definite knowledge 
of association methods and principles and their 
practical application, training centers are provided 
in addition to the regular training school courses. 
Special summer courses have also been provided 
for those desiring to prepare for the secretaryship. 

In recent years the association has broaden¬ 
ed the equipment of its corps of workers, going 
far and wide throughout the nation. Not only have 
many buildings been put up in the cities, but some 
very careful and effective work has been done in 
saving and educating girls of various large cities. 
In the recent war the Y. W., like the “Y.” ren¬ 
dered most helpful service. Perhaps one of the 
greatest services was the establishment of lodg¬ 
ings for young women who travel. In this way 
the Y. W. saves many a girl who travels from pos¬ 
sible ruin. 

COLORED EXPLORERS 

1 wo men must be mentioned among the colored 
explorers. The first is Estenvanillo or Estevanico, 
sometimes referred to as “Steve.” He was with 


the ill fated expedition of DeNarvaez. This expe¬ 
dition set out from Spain in 1627. Only four men 
survived. Of this number Estevanico was one. 
He, with a companion set out to investigate 
for himself. He was one of the first persons to 
cross the continent of America. For eight years 
he wandered over the plains of Texas, and discov¬ 
ered Arizona and New Mexico. To him also be¬ 
longs the credit of the discovery of the Zuni In¬ 
dians. 

The other explorer of prominence in the Negro 
race is Matthew A. Henson. Henson was born in 
1866, in Maryland. He had the honor of accom¬ 
panying Commander Robert E. Peary on all his ex¬ 
peditions in search for the North Pole, with the 
exception of the first one. He was with Command¬ 
er Peary when the final dash was made in 1909. In 
fact he was the only civilized person with the com¬ 
mander at that time. Of Henson’s part in the dis¬ 
covery of the North Pole Commander Peary said: 

“On that bitter brilliant day in April ,1909, when 
the stars and stripes floated at the North Pole, 
Caucasian, Ethiopian, and Mongolian stood side be¬ 
side at the Apex of the earth, in the harmonion 
companionship resulting from hard work, expos¬ 
ure, danger, and a common object. 

“Mathew A. Henson, my Negro assistant, has 
been with me in one capacity or another since my 
second trip to Nicaragua in 1887. I have taken 
him on each and all of my expeditions, except the 
first, and also without exception on each of my 
fartherest sledge trips. This position I have given 
him primarily because of his adaptability and fit¬ 
ness for the work and secondly, on account of his 
loyalty. He is a better dog driver than any man 
living, except some of the best Esquimo hunters 
themselves.” 


550 


Negro Education 


ANY forces have been working to¬ 
gether for the education of the 
Negro in the South. The North¬ 
ern born Negro is no problem. 
While he has not always availed 
himself of fine chances for good 
the choice is left largely with the 

1 his is not so in the South. The Public school 
system all over the Southland is inadequate. The 
terms in the rural districts are too short, the build¬ 
ings and the equipment too poor. The city schools 
are too few in number to afford training for the 
vast number of children of color who have to at¬ 
tend them .As I said, at the first, many forces 
have been at work for the education of the Negro. 
In the Rural District the Jeans’ Fund Workers are 
making a marked change in the class-room work. 
The Rosenwald Fund is making a vast change in 
the physical surroundings of the schools. Through 
these two funds as they are used In the rural dis¬ 
tricts in the South, much good has been derived 
for the betterment of the educational facilities of 
the rural Negro. 

The larger cities have come, some of them lately 
and some of them a long time ago to realize the 
need for High Schools. In Washington, D. C., there 
is the Dunbar High School, and the Manual Train¬ 
ing School, which is of High School grade. There 
is an excellent High School m both St. Louis and 
in Kansas City, Missouri. A newly established 
High School in Sedalia is also clamoring for recog¬ 
nition as a first class High School. Savannah, 
Georgia, Birmingham, Alabama, Little Rock, Ark¬ 
ansas ; Muscogee, Oklahoma, Louisville, Kentucky, 
and all the larger cities of Texas are able to boast 
of their High School for Colored Children. There 
are some other cities that are doing pai t High 
school work, but the number is far too small for 
the number of children that need the training. 



education, still 
individual. 


COUNTY TRAINING SCHOOLS 
Arising to fill a long felt need in the training of 
colored youth the County 1 raining Schools in the 
South have come forward to a place < j prominence. 
In most of the rural communities of the South the 
time spent, equipment and the ability of the teach¬ 
er of the i-ural school have held the children back. 
To quote from Dr. James H. Dillard, of the Slater 

Fund: 

“The movement for the establishment cf County 
Training Schools for Negroes came from the coun¬ 
ty superintendents. In an address delivered in 1913 
at the Southern Sociological Congress Mr. B. C. 
Caldwell said: “Three years ago a parish superin¬ 


tendent in Louisiana applied to the Slater Fund for 
assistance in establishing a county high school for 
Negro children. Almost at the same time a county 
superintendent in Arkansas, one in Virginia, and 
one in Mississippi proposed substantially the same 
thing. It was the purpose in each case to train 
teachers for the schools of the county. 

Every county in the South has felt the need of 
fairly well trained teachers in its rural schools. But 
so far as we know this is the first time that supe¬ 
rintendents have deliberately planned to get them 
by training them at home.” This correspondence 
led to discussion of plans and investigation of con¬ 
ditions, to which Messrs. Caldwell, Davis, and W. 
T. B. Williams devoted careful attention. The re¬ 
sult was that for the session 1911-12 the Slater 
Fund contributed $500 in each of four counties with 
the understanding that the schools should be pub¬ 
lic schools supported by the public funds. 

“Our purpose in these four instances is to aid in 
establishing a county industrial training school for 
Negroes as a part of the public school system. 

“One great need, as I have previously stated to 
the Board, is to provide means for some sort of 
preparation for the rural teachers, hardly any of 
whom have been able to attend any institution out¬ 
side of their own county or some adjoining county.” 

Many of these County Training Schools were 
crude in their beginnings, but the superintendents 
and supervisors and all concerned have struggled 
to develop them to a point where they will serve 
the purpose for which they were established. To 
get a good teacher in the rural districts was al¬ 
most impossible. The well trained teachers pre¬ 
ferred to work in the town, cities and private 
schools. The County Training schools were es¬ 
tablished to prepare teachers in the county for the 
\\ ork of the county. That the plan has succeeded 
is shown by the steady increase in the number of 
County Training Schools. 

The minimum requirement of the Slater Board 
which has furnished assistance for these schools 
follows : 

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF THE SLATER 
BOARD 

“To aid in the establishment of these schools, the 
Trustees of the John F. Slater Fund have voted 
an appropriation of $500 to each for maintenance 
subject to the following conditions: 

I. The school property shall belong to the state, 
county, or district, and the school shall be a part 
cf the public school system. 

II. There shall be an appropriation for main- 


551 
















Fayette County Training School,Somervjlle, Tenn. 


Iift County I raining School, 

- CZ c r\ a r~- t a 


— ,«r,ScHOOC' 

VokkCoU^v rM Yir.giwia* 


Pickens County 
TrainingSchqol, 
Alabama. 

. S’- , ; y _ 

mKt A w " 

a 

8 1 
| - | 

■ ' ' ' ' ' I 

* ■ ■ * * ; I 


iTAft TjJV 
NoC ^o u ^; 




>c HOol 


SF>,?’7T 

T /-v r 

JRMITORY, UOHNSTON COUNTY, No. CAROLINA- 


CoNMUNiTY MEETING, 
Pickens County Training Sc 


HQOL. 


ILLUSTRATIONS OF MODERN TRAINING SCHOOLS. 


tenance of not less than $750 from public funds 
'-aised by the state, county, or district taxation. 

III. The teaching shall extend through the 
eighth year, with the intention of adding at least 
two years as soon as it shall be possible to make 
such extension.” 

These County Training Schools become the cen¬ 
tres of learning for the county in which they are 
located and for the neighboring counties. Better 
teachers may be had for them because of the better 
pay and because of the emphasis that is being 
placed upon them. 

The good that is being accomplished in this new 
development in the Public School system of the 
South is great. The larger institutions of learn¬ 
ing in the South can furnish teachers enough for 
these educational centers. The pay and the life of¬ 
fered are sufficiently enticing to make the new 
teachers happy. These teachers carry to the rural 
districts all the ideas that they have gained through 
years of association with real educators. The pup¬ 
ils in the County Training schools will in turn go 
out into the remote places of the country and es¬ 
tablish better and bigger schools and in this way 
the people on the farms will learn to live a broader, 


more wholesome life. Too much cannot be said in 
praise for these New County Training Schools. 

In addition to the work that is done through the 
public school system and through the i various 
funds helping out the public school system there 
have been a number of organizations that will have 
to be studied separately in order to get some idea 
of the scope of the work that has been done by 
them. 

AMERICAN BAPTIST HOME MISSION 
SOCIETY. 

I he work of the American Baptist Home Mis¬ 
sion Society in the South was begun in 1862. The 
following resolution marked the beginning of their 
endeavor for the colored people, “Resolved, That 
we recommend the society to take immediate 
steps to supply with Christian instruction by means 
of missionaries and teachers, the emancipated 
slaves. From that day the organization has worked 
steadily for the education of the Negro youth. 
While at the start the teachers nd officers em¬ 
ployed by this Society to manage the schools it 
was founding were of necessity white, the schools 
have gradually added to the list of teachers per- 


552 

























PARTIAL BIRD-EYE VIEW OF BENEDICT COLLEGE 


sons of color till today there are a greater number 
of colored than white teachers working in these 
schools. Several of the larger schools have been 
given over entirely into the hands of the colored 
people. So well have these institutions been man¬ 
aged that they have gone forward and have stead¬ 
ily increased in efficiency. 

Among the schools established by the American 
Baptist Home Mission Society may be mentioned 
Morehouse College, established in 1867, Spelman 
Seminary, Atlanta, Ga., established in 1881. These 
two schools are told of in full elsewhere in this vol¬ 
ume and represent the type of work being done by 
all the schools owned and controlled by this body. 
Benedict College, in South Carolina, was estab¬ 
lished in 1871. Bishop College, in Texas, was es¬ 
tablished in 1881, Hartshorn Memorial College, in 
Virginia, was established in 1883, Shaw University 
in North Carolina is one of the oldest of the schools 
established by this Society. This institution dates 


from 1865. Another of the earliest institutions is 
the Virginia Union University, established in 1865. 

The number of Baptists among colored people 
of the South outnumbers any other denomination. 
For this reason the Baptist boards working for the 
colored people have had a large field. Many have 
been the problems that have arisen because of the 
division of the work in this denomination. In sev¬ 
eral of the states the colored Baptists have divided. 
One branch of colored Baptists supports the 
schools organized and owned by the American 
Baptist Home Mission Society. The other branch 
supports the schools that they have organized and 
run in opposition to American Baptist Home Mis¬ 
sion Schools. This has been but an outcome of 
the Negroes’ ambition to apply the lessons of self 
help that have been implanted in his breast while 
attending these institutions of learning. The col¬ 
ored man is yet too poor to finance properly his 
own schools for higher education. Where the at- 










mmm 




S 


Bishop College Campus Entrance 


Ac:.'. 


(Girls' Dormitory^ 


" WlTQry) 


ansi on 


(Pres 1 cl en is R es i d en ce) 
and The Pool 


Bishop Hall 
CGi rl s’Dor mil or y) 


GROUP OF VIEWS OF BISHOP COLLEGE, MARSHALL, TEXAS. 

























HARTSHORN MEMORIAL COLLEGE. RICHMOND, VA. 


tempt has been made they have suffered from in¬ 
sufficient funds. 

Another division of the Baptists in the work for 
the colored people is the Northern and the South¬ 
ern whites. The Northern whites have done most 
for the Negro, but Southern Baptists have also felt 
the responsibility for the training of the Colored 
youth. In 1916 the Southern Baptists pledged fifty 
thousand dollars for a Theological School for Ne¬ 
groes. 

The work that is done by the American Baptist 
Home Mission Board is strongly supported by the 
Woman’s American Baptist Home Mission Board. 

In fact the schools that are helped by the Woman's 
branch are also helped by the regular board. To¬ 
gether these two boards own and control twenty- 
four institutions that are classed as “larger and 
more important” in the U. S. Bulletin Number 38. 
The total valuation of these twenty-four schools 
is $3,870,744. This represents a great investment 
for the development of the Colored Baptists of the 
South. Not only has the Northern White man giv¬ 
en of his money, to the development of this cause, 
but he has sent his sons and daughters into the field 
to labor as well. Then when there were colored 
men sufficiently trained to share the responsibility 
the work was divided with him. John Hope, Pres¬ 
ident of Morehouse College, Atlanta. Ga., is the 
type of colored man that this Society has placed 
at the head of its institutions, Z. 1. Hubei t, 1 i es- 
ident of Jackson College, Jackson. Mississippi, is 
another young colored man who, having been given 
the responsibility of the management of one of the 
larger schools supported by Noi them Baptists, has 
made good. 

The good of these two organizations cannot be 

555 


estimated. Never in the history of any race has 
the progress upward been so rapid as that of the 
Negro race. When we consider the untiring ef¬ 
forts of these unselfish people and others equally 
zealous for our uplift, we can in a small way be¬ 
gin to realize the great force that was back of this 
rapid rise. Never will the Negro of the South for¬ 
get the efforts of the Northern white man in be¬ 
half of his educational uplift. 

AMERICAN MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION 

I he American Missionary Association was or¬ 
ganized September 3, 1846. From the first the or¬ 
ganization held high ideals and it was run by men 
of broad educational training. These men were 
strong men, men of power and vision. The organ¬ 
ization was not formed to furnish relief for the 
black men, but at the outbreak of the War, it was 
in a very good position to do so. For fifteen years it 
had carried on work in the South hoping to arouse 
the Southern Whites to a realization of the evils of 
slavery. The Association in 1858 founded Berea 
College, Kentucky. This school was not founded 
for Negroes alone, but for all who needed training. 
In 1868 this College had an attendance of 200 pu¬ 
pils, and two-thirds of these were Negroes. 

From the first efforts of this Association were 
strong for the education of the Negro. In 1866 
Fisk University was established. The story of the 
progress of this institution and of its becoming in¬ 
dependent is told elsewhere in this volume. In 
1867 Talladega College was established. This 
school is one of the strongest supported by the As¬ 
sociation. It is situated at Talladega, Alabama, and 
stands for the thorough preparation of colored men 
and women in all lines of endeavor. The work of 








CHORUS IN THE CHAPEL, TOUGALOO, UNIVERSITY, TOUGALOO, MISS. 


the college department is of such grade that two 
years in Harvard or Yale wins for Talladega men 
their degree. 

In 1868, Hampton Institute was founded. It was 
of course not then what it is today, but out of the 
school planted in that year has grown our great 
Hampton of today. Hampton, like Fisk, is now an 
independent school. Hampton stands for the train¬ 
ing of both the head and the hand. There are 
900 boarding pupils. 400 day pupils in the elemen¬ 
tary school, and about 400 teachers attending sum¬ 
mer school. The work took its shape under Gen¬ 
eral Armstrong, the first principal and Dr. Frissell 
carried out the ideas that were started by him. 
The work is now under Dr. Gregg. 

In 1869, both Atlanta University at Atlanta, Ga., 
and Straight University, at New Orleans, were es¬ 
tablished. Both these schools now have the repu¬ 
tation of doing very thorough classical work. At¬ 
lanta University is one of the best known institu¬ 
tions for the training of the Negro youth of the 
South. It is also one of the schools in which the 
most thorough work is being done. They carry 


an enrollment of about 500 pupils, a great number 
of these come from the city of Atlanta. It is one 
of the best equipped of the schools doing work for 
the colored people. 

Straight, like Talladega College, is still under the 
control of the American Missionary Association. 
It has a strong faculty and is religious in its train¬ 
ing. Straight is one of the first class institutions 
for the higher education of the Negroes of the 
South. Although chartered as Straight University 
in 1915, the name was changed to Straight College 
as that more nearly represented the scope of the 
work that could be done by this school. 

In the same year as the two above mentioned 
schools were established, Tougaloo College was 
founded in the State of Mississippi. This school 
is still under the control of the A. M. A. It is one 
of the oldest and strongest of the schools still sup¬ 
ported by this organization. Tougaloo is especial¬ 
ly strong in its musical course. If the good of an 
institution is to be counted by the work done by 
the graduates that go from its doors, then Touga¬ 
loo is one of the best of our Southern schools. 



STRAIGHT COLLEGE, NEW ORLEANS, LA. 
556 




























































FostES- 


/ Koy 
[cottage 


CARNEGJfi 

LIBRARY 


fOREST CHAVfT 

- Zm' r - ■ ' " 


^.^EOLOGlCAk 


^H^YNE V\aV^- 


GROUP OF BUILDINGS OF TALLADEGA COLLEGE, TALLADEGA. ALA. 


The work of the American Missionary Associa¬ 
tion can be estimated by the work of the Universi¬ 
ties and colleges established and maintained by it. 

The good that has been done through establish¬ 
ment of smaller schools in all parts of the South has 
also to be taken into account. These schools were 
invariably put in the care of good earnest Christian 
workers. At first most of these workers were 
white men and women, but as soon as there were 
colored workers sufficiently trained for the posi¬ 
tions they were added to the list of workers in 
these secondary schools. Among these schools 
might be mentioned Lincoln School, at Meridian, 
Mississippi, for a number of years under the lead¬ 
ership of Mrs. H. I. Miller, of Topeka. Ivansas. The 
Emerson School in Mobile, Le Moyne Institute, in 
Memphis, Cotton Valley, which is out in a country 
district of Alabama. In fact the number of these 
schools is too great for them all to be mentioned. 
But the good training they have given to the Ne¬ 


gro girls and boys, and the inspiration that has 
come through them for better living has made 
them a great factor in the development of the Ne¬ 
gro in the South. 

The schools of the American Missionary Associa¬ 
tion, both the small schools and the colleges have 
been a great factor in making the progress of the 
Colored man so rapid. 

FEDERAL SCHOOLS, LAND GRANT SCHOOLS, 
AND STATES SCHOOLS FOR THE NEGRO 

That the educated Negro is far more of an asset 
in the state than an uneducated one has gradually 
become an established and known fact among the 
white people of the South. At first the white man 
was not over sympathetic with the education of 
the Negro. But the Religious bodies of the North 
continued to work for his education and uplift, till 
even the .Southern white man saw that an educated 
Negro was an improvement on the uneducated one. 




































GIRLS, DORMITORY, PRAIRIE VIEW, N. & S. INSTITUTE, ADMINISTRATION BLDG. AND FOSTER HALL. 


When this fact dawned upon the Southern law¬ 
maker, they began to establish state schools for 
the training of the colored boys and girls. 

The Land-Grant schools are the greatest in num¬ 
ber. The Morrill Fund under which these schools 
receive Government money was established in 1862. 
The Negroes at first came into only a small share 
of this money. In Virginia. Hampton Institute re¬ 
ceived $12,000 from this fund as early as 1870. In 
South Carolina, Claflin University received a por¬ 
tion of the fund for the development of an indus¬ 
trial course. In Mississippi, however, Alcorn Col¬ 
lege was opened to both white and colored for 
training. In 1876 Alcorn was practically wholly 
colored. But the school did not take a definite 
place in the education of the colored youth till 
much later. It was still much later that the 
State school and Land Grant School for the Negro 
became a real factor in the development of the col¬ 
ored boy and girl in Southern States. 

Of the Land Grant Schools there are now six¬ 
teen. All of the Southern States have taken ad¬ 
vantage of the liberal appropriation of the Govern¬ 
ment for the school training of the young. The 
amount of money invested in the plants of these 
sixteen schools is more than two million, five hun¬ 
dred thousand dollars. Some of these schools are 
taken up in full in other parts of this book—The 
Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical College for 
Negroes at Normal; Princess Anne Academy of 
Maryland; and the Lincoln Institute of Missouri 
But there are others that are doing ecpially as good 
work and some of the others are larger. For ex¬ 
ample the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical 
College for Negroes, at Tallahassee, has played a 
great part in the training of the youth of that state. 
Mr. N. B. Young, who has been at the head of this 
institution for years has developed the work along 
all the lines that make for the full development of 
strong character. This is probably the best organ¬ 
ized of all the Land Grant Schools. 

This is the complete list of the Land Grant 
Schools—’Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical 


College, Normal, Alabama,, Walter Buchanan, 
Pres.; Branch Normal, Pine Bluff, Arkansas, J. G. 
Ish, President; Delaware State College for Colored 
Youth, Dover, Del., W. C. Jason, President. ;Flor- 
ida Agricultural and Mechanical College, Tallassee, 
N. B. Young, President; Georgia State Industrial 
College, Savannah, R. R. Wright, President; Ken¬ 
tucky Normal and Industrial Institute for Colored, 
Frankfort, G. P. Rusell, President; Southern Uni¬ 
versity, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, J. S. Clark, Pres¬ 
ident ; Princess Anne Academy, Princess Anne. 
Thomas H. Kiah, President; Alcorn Agricultural 
and Mechanical College, Alcorn, Mississippi, L. J. 
Rowan, President; Lincoln Institute, Jefferson 
City, Missouri; Clement Richardson, President; 
Colored Agricultural and Technical College, Greens¬ 
boro, N. C., James B. Dudley, President; Colored 
Agricultural and Normal Lhiiversity, Langston. 
Oklahoma, J. M. Marquess, President; Colored 
Normal, Industrial and Mechanical College, Or¬ 
angeburg, S. C., R. S. Wfflkinson, President; Agri¬ 
cultural and Industrial State School, Nashville, 
Tenn.; W. J. Hoyle, President; Prairie View State 
Normal and Industrial College, Prairie View, Tex¬ 
as, I. M. Terrell, President; West Virginia Collegi¬ 
ate Institute, Institute, W. Va., Byrd Prillerman, 
President. 

Hampton Institute might be mentioned as a Land 
Grant School, for it received part of its support 
fund from this source. These schools represent an 
anual investment of more than one million, one 
hundred eighty-five thousand dollars in the train¬ 
ing of the colored youth of the South. 

The State schools of the South are supported en¬ 
tirely by the state receiving no funds from the Fed¬ 
eral Government. There are eleven of these 
schools. Alabama has one, Kansas two, Mary¬ 
land one, New Jersey one, North Carolina three, 
Ohio one, and Virginia and West Virginia one each. 

The Federal school is Howard University locat¬ 
ed at Washington, D. C. Howard represents an in¬ 
vestment of one million seven hundred fifty odd 
thousand dollars. 


558 









FREEDMEN’S AID SOCIETY. 

The Freedmen’s Aid Society of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church was organized in Cincinnati, 
Ohio, in 1866, and at once sent school teachers into 
the South to gather the scattered and ignorant peo¬ 
ple together in any sort of shack or building, or 
even in open air, to teach them desponsibilities of 
manhood and womanhood and citizenship. Gradual¬ 
ly the Church responded to calls of the Society for 
money necessary to put up buildings and pay teach¬ 
ers, until, after fifty years of earnest and faithful 
service on the part of teachers, and liberal giving 
by the Church, there are at the present time un¬ 
der the control of the Freedmen’s Aid Society 
eighteen institutions of learning, located in strate¬ 
gic centers throughout the Southern States, with 
334 teachers and 5,702 students, sending out their 
streams of intellectual, industrial, and moral influ¬ 
ence into the masses of the Negro race, now grown 
to be twelve million. During the half century of 
their work, over 200,000 boys and girls have at¬ 
tended the schools. Large numbers of them have 
graduated and are now the leading factors in the 
ministry and membership not only of the Metho¬ 
dist Episcopal Church, but of all the colored 
churches in the South. From nothing the property 
of the Society has grown until today it is valued 
at $2,008,750, and the annual income from collec¬ 
tions in the churches, bequests, gifts, and legacies, 
with payments from students themselves, amounts 
to a round half million of dollars, and the perma¬ 
nent endowment is now one million dollars and 
daily growing. 

The 350,000 colored members of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, with their 3,375 churches, 215,- 
206 Sunday-school scholars (and a church propeitv 
valued at $8,091,929), would have been impossible 
were it not for the trained and converted leaders 
who have gone out from the schools. The work 
could not have been carried on in these churches 
and Sunday schools were it not foi the young life 
constantly pouring out of the schools into their 
ministry and membership. Ten millions of dollars 
make up the total cost for fifty years. Just about 
the price of one battleship, or less than the money 
wasted in the European war in half a day. 

WHAT GOD HATH WROUGHT FOR THE NE¬ 
GRO RACE IN AMERICA IN FIFTY 
YEARS. 

Half a century ago the Negro was a chattel, 
without education, property, or opportunity of any 
sort. Four millions of him then, twelve millions 
now, but what a wonderful contrast between the 
condition of the twelve millions of today and the 
four millions of fifty years ago. Read both sides 
of this parallel and see what has been accomplish¬ 
ed through fifty years of Christian training. 


THE NEGRO FIFTY YEARS AGO. 


Population census 1860; Slaves 

3,953,750; Free, 487,970; total_ 441,730 

Illiteracy _;_ 90% 

Value of property, estimated at__ $1,200,000 

Number of colleges and universities— 1 

Number of college graduates, esti¬ 
mated at___ 30 

Number of practicing physicians and 

pharmacists _•_ 0 

Number of lawyers_ 0 

Number of banks operated by Negroes 0 

Number of Negro towns_ 0 

Number of newspapers_ 1 

Number of churches owned, estimated 

at _ 400 

Value of church property_ $500,000 

Membership of Negro churches, esti¬ 
mated at _ 40,000 

Number of children in schools, esti¬ 
mated at _ 25,000 

HALF A CENTURY OF NEGRO PROGRESS. 
Total Negro population (U n i t e d 

States), 1910 _ 9,828,294 

Homes owned by Negroes_ 500,000 

Churches owned by Negroes_ 31,393 

Church Membership _ 3,207,305 

Sunday schools - 24,380 

Sunday-school scholars - 1,448,570 

Illiteracy, census 1910_ 30.5% 

Value of property, estimated at_$1,000,000,000 

Number of farms owner_ 250,000 

Value of church property_ $65,000,000 

Number of college and university gra¬ 
duates _ 8,000 

Professional men-- 75,000 

Number of practicing physicians, es¬ 
timated at _ 3,500 

Number of practicing lawyers- 1,500 

Number of business men, estimated at 50,000 

Number of children in schools_ 2,000,000 

Number of Negro towns- 50 

Number of Negro teachers- 30,000 

Land owned by Negroes- 20,000,000 

acres or 31,000 square miles. 

Drug stores _ 300 

General stores and other industrial 

enterprises - 20,000 

Newspapers and periodicals- 398 

Hospital and Nurse training schools__ 61 

Banks owned by Negroes—-- 72 

Insurance companies - 100 


66.2 per cent of all Negroes in the Uni¬ 
ted States, ten years of age or over, 
are engaged in gainful occupations. 

Property owned by Negro secret so¬ 
cieties _ $8,000,000 


559 






































Capital stock Negro banks- $2,000,000 

Annual business done by Negro banks $20,000,000 

The Freedmen’s Aid Society has contributed a 
large share of this magnificent result through Its 
eighteen schools. During that time it has sent out 
more than 200,000 young people, who received the 
broader and higher outlook from its Christian 
teachers. 

The work of these young people is the largest 
factor among the Negro people in making the 
world safe for democracy. 

SOCIETY’S NEW OUTLOOK. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church has just com¬ 
pleted a drive in which ONE HUNDRED AND 
TWELVE MILLION DOLLARS was raised for 
missions and education, home and foreign. 1 HE 
THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND 
NEGRO membership of that church subscribed 
FOUR MILLION DOLLARS. The entire one hun¬ 
dred and twelve millions covers a period of five 
years, so the Negroes will have eight hundred 
thousand dollars per year to raise. While but two 
months of the first year have passed since the close 
of the drive the Negro membership has paid in 
approximately two hundred thousand in cash. 

The colored people gave but four million on the 
basis of the five year period but eight million will 
be expendd in building churches and employing 
church workers in the North and the South and in 
education. 

The Freedmen’s Aid Society which directs the 
educational institutions of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church for the education of Negroes is the agency 
to push the new program of education. 

That Society will have available in the five year 
period two million dollars over its regular income 
to be applied to endowment, new buildings and 
equipment. At a recent meeting, the Board of 
Managers advanced the current appropriations to 
the schools for the year 1919-1920 from $95,985.61 
to $118,000. The appropriation for Morgan 
College and branches which are operated by a self- 
perpetuating Board of 1 rustees amounts to $15,- 
410, making a total appropriation $133,410.00. Nor 
is this all of direct appropriations, because each in¬ 
stitution gets the amount raised in the patronizing 
colored conferences. All of the above is extra from 
the regular income of the school in fees, board and 
tuition. 

ANNUITIES AND SPECIAL GIFTS. 

In addition to the offerings from the churches, 
the Society receives many gifts of large amounts 
during each year. For those who wish to contrib¬ 
ute to the work of these schools, and who need 
the income from their money while they live, the 
Society pays a liberal annuity during the lifetime 


of the donor. This makes sure that such gifts 
shall go on fulfilling a great commission, in the 
name of these donors for all time to come. 

The schools operated by the Freedmen’s Aid So¬ 
ciety are Gammon Theological Seminary, Atlanta, 
Ga., Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Term., 
Flint-Goodridge Hospital, New Orleans, La., Clark 
University, So. Atlanta, Ga., Morristown Normal 
College, Morristown, Tenn., Morgan College and 
Princess Anne Academy, Baltimore, Md., New Or¬ 
leans College, and Gilbert Academy, New Orleans, 
La., Rust College, Holly Springs, Miss., Philander 
Smith College, Little Rock, Ark., Sam Huston Col¬ 
lege, Austin, Texas, Bennett College, Greensboro, 
N. Carolina, George R. Smith College, Sedalia, 
Mo., Haven Institute, Meridian, Miss., Central Ala¬ 
bama Institute, Birmingham, Ala., Cookman Insti¬ 
tute, Jacksonville, Fla., Claflin College, Orange¬ 
burg, So. Carolina, Wiley College, Marshall, Texas. 

The officers of the Freedmen’s Aid Society are 
as follows: 

BOARD OF MANAGERS—Bishops: W. F. An¬ 
derson, F. J. McConnell, F. D. Leete, W. P. Thirk- 
field, W. A. Quayle, and F. M Bristol Ministers: 
J. C. Hartzell, H. C. Jennings, A. J. Nast, D. L. Ault- 
man, Herbert Scott, John H. Race, C. E. Schenk, 
V. F. Brown, W. B. Slutz, E. R. Overley, W. H. 
Wohrly, and E. C. Wareing. Laymen: R. B. Mc- 
Rary, E. R. Graham, L. N. Gatch, E. C. Harley, C. 
F. Coffin, C. L. Swain, FI. H. Garrison, Harlan C. 
West, George D. Webb, and Charles Hommeyer. 

OFFICERS OF THE BOARD—Bishop W. F. 
Anderson, President; Bishop F. D. Leete, First 
Vice-President; Bishop W. P. Thirkield, Second 
Vice-President; Rev. C. E. Schenk, Third Vice- 
President ; Rev. W. H. Wehrly, Fourth Vice-Presi¬ 
dent; C. L. Swain, Fifth Vice-President; Rev. John 
H. Race, Treasurer; Rev. D. Lee Aultman, Record¬ 
ing Secretary; Rev. P. J. Maveety and I. Garland 
Penn. Corresponding Secretaries. Assistant Re¬ 
cording Secretary; Miss May Getzendanner, As¬ 
sistant Treasurer, E. R. Graham. 

PROMINENT MEN WHO ARE FREEDMEN’S 
AID GRADUATES. 

Half of all the colored physicians in the United 
States are graduates of Meharry Medical College, 
one of the Freedmen’s Schools. Such outstanding 
and prominent men as Dr. Emmett J. Scott, Sec¬ 
retary-Treasurer of Howard Lhffversity, Washing¬ 
ton, D. C.; Dr. R. E. Jones, Editor South Western 
Christian Advocate, New Orleans, La.; Dr. War- 
field, Surgeon-in-Chief Freedmen’s Hospital, 
Washington, D. C.; Lawyer W. Ashbie Hawkins, 
Baltimore, Md.; Dr. J. W. E. Bowen, Professor 
Historical Theology, Atlanta, Ga.; Dr. Ernest Ly¬ 
on, former Minister to Liberia, and a host of others 
are graduates of these schools. 


560 




GRLS’ DORMITORY, PAUL QUINN COLLEGE, WACO, TEXAS. 


OTHER PROMINENT INSTITUTIONS SUP¬ 
PORTED BY THE METHODIST CHURCH 

The Methodist Church has the honor of taking 
the first definite steps for the education of the col¬ 
ored youth. This step was taken in Ohio in the 
year 1844. At that time the Ohio Conference of 
the A. M. E. Church appointed a committee to se¬ 
lect a site for the Seminary of learning. It was 
three years later when the school was opened. The 
same state took the next step for the education of 
the colored man. This was when they established 
Wilberforce University. The object of Wilberforce 
was the higher order of education of colored peo¬ 
ple generally and the site for it was purchased in 
1856. 

From the first the broad principle that there 
should be no race discrimination was established 
Wilberforce changed hands in 1863, when Bish¬ 
op Payne of the A. M. E. Church purchased the in¬ 
stitution from the M. E. Church. 1 he school has 
been in the hands of strong race leaders. They 
have budded well for the distinctive University 
that is now Wilberforce. The present President is 
Dr. W. S. Scarborough, who was for a number of 
years prior to this Professor of Latin and Greek 
in this University. 

While Wilberforce is by far the best known and 
the largest of these schools, Kittrell College, Kit- 
trell, North Carolina, with President G. A. Edwards 
at its head is well known and is doing a good woik. 
Ranking along with Kittrell we have Paul Quinn in 
Texas and Morris Brown in Atlanta, Georgia. 
These schools all receive their support from the 
church, and in turn send out trained young people 
to work in the interest of the denomination. 


LINCOLN UNIVERSITY 

The first step for Negro education was taken in 
Ohio, in 1844. Ten years later, 1854, Pennsylvania 
took the next step when Lincoln University was 
first founded. The first charter was granted un¬ 
der the name of Ashmun Institute. When the 
name was changed in 1866, the plan was to have 
training in the various professions ; theology, med¬ 
icine, law—in adition to the regular preparatory 
department and college course. The courses were 
one by one discontinued, however, till in 1893, there 
remained the College and the Theological Sem¬ 
inary as departments of the University. 

OTHER CHURCH SCHOOLS 

Besides the schools that fall into the groups that 
have already been considered there are the Presby¬ 
terian Schools, the Catholic Schools, Christian 
Schools, The Schools owned by the Societies of 
Friends, the schools of the Lutheran Board, the 
Episcopal Boards, the United Presbyterion Board 
and then there are Negro Church Boards maintain¬ 
ing schools. 

The work done for the Negro through these var¬ 
ious boards shows the genuine interest of the 
churches in the social uplift of the colored man. 
r fhe Baptist Board with its large investment in 
Negro education has a large Negro membership 
in its denomination. While they do not limit the 
students in anyway to persons of their own faith, 
they have a very large number of young men and 
women of their own faith to draw on. The same 
is true of the Methodists. While not so numerous 
as the Baptists they are present in vast number. 
This is not true of the other boards that are strug¬ 
gling to help the Negro in his upward strides. They 


561 







are working for the Negro through their love of 
humanity. This fact will be more and more recog¬ 
nized. 

Less than 4 percent of the Negro population of 
the United States are connected with churches oth¬ 
er than Baptist and Methodist. The other relig¬ 
ious bodies however, including the Congregational- 
ists, have invested more than seven million dollars 
in the education of the Colored people. 1 his is a 
sum that equals the combined investment of the 
two leading denominations. This shows the in¬ 
terest of these broad people in education in its 
broadest sense. The good thus done for the Negro 
has meant much in his rapid progress during the 
past fifty years. The schools established and con¬ 
trolled by these organizations are for the most part 
well supervised and amply supported. 

CONGREGATIONALISM AND THE NEGRO. 

Congregationalism is apostolic in origin. In its 
modern meaning, it dates as far back as the 
close of the Sixteenth Century, when Puritan¬ 
ism arose in the days of “Good Queen Bess.” bin¬ 
der James I, one group began to meet by them¬ 
selves, and to worship in an unorthodox way. 
These were days when religious toleration was not 
known ; hence, they were “harried out of the land,” 
and found refuge first in Holland, and after twelve 
years, found a home in the wilds of the new world, 
at Plymouth, in 1620. 

Their splendid heroism is a matter of history. 
How they toiled and suffered and died in laying the 
foundations of a church without a Bishop, and of 
a State without a King, is known by every school 
boy. 

Their ministers, from Robinson down, were men 
of letters. Education was fostered along with re¬ 
ligion, as a matter of course. Harvard, Yale, An¬ 
dover, Dartsmouth, Princeton, and scores of other 
colleges and schools of high rank bear eloquent 
witness to their intellectual zeal. 

They were, however, pre-eminently a spiritual- 
minded folk and felt themselves divinely led in all 
matters of both church and state. 

The church in the wilderness grew and flour¬ 
ished, sometimes “with toil and persecution.” Their 
ears caught the macedonian cry from lands afar, 
and in 1810 they organized the American Board of 
Commissioners for Foreign Missions ; the first or¬ 
ganization of the kind in the new world, and moth¬ 
er of an illustrious progeny in all the churches. In 
1846 the American Missionary Association was or¬ 
ganized. Five other Societies followed these in 
rapid succession, but we shall dwell mainly on the 
work of the American Missionary Association be¬ 
cause of its relation to the Negro. For quite three 
quarters of a century this organization has stood 
in the very van of the agencies that have been at 


work for the uplift and enlargement of the Negro 
in America and in Africa. 

It was at Hampton, shortly after Gen. Butler had 
declared the Negroes within the federal lines “con 
traband of war,” that the work of education began. 
That beginning has through the passing years cul¬ 
minated in the organization of more than 250 Negro 
churches and in the establishing of half dozen col¬ 
leges and universities such as: Fisk, Atlanta, Tal¬ 
ladega, Tougaloo; besides more than fifty primary 
and Secondary schools in strategic centers extend¬ 
ing from Virginia to Texas. 

These schools have administered to the threefold 
need of the Negro in his struggle for a place in the 
ranks of the nineteenth and twentieth century pro¬ 
gress. First of all was seen the need of educated, 
trained leadership. No race can advance to its 
promised land without its Moses and Aaron, and 
Joshua and Samson, and Samuel ,and the rest. 

The dawn of freedom discovered the Negro lead¬ 
erless, save for a group of Negro preachers whom 
nature in a mysterious way, had provided. They 
did their best under the handicap of illiteracy and 
the inwrought traditions of two hundred and fifty 
years of servitude. In many, if not in most in¬ 
stances, this leadership was in blind obedience to 
the instinct of worship and reverence ; and on the 
other hand reverence and obedience to priestly and 
prophetic authority. It was a concrete case of the 
“blind leading the blind.” 

And yet in this very thing was contained the seed 
of promise and of hope. The soul of the race was 
crying aloud for light and for enlightenment; and 
through the A. M. A. the Congregational Church 
answered that cry by founding and sustaining the 
schools and churches already mentioned. Thous¬ 
ands of graduates and undergraduates have gone 
out to service from these schools. There is now in 
attendance eight or ten thousand Negro youths in 
these schools. Here, leaders have been trained for 
the task of guiding the race along the safe and sure 
way of racial respectability and racial eminence 
and freedom. For the past half century, yeoman 
service has been done in church and school and 
community. Remarkable wisdom, and tact, and pa¬ 
tience have revealed themselves in the delicate task 
of raising a backward people up to the standards 
and ideals of a progressive people among and with 
whom they lived and by whom they were meas¬ 
ured. Honesty, efficiency, thrift, industry and 
Christian good will have been the burthen of their 
teaching. This has added tremendously to the eco¬ 
nomic progress of the entire South and has kept 
down clashes of a racial nature. 

The leadership of the Negro is still in the hands 
of the minister, and it is here that emphasis has 
been stressed. Intellectual and industrial leaders 


562 


have not been undervalued. But the descendants 
of the Pilgrims are true to their traditions, and 
are still insisting on the supreme place of the spir¬ 
itual. The educated minister has always been put 
to the front. At Talladega College, alone, the ven¬ 
erable and beloved Dr. G. W. Andrews has taught 
and sent out more than two hundred Negro preach¬ 
ers to the various branches of the Negro church. 
The Baptists and the various branches of the Me¬ 
thodist Churches, with rare exceptions, gladly ac¬ 
knowledge their debt to Congregationalism for 
some of their foremost leaders. 

The Congregational Churches among Negroes, 
serve mainly as models and stimulants to the other 
churches. They are not a separate body from the 
general Congregational brotherhood. Just as there 
are Italian groups. Slav groups and other racial 
groups, so is there this Negro group having the 
fullest fellowship, and amplest privilege in all the 
general affairs of the great Congregational Church. 
For the past several years Negroes have held the 
office of vice-president of the National Council of 
Congregational Churches and have presided with 
dignity and acceptably over that august body. 
There are five Negro Superintendents of church 
work now in the field; there are a number of Ne¬ 
groes on various boards of trustees of our Colleges, 
and numbers of Negro deans, professors and 
teachers, laboring side by side in utmost harmony 
with the white co-laborers in the work of church 
and school. All the benevolences go through the 
common channel of our national administrative 
boards. 

Our churches are necessarily small for they 
came South late, due to their attitude toward slav¬ 
ery. They have a definite purpose and a definite 
mission ; that is, to train the abundant emotional¬ 
ism of the race into submission to reason and res¬ 
traint, and to present to the great church catholic 
an element of worship that must greatly enrich and 
enhance the religion of Jesus Christ of Nazaieth. 
Thus, shall Ethiopia stretch forth her hands unto 
God, offering her princely gift to bless all mankind. 

E. E. SCOTT, 
Montgomery, Ala. 


July 3, 1919. 

NATIONAL WOMAN’S CHRISTIAN TEMPER¬ 
ANCE UNION WORK AMONG COLORED 
PEOPLE 


National Superintendent, Mrs. Eliza E. Peterson, 
Texarkana, Texas. 

Associates, Mrs. J. W. Sexton, Mobile, Ala; Mrs. 
Phoebe Allen, Cincinnati, Ohio. 

Advisory Committee on College Work: Pres¬ 
ident, Miss Mary A. Lynch, Livingston College, 
Salisbury, N. C.; Secretary, Mrs. Elizabeth Ross 
Haynes, Fisk University, Nashville, Tenn. 


Work among colored people became a separate 
Department in 1881, with Mrs. Jane M. Kenney 
of Michigan, as Superintendent. Mrs. Frances E. 
Harper, of Pennsylvania, became superintendent in 
1883, and continued to fill the position until 1890. 
In 1891, Mrs. J. E. Ray, of North Carolina, was 
a committee on “Home and Foreign Missionary 
Work for Colored People. In 1895, Mrs. Lucy 
Thurman, of Michigan, became superintendent of 
the colored work. She continued in this position 
until 1908, when she was succeeded by the present 
superintendent, Mrs. Eliza E. Peterson. 

The W. C. T. U. work among colored people is 
carried on in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Col¬ 
orado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia. 
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, New York, Kansas, Ken¬ 
tucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, 
Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, 
Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, 
and West Virginia. The colored women are or¬ 
ganized into local unions, and in the District of Co¬ 
lumbia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, 
Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia, they have 
separate State organizations with their own State 
officers. Many colored women belong to mixed 
unions. Altogether, the colored membership in 
the W. C. T. U. is about 6,000. 

Texas has the largest paid W. C. T. U. member¬ 
ship among colored women of the United States. 
The city with the largest paid membership is Nash¬ 
ville, Tenn. Prairie View State Normal and In¬ 
dustrial College, Prairie View, Texas, has the larg¬ 
est young people’s branch among colored women in 
the United States. The branch has 150 young 
women who are paid-up members. 

WORK OF THE AMERICAN BAPTIST PUB¬ 
LICATION SOCIETY AMONG NEGROES 

This society has carried on such work since 
emancipation. 

During the past year the Society maintained six 
Sunday School workers among colored people in 
Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, 
and Virginia. These workers held Sunday School 
Conventions, Bible Institutes and delivered ad¬ 
dresses to Sunday Schools and Churches. They 
visited the past year over 800 Sunday Schools and 
Churches. The names of these workers and their 
fields are as follows: 

S. N. Vass, D. D., Box. 430, Raleigh, N. C., Gen¬ 
eral Superintendent of Negro Work of the Society 
throughout the United States. 

D. A. Scott, D. D., Austin, Texas, State Sunday 
School Missionary for Texas. 

L. W. Calloway, D. D., Selma, Ala., State Sunday 
School Missionary for Alabama. 

E. R. Roberts, D. D., Florence, S. C., State Sun¬ 
day School Missionary for South Carolina. 


563 


Rev. T. C. Walker, Gloucester, Va., State Sunday 
School Missionary for Virginia. 

Rev. M. A. Talley, Raleigh, N. C., State Sunday 
School Missionary for North Carolina. 

THE SALVATION ARMY AND THE NEGRO 

The Salvation Army is making an attempt t 
reach the Negro mainly through Negroes who arc 
being trained in the Salvation Army Workers’ 
School, in New York City. Only a few Negroes 
thus far have gone through this school. As they 
finish, they are sent in to the South. At present 
work is being conducted exclusively among Ne¬ 
groes in Washington, D. C., Richmond, Va., and 
Charleston, S. C. 

WORK AMONG NEGROES BY THE INTER¬ 
NATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL ASSOCIATION 

Believing that the colleges and the normal 
schools should be the source of supply for efficient 
Sunday School teachers in the local churches, the 
committee on Work Among Negroes of the Inter¬ 
national Sunday School Association, appointed by 
Dr. H. C. Lyman, 78 East Mitchell Street, Atlanta, 
Georgia, to introduce in these schools a special 
course for the training of Sunday School teachers. 
“Beginning in 1911 with the five colleges in Atlanta 
the interest has gradually grown until Sunday 
School teacher training has been presented in prac¬ 
tically all of the 263 Boarding Schools that carry 
six or more teachers. Recognition of the need for 
better teachers in the local Sunday Schools was in¬ 
stant. The fine body of students in the colleges is 
the logical source of supply. They are the natural 
leaders. Enlistment in a specific work for the prac¬ 
tical betterment of the home church appeals to 
them. Community betterment may be realized by 
working for the younger generation through the 
Sunday School. There is no better guarantee that 
these college students will become permanent fac¬ 
tors in the local churches. The results have more 


than justified the efforts. Two hundred teachers 
training classes have been organized. The enroll¬ 
ment in these classes for 1915-1916 was 3060. In 
forty-seven schools this work is required and reg¬ 
ular credit given for it. 

In addition to the work done in the colleges a 
Training School for the leaders of these teacher 
training classes was held at Knoxville, Tennessee, 
with an enrollment of forty-seven, representing 
nineteen institutions. Co-operation between the 
white Sunday School workers and the colored has 
been established at Birmingham, Ala., Louisville, 
Ky., Atlanta, Ga., and Greensboro, N. C. Six other 
cities have given encouragement that it will be 
done. Whenever the white people have a special 
School of Methods they give the same work by the 
same speakers to the colored Sunday School work¬ 
ers of the community. Rev. R. A. Scott, Rev. E. 
C. Page, and Prof. Iv. D. Reddick, have been ap¬ 
pointed Associate State Secretaries in Mississippi, 
West Virginia and Georgia respectively. These 
are efficient and trained men. Their work is closely 
supervised by the General Secretaries of the State 
Sunday School Associations and their reports are 
passed upon by the State executive committees. 
Their salaries are largely paid by the white state 
associations. Kentucky, North Carolina and Vir¬ 
ginia State associations have signified a purpose to 
inaugurate a similar cooperative work as soon as 
efficient men are found for the positions. Summer 
schools at State institutions have been visited in 
North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. In 
this way about four hundred rural school teachers 
have been reached each year and enlisted in more 
aggressive and efficient Sunday School methods. 
Because of the work done in the colleges four of 
the denominations have stressed the Sunday School 
teacher training work. The Baptists, the African 
Methodists and the African Methodist Zions have 
regularly appointed Superintendents for this work. 
The Colored Methodists and the African Methodist 










Zions have formally approved of the teacher train¬ 
ing as a regular part of their Sunday School pro¬ 
gram. 

THE WORK OF THE AMERICAN SUNDAY 
SCHOOL UNION AMONG NEGROES 

This society has had some general work among 
the Negroes of Virginia for several years. Recent¬ 
ly it inaugurated the policy of placing a missionary 
in connection with an industrial school in which 
he teaches the Bible and Sunday School normal 
class work on two days of each week, and spends 
the remaining part of the week in pastoral visita¬ 
tion and in organizing the work in the adjacent 
territory. 

These new schools organized by the missionary 
are placed under the care of officers and teachers, 
for the most part taken from the ranks of the stu¬ 
dent body who have been under his instruction. 
Work of this kind is carried on at Fort Valley High 
and Industrial School, Fort Valley, Georgia; Pren¬ 
tiss Normal and Industrial Institute at Prentiss, 
Mississippi; Bettis Academy, Trenton, S. C.; Voor- 
hees Industrial School, Denmark, S. C., and Utica 
Normal and Industrial Institute, Utica, Mississippi. 
The American Sunday School Union is deeply in¬ 
terested in the religious welfare of the Negroes of 
the South and is seeking to cooperate with every 
agency looking toward their moral and religious 
betterment. The headquarters of the American 
Sunday School Union are 1816 Chestnut Street, 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The officers are: Mar¬ 
tin L. Finckel, President; William H. Hirst, Re¬ 
cording Secretary; John E. Stevenson, Treasurer; 
George P. Williams, D. D„ Secretary of Missions 
and in charge of the work among Negroes; Edwin 
W. Rice, D. D., Editor of Publications; Janies Mc- 
Conaughty, Managing Editor. 

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND COLORED 
WORK. 

By Rev. J. D. Bustin, Asst. Director General and 
Field Secretary of The Catholic Board for Mission 
Work Among the Colored People. 

The Catholic Church has been interested in 
Christianizing and educating the colored people 
from the earliest days of their appearance in this 
country. Her sphere of influence has been until 
recent years, confined to those territories where 
the population was largely Catholic, the Western 
shore of the Chesapeake bay in Maryland and that 
strip, fifty miles in width lying along the Gulf of 
Mexico, from Pensacola, Florida, to Corpus Christi, 
Texas, including also most of State of Louisiana. In 
these territories the Church dealt with the Negio 
as with any other unit of the population through 
the Parish system. The Church did not nor does 
not look upon the Negro as a distinct race to be 


segregated but rather a part of the whole popula¬ 
tion and, as such, to be handled by the group lead¬ 
er, the Parish Priest, in the system devised for all 
the people living in the fixed territory lying within 
easy reach of the Parish Church and school. This 
system of necessity varied greatly. In the large 
and wealthy centres the churches were equipped 
with a large number of priests and teachers, 
schools of importance, hospitals and all those in¬ 
fluences that make for the betterment of old and 
young; in new and sparsely settled districts, how¬ 
ever, the parish working machinery often consist¬ 
ed of a log church, a single priest, and a pair of 
saddle bags. The results of the system differed as 
widely as the equipment. Some places education 
flourished, in others illiteracy; one priest, with in¬ 
stincts of a great leader fired his parish with am¬ 
bition and religion of lofty type, another let them 
drift along at any gait. 

Under this varied influence was the Negro as a 
part of the parish, the weakest part also,—the 
slave for the most part. Although there was a 
considerable number of free Negroes in the Gulf 
district, some of whom possessed wealth and edu¬ 
cation. These like the rest of the population shared 
in the parish life. 

When anti-slavery agitation came under the 
leadership of William Lloyd Garrison, about 1824, 
a new phase of the agitated question began to 
show. Heretofore there had been, as inherent to 
slavery, injustice, brutal treatment and exploita¬ 
tion, but no general race antipathy showed itself 
against the Negro as such. Now the color and 
African origin began to be the test, and sufficient 
reason for love or hate, for reward of punishment. 
Unjust as this may be it has continued to be the 
underlying principle of law and literature from 
Garrison’s day to ours. 

It was to overcome this new difficulty to Negro 
education and betterment, that the Oblates of 
Providence were founded in 1829 at Baltimore. 
Four young colored women, Elizabeth Lange, Rosa 
Boegus, Magdalen Balas, and Teresa Duchemin un¬ 
der the guidance of Father Joubert, organized this 
society to conduct schools for colored girls, to pro¬ 
vide for orphans and to seek the erring. The 
Oblates have been pursuing their lofty purpose for 
nearly a century and today have about 200 women 
in the society and are conducting houses of study 
in Baltimore, Washington, St. Louis, Leavenworth, 
Charleston, Havanna and other places on the West 
India Islands. 

The Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy 
Family, was founded at New Orleans in 1842, by 
Harriet Delisle, Juliette Gaudin, Josephine Charles, 
and Miss Alcot, “free women of color” who de¬ 
voted their wealth and lives to instruct and care 
for those of the colored people whom they could 


565 


reach. These Sisters now conduct Houses for aged 
Colored men and women. The community now 
numbers nearly 200 women. 

After the Emancipation when race prejudice first 
showed itself in absolute segregation of the col¬ 
ored people, the Catholic Church was forced 
against her will to take up with the new system. 
Many foreigners were coming into the country in 
the seventies and eighties of the last century who 
demanded churches and schools of their own lan¬ 
guage respectively. Slowly the authorities yielded 
to the demand and from that date began to be 
seen German Churches, Polish Churches, French 
Churches, and Italian Churches and so on. 

When it became evident that this insane race 
prejudice was here to last for many years the Cath¬ 
olic authorities had to modify the parish system 
or lose their influence on both races. 

So when Monsignor Bourne afterward Cardi¬ 
nal Bourne the founder of the Missionary Society 
whose members are commonly known as Jose- 
phites, visited this country in 1871 and was after¬ 
wards allowed to send four priests of his com¬ 
munity to devote their entire attention to Negro 
religious work, the interest of the Catholics began 
to be directed to the work as never before. 

At the council of Baltimore in 1884, the prelates 
in attendance took especial care to awaken enthu¬ 
siasm by decreeing that a regular collection should 
be taken up in all the Catholic Churches of the 
United States on the first Sunday of Lent, part of 
which should be devoted to Negro Missionary 
work. 

In 1907 a Board was established to which were 
appointed seven Arch-bishops and Bishops who 
should have general charge of this branch of Cath¬ 
olic Missionary activity. Incorporated under the 
laws of Tennessee it is known as “The Catholic 
Board of Mission Work among the Colored Peo¬ 
ple.” The Arch-bishops selected as their personal 
representative Rev. John E. Burke, who for twen¬ 
ty-four years had been pastor of the Colored 
Church of St. Benedict the Moor, in New York 
City, and since then this clergyman has been Direc¬ 
tor-General of the Board. Beyond the supervision 
of Missions in the South, the Director-General so¬ 
licits funds in Northern churches in which labor he 
is assisted by other priests assigned to the work. 
At the present time Rev. D .}. Bustin, Rev. Jas. J. 
Mulholland, both of Scranton, and Rev. Chas. A. 
Edwards of Providence, Rhole Island, are the col¬ 
leagues of Father Burke. In recognition of his zeal 
in this field, Father Burke was elevated to pre- 
latial dignity by the Pope and as a member of the 
Papal household he has the title of Monsignor. 

Since the establishment of this Board sixty new 
mission centers have been started. Over 10,000 
new pupils have been added to the list of children 


who attend parochial schools, making the entire 
enrollment over 20,000 children. The Board pays 
the salary of 140 teachers, besides paying the 
whole, or greater part of the salary of 21 priests 
engaged excluisevly in the Colored Missionary 
Work. 

Priests having charge of Missions for Colored 
People—Josephites Fathers, 71; Diocesan, 33; 
Fathers of the Divine Word, 10; Lyons Mission 
Fathers, 10; Holy Ghost Fathers, 24; Congrega¬ 
tion of the Missions, 5; Jesuit Fathers, 4; Francis¬ 
cans, 1. 

There are 554 teachers in Catholic Schools fo 1 - 
Colored Children, mostly Sisters, and there are 15 
Brothers in Industrial School Work. 

The Catholic Mission Work among the Colored 
People during 1918 cost approximately $350,000. 

PRESBYTERIAN WORK AMONG THE 
NEGROES 

There are seven different branches of the Pres¬ 
byterian denomination in the United States, viz: 
the Presbyterian Church in the United States of 
America, The Presbyterian Church in the United 
States, The United Presbyterian Church, The Re¬ 
form Presbyterian Church of the United States; 
The Reform Prsebyterian Church of America, The 
Associate Presbyterian Church, and The Cumber¬ 
land Presbyterian Church. The two first named 
are more commonly known as the Northern Pres¬ 
byterian and Southern Presbyterian, respectively. 
All of these branches maintain organizations for 
mission and school work among the Negroes. A 
good illustration of the type of schools being ope¬ 
rated by the Presbyterian Boards, is Biddle Uni¬ 
versity, found elsewhere in this volume. Scotia 
Seminary at Concord, N. C, is one of the leading 
female colleges of the Presbyterians. 

The Presbyterian Church in the United States; 
the chief work of this church for colored people 
is embraced in the Snedecor Memorial Synod, con¬ 
sisting of 4 Presbyteries, with 35 ministers, 
serving 62 churches and missions and 2700 com¬ 
municants; with mission schools at Louisville, Ky.; 
Atlanta, Ga.; Richmond, Va.; Abbeville, S. C„ and 
other places. There were added to our colored 
churches last year 155 persons upon profession of 
faith. Stillman Institute, with three white teach¬ 
ers, is maintained for the education of the colored 
ministry. The annual meeting of the Colored 
Synod is held at Tuscaloosa in May, in connection 
with the commencement at Stillman Institute. The 
Executive Committee conducts a helpful Institute 
and Bible Conference for the colored ministers in 
connection with the Synod, and also aids the com¬ 
missioners in the matter of expenses. Our colored 
churches are greatly encouraged in their work by 
this Conference, and are being stimulated to self 


566 


help in having their own organization. Rev. W. A. 
Young, our colored evangelist, is doing a splendid 
work among the churches of the Synod. 

WORK AMONG NEGROES OF THE PRESBY¬ 
TERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION AND 
SABBATH SCHOOL WORK 

The Presbyterian Church in the United States of 
America began its mission Sunday School work 
among Negroes in the South in 1890. Since that 
time more than 3000 schools have been organized. 
Out of them several hundred churches have grown. 

1 he aim is two-fold: Missionary and Education¬ 
al. It is the duty of the missionary to visit the 
homes in which the children are not attending 
church or Sunday School and distribute religious 
literature, while at the same time he ministers to 
the religious life of that home. If it is possible, he 
organizes a Sunday School, provides it with neces¬ 
sary literature, and subsequently fosters the 
growth and development of this school. 

At the same time, this missionary is ministering 
to the educational life and development, not only of 
the mission Sabbath School under his care, but of 
all the Negro Presbyterian Sabbath Schools within 
the territory assigned to him. 

DISCIPLES OF CHRIST 

By J. B. Lehman, Supt. Educational and Evan¬ 
gelistic Work for Negroes under the Christian 
Woman’s Board of Missions. 

The Disciples of Christ expended last year 
$90000.00 for the work among the Negroes. The 
money was expended for Educational Institutions, 
organizing in the Sunday Schools and Missionary 
Societies, Evangelistic and Church help at strate¬ 
gic points and General Supervision. 

It will perhaps be necessary to give a few words 
on the origin of the Disciples of Christ in order to 
be able to make clear the nature of the work. In 
1809 Thomas Campbell, a Seceder Presbyterian 
Minister recently come from Scotland, protested 
against sectarian divisions in the church. This 
protest drew upon him much antagonism which re¬ 
sulted in forcing him and his followers into a se¬ 
parate people which now numbers over one and a 
quarter million communicants, with about six hun¬ 
dred churches among the Negroes. This people 
was not a great missionary people from the be¬ 
ginning because taking upon themselves the task 
of righting a serious defect in the church life it¬ 
self they were naturally a little slow in finding the 
Missionary task. I heir membership was neai ly 
as strong' in the South as in the Nor th and thei e 
was never any organic division between Negi o and 
White Churches. Consequently, when they under¬ 
took to do missionary work among the Negroes 
they could move no faster than they could cai i y 


with them the three somewhat discordant ele¬ 
ments. But while this way was slow in the be¬ 
ginning it was building on a sure basis, and the de¬ 
lay is amply compensated for in the results. Now 
our Southern and Northern and Negro Churches 
are cooperating in perfect harmony and the enthu¬ 
siasm for the work in the Southern Churches is not 
one whit behind that in the Northern Churches. 

The schools consist of the following: 

1. 1'he Southern Christian Institute at Edwards, 
Mississippi, with 1265 acres of land and a plant 
worth $175,000.00. Its President is J. B. Lehman, 
and the entire faculty is white. The average at¬ 
tendance is about 225. During the last few years 
students matriculated from every Southern State, 
from the West Indies and from Africa. A faculty 
of twenty-four teachers and workers is maintained 
The courses of instruction consist of College, Aca¬ 
demic, Ministerial and the Primary and Prepara¬ 
tory Grades. The Industrial work consists in large 
part in building up and maintaining the school. 

2. Jarvis Christian Institute, Hawkins, Texas, 
with 800 acres and a plant worth about $50,000. The 
average attendance has been about 100. It is a 
new plant, which was started in 1912 and has had 
a remarkable growth in this time. It draws its 
students largely from Texas, Oklahoma, and Ar¬ 
kansas. Its President is J. N. Ervin and its faculty 
numbering about eighteen, is colored. The same 
courses of instruction are maintained as described 
above. 

3. Piedmont Christian Institute, Martinsville, 
Virginia. This school, up to the present, has been 
a town high school, since Martinsville maintained 
no high school for the colored people. But we have 
now purchased a tract of land and very soon build¬ 
ings will be erected and the school will take its 
place as an academy or college. This school is 
presided over by James H. Thomas, and has a fa¬ 
culty of seven members. 

4. The Alabama Christian Institute, Lum, Ala¬ 
bama. This school has sixty acres and is attempt¬ 
ing to do a rural work in a plantation section where 
conditions are very primitive. The work is pre¬ 
sided over by I. C. Franklin and has a force of sev¬ 
en workers. 

5. Plans are now on foot to build a new school 
of college grade to be known as Central Christian 
Institute and to be located somewhere in Kentucky 
or Tennessee. In a very short time the location 
and plans will be determined upon. 

The Sunday school work is under the direction 
of P. H. Moss, who has made himself an expert of 
note. Since 1916 he has been at work to bring out 
the efficiency of the Sunday schools of our six- 
hundred churches and the work has developed to 
the extent that plans are now on foot to divide it 


into districts and send some four others into the 
field to help in it. 

Miss Rosa V. Brown is in charge of the work 
of organizing the women into Missionary Socie¬ 
ties. About one-hundred and twenty-five socie¬ 
ties have been organized and are in a very fair 
working order. 

State Evangelists are maintained in Texas, Ok¬ 
lahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississip¬ 
pi, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida and South Carolina. 
Churches are aided in Oklahoma, Texas, Ohio, 
Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia. 

Plans are now under way for greatly enlarged 
enterprises along all lines. The Negroes them¬ 
selves raised a Jubilee Fund of $20,000, to com¬ 
memorate the fiftieth anniversary of freedom and 
will now take their full and equitable share of all 
the new work. 

SOCIETY OF FRIENDS 

The object of this article is not to go into the 
history of the Society of Friends, nor to exploit 
their faith, but merely draw attention to some of 
the schools established by them for the education 
of the Negro race. The Friends have been consis¬ 
tent in their opposition to slavery and have shown 
great sympathy and made every effort to free the 
Negroes, and now that they are free they are doing 
their part to free them of the shackels of ignor¬ 
ance. They have established a number of schools 
for Negroes, but space allotted to this article will 
not permit the mentioning of more than a few. 

The High Point Normal and Industrial School 
is located at High Point, North Carolina. 

It was founded in 1893 by the annual yearly 
meeting of the Society of Friends. 

The institution is equipped with model buildings 
and grounds. It has one of the largest school 
libraries in North Carolina. 

In addition to the usual courses, it offers several 
industrial courses without extra charge. Its effort 
is to give superior instruction in all courses. It is 
the purpose of the institution to give young men 
and women a practical academic education, a thor¬ 
ough industrial training, and to prepare teachers 
for the public schools. 

The school is thoroughly Christian and every re¬ 
ligious influence is thrown around the students. 

The value of the property is $40,000 and its an¬ 
nual expense is $8,500. 

Southland College and Normal Institute, South¬ 
land, Arkansas, was founded in 1864 by the Indiana 
Society of Friends. 


The college is located on a farm of over 300 
acres, which lies to the northwest of Helena about 
nine miles. Besides four large buildings, there is, 
on the campus a dwelling for laborers, a large 
laundry, kitchen, commissary, store, power house 
and necessary out houses. 

It has a fine library with valuable works of an¬ 
tiquity, ancient and modern history, biography, 
science, and general literature, to which the stu¬ 
dents have access. This institution, too, is sur¬ 
rounded with a religious atmosphere, and the stu¬ 
dents are encouraged to live the higher life. 

The property is valued at $50,000 and the annual 
expense is $10,000. 

The aim of the work done is to make the stu¬ 
dents useful and law-abiding citizens of the com¬ 
monwealth, a blessing to their race, and a benefit 
to the state. 

Institute for Colored Youth, located at Cheney, 
Pennsylvania. This school was founded by the 
Friends in 1837. It gives a course of instruction, 
both academic and industrial, and prepares its stu¬ 
dents to go forth as agents to uplift the colored 
race and to live useful and upright lives. It is well 
serving the race in the accomplishment of these 
ends. There is a complete description of Schofield 
Normal and Industrial Institute elsewhere in this 
volume. 

Many of the schools mentioned in the education¬ 
al section are fully described elsewhere in this 
work. 

NEW ASSOCIATIONS 

The most recently organized associations that 
are taking up work in connection with the Negro, 
are: Inter-Racial Co-operation Commission of the 
South, composed of representative white men from 
each of the Southern States. The organization 
was formed in May, 1919, at Atlanta, Ga. 

Mr. J. J. Eagan, a noted capitalist of Atlanta, 
was elected first president and R. H. King of At¬ 
lanta, secretary. The object of the commission is 
to study ways and means of bringing about a bet¬ 
ter understanding and a closer co-operation among 
the white and colored people of the South. 

The Federal Council of the Churches of Christ 
in America, Dr. George S. McFarland of Philadel¬ 
phia, secretary. The council is composed of all 
churches in the United States and its object is the 
study of all religions. There is a special depart¬ 
ment for the study of colored religions. 


568 


Co-Operative School Building 

BY CLINTON J. CALLOWAY 
Director of the Extension Department of Tuskegee 
Institute. 



AGENTS ROSENWALD RURAL SCHOOLS. 


plete the buildings. After many visits by repre- 
sentatives of Tuskegee’s Extension Department, 
the six schools were finished at a cost of about 
$700 each. They were furnished with home-made 
desks and the necessary chairs and tables. The 
people were so happy and grateful that they wrote 
many letters to their good friend, Mr. Rosenwald, 
about their beautiful buildings. 

The coming of the Rosenwald schools marked 
the period of educational awakening; the time 
when the people ceased to think of the city as the 
only place for decent schoolhouses; the time when 
patrons began to realize the possibility of organiz¬ 
ed effort. There were other evidences of com¬ 
munity improvement. The white people seemed 
to recognize the aspirations of their Negro neigh¬ 
bors to higher and better things and contributed 
towards the new schoolhouses. The school terms 
were lengthened from four to seven months. The 
attendance of the children improved. The teachers 
were able to do better work by reason of the con¬ 
veniences in the classrooms, the increased com¬ 
fort of the buildings, and the general awakening 
in the community. 

Mr. Rosenwald continued to encourage commu- 



N June, 1914, Mr. Julius Rosen¬ 
wald of Chicago, authorized Tus¬ 
kegee Institute, of which he is a 
trustee, to launch a campaign in 
the South for better rural school- 
houses for colored people. Eight 
months previous to this time, Mr. Rosenwald had 
permitted the Extension Department of Tuskegee 
Institute to try out six near-by communities in 
Alabama, to see if they would give a worth-while 
response. Two communities in Macon County, one 
in Lee County, and three in Montgomery County 
were selected. Plans for a one-teacher school- 
house, to cost about $600, were drawn in the Arch¬ 
itectural Division of Tuskegee Institute. When 
these were presented to the communities they were 
readily accepted. Mr. Rosenwald offered one dol¬ 
lar for every dollar furnished by each of the com¬ 
munities, up to the amount of $300. 

The county superintendent of education of each 
of the counties, the Jeanes Fund supervisors, pas¬ 
tors of churches located in the communities and 
the county agricultural agents were asked to give 
their co-operation in helping to rally the people to 
raise their share of the funds necessary to corn- 


569 
















TEACHERS ROSENWALD RURAL SCHOOLS 


nities by offering his aid in blocks of 100 schools 
at a time until the number reached 300 in Novem¬ 
ber, 1917, at which time he offered to aid in the 
building of 300 more schoolhouses; and on account 
of the increased cost of building material, he rais¬ 
ed, in 1918, the maximum amount of each school- 
house to $400 for a one-teacher school and $500 
for a school built for two or more teachers. 

Possibly the most interesting part of the cam¬ 
paign work is the manner in which the Negro re¬ 
sponds to the call to raise money in his little com¬ 
munity, composed of twenty-five or thirty families, 
to meet the conditions of Mr. Rosenwald’s offer. 
This is usually made in a meeting where nearly 


every family is present. Pledges are made in cash, 
labor, or material. In many cases farmers can do 
hauling. In some instances the material is donated 
by the patron from saw-milling timber on his land. 
In such cases the patrons meet in the woods, cut 
the saw stock, carry it to the mill, and have the 
lumber sawed on shares. 

In one of these meetings where pledge's were 
made, a widow of ninety years subscribed one dol¬ 
lar toward the building. The next day she was 
seen about the community selling ginger cakes 
which she had baked. In this way she succeeded 
in raising the amount of her pledge. In many com¬ 
munities the children are organized into little clubs 


STATES 

No. of School 
Houses 

Projected 


AMOUNTS 

CONTRIBUTED BY 


STATES 

White 

People 

People 

Colored 

Mr. Rosen- 
i wald 

TOTAL 

1 

Alabama 

184 

$ 45,576.00 

$ 8,465.00 

$ 93,514.93 

$ 57,350.00 

$204,905.93 

Arkansas 

31 

15,839.00 

1,735.00 

18,034.00 

13,800.00 

49,408.00 

Georgia 

31 

5,625.00 

10,552.00 

26,507.77 

11,300.00 

53,984.77 

Kentucky 

20 

17,895.00 

2,500.00 

7,741.50 

7,700.00 

35,836.50 

Louisiana 

61 

14,600.00 

3,750.00 

41,410.57 

13,000.00 

72,760.50 

Maryland 

6 

7,700.00 

600.00 

2,575.00 

2,250.00 

12,125.00 

Mississippi 

33 

3,613.50 

14,249.95 

21,623.27 

14,275.00 

55,761.72 

North Carolina 

111 

44,706.00 

4,129,25 

50,633.75 

35,565.00 

135,034.00 

South Carolina 

10 

3,900.00 

8,428.00 

6,644.00 

4,400.00 

23,372.00 

Tennessee 

76 

80,755.00 

4,275.00 

48,796.00 

46,775.00 

180,601.00 

Virginia 

46 

32,405.00 

750.00 

25,444.80 

22,000.00 

80,599.80 


609 

$272,614.50 

$59,434.20 

$ 342,925.59 

$228,415.00 

$ 904,389.22 


570 































































PUPILS AND PATRONS OF A ROSENWALD SCHOOL 


for the purpose of raising money to meet Mr. Ros- 
enwald’s offer. 

Many communities must get rid of petty preju¬ 
dices and old ideals if they are to succeed in ob¬ 
taining a modern schoolhouse. Now and then 
friendly progressive leaders must wait until some 
old influential opposer dies and is respectfully put 
out of the way. A common viewpoint for Baptist 
and Methodist must be found. It sometimes be¬ 
comes necessary to convince the white landowner 
that no harm, but rather substantial returns, will 
come by encouraging the building of a comforta¬ 
ble Negro schoolhouse near his land. Perhaps the 
greatest difficulty is the absence 
of strong community leadership. 

It is Mr. Rosenwald’s desire to 
help only in those states where 
state officers of public school 
funds, and others who, in any 
way, control the public schools, 
wish this help. No community 
will be granted aid by Mr. Ros- 
enwald toward the erection of 
schoolhouses whose school term 
does not run at least five months. 

Neither will Mr. Rosenwald aid 
in the building of schoolhouses 
unless the money raised by the 
community, county, and state, 
added to what he gives, is suffi¬ 
cient to complete and furnish the 
schoolhouse. In the eleven states 
where Mr. Rosenwald is extend¬ 
ing his aid state officers and 


other agencies are actively at 
work trying to get communities 
to qualify for his help. 

I he writer, in company with 
Mr. George D. Godard, state 
agent for rural schools in Geor¬ 
gia, visited a school community 
in that state and on the day of 
the visit found the county super¬ 
intendent of education leading a 
volunteer group of colored farm¬ 
ers in the construction of the 
new schoolhouse. The superin¬ 
tendent was enthusiastic over 
the work. He was not a carpen¬ 
ter, but, with his bruised and 
bleeding hands, he was a real in¬ 
spiration to the others at work. 

The significance of this work 
in co-operative school building is 
shown in the table on the previ¬ 
ous page, which covers the “Ros¬ 
enwald School Improvement Campaign” up to 
March 1, 1919. 

It was found at the very beginning that school 
patrons, as well as others, need information first 
hand from agents who might attend the meetings 
to explain the necessity of better school buildings 
and the importance of sticking to certain modern 
lines of procedure in the erection. For the pur¬ 
pose of helping in this way Mr. Rosenwald has 
contributed each year additional funds to pay one- 
half the salary and traveling expenses of agents 
to assist the state agents for rural schools. In 
North Carilina, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, 



A HOME-MAKERS’ CLUB. 


571 


































Louisiana, and Alabama, agents 
have been employed by the state 
especially to look after this kind 
of work. In all these states ex¬ 
cept one, one-half the expenses 
of agents’ assistants have been 
paid by local funds. Some of 
these assistants have raised as 
much as $5000 in one month to¬ 
ward the erection of school- 
houses. The General Education 
Board and the Jeanes Fund have 
heartily co-operated in the work. 

Although much better teach¬ 
ing is being done in these new 
buildings, though the terms have 
been lengthened, and the attend¬ 
ance has been much better, there 
is still room for improvement in 



ROSENWALD SCHOOL REPLACING THE OLD ONE BESIDE IT 



many cases. To encourage the 
movement and make these 
schools meet the needs of the 
community Mr. Rosenwald has 
recently offered to help in ex¬ 
tending school terms where the 
community, county, and state 
are willing to furnish a like 
amount. T he hope is that all who 
can possibly do so will join the 
forces already at work and im¬ 
prove the chances for country 
boys and girls by helping to 
place one of these modern 
schoolhouses in needy communi¬ 
ties. 


572 















































c ~XDhe (fflurch Among Negroes 


HE following information is pub¬ 
lished through the courtesy of 
the Negro Year Book, edition 
1916-17, published annually at 
Tuskegee Institute, and edited by 
Monroe N. Work in charge of Di¬ 
vision of Records and Research. 

DATE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF THE 
COLORED DENOMINATIONS 

1865. Colored Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church. 
1813. Union Church of Africans. 

1816, African Methodist Episcopal Church. 

1821. African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. 
1836. Providence Baptist Association of Ohio. 

1838. Wood River Baptist Association of Illinois. 
1853. Western Colored Baptist Convention. 

1864. Northwestern and Southern Baptist Conven¬ 
tion. 

1867. Consolidated American Baptist Convention. 
1850. African Union Church. 

1850. Union American Methodist Episcopal 
Church. 

1860. First Colored Methodist Protestant Church. 

1865. Colored Primitive Baptist Church. 

1866. African Union First Colored Methodist Pro¬ 
testant Church. 

1869. Colored Cumberland Presbyterian Church] 

1870. Colored Methodist Episcopal Church. 

1880. National Baptist Convention. 

1882. Reformed Zion Apostolic Church. 

1896. Reformed Methodist Union Episcopal 
Church. 

1896. Church of God and Saints of Christ. 

1899. Church of the Living God (Christian work¬ 
ers for friendship.) 

1899. Church of the Living God (Apostolic.) 

1899. Church of Christ in God. 

1900. Voluntary Missionary Society in America 
(Colored.) 

1901. United American Free-Will Baptist. 

1905. Free Christian Zion Church in Christ. 

Note: There are approximately five hundred 
thousand Negroes in the United States who are 
members of white churches. 

DATE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF THE 
COLORED CHURCHES 

1785. Colored Baptist Church, Williamsburg, Va. 

1787. Independent Methodist Church, Philadel¬ 
phia, Pa. 

1788. First African Baptist Church, of Savannah. 

1790. African Baptist Church, Lexington, Ky. 

1791. St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Philadelphia. 
1793. Springfield Baptist Church, Augusta, Ga. 
1796. African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, 

New York City. 

1800. Abyssinia Baptist Church, New York City. 
1802. Second Baptist Church, Savannah, Ga. 

1805. African Meeting House, Boston, Mass. 

1809. First African Church, Philadelphia, Pa. 

1807. First African Presbyterian Church, Philadel¬ 
phia, Pa. 


1812. Colored Peoples Church, Clinton, N. J. 

1805. Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church, Wil¬ 
mington, Del. 

1818. St. Phillips Protestant Episcopal Church, 
New York City. 

1824. St. James First African Church, Baltimore. 

1838. First Bethel Baptist Church, Jacksonville. 

1867. Plymouth Congregational Church,’ Charles¬ 
ton, S. C. 

1878. First Lutheran Colored Church, Little Rock. 
NOTED NEGRO PREACHERS. 

George Leile, born 1750. Freed by master and be¬ 
came famous preaching to the slaves of Sa¬ 
vannah, Ga., during Revolutionary War. 

Andrew Bryan, born 1788. Founded the first Afri¬ 
can Baptist Church of Savannah, Ga. 

Lemuel Haynes, born 1753, at West Hartford, Conn. 
Revolutionary Soldier and first Congrega¬ 
tional Minister. 

Richard Allen, born at Philadelphia, in 1760. Was 

first A. M. E. Bishop. 

Joseph Willis, born in 1762, organized the fiirst 
Baptist Church west of the Mississippi. 

Daniel A. Payne, born 1811. Bishop A. M. E. 
Church, and one of the founders of Wilber- 
force University. 

John Jasper, born in 1812. Famous Richmond, Va., 
preacher. He became a national character by 
trying to prove by the Bible that “The Sun 
Do Move.” 

Alexander Crummell, eminent Episcopal minister, 
born at New York City in 1818. Died 1898. 

Caeser Blackwell, born in Lowndes County, Ala., in 
1828. Bought by the Baptist Association of 
that state and set free to preach to slaves. 

Dock Phillips, born at Cotton Valley, Macon Coun¬ 
ty, Ala., in 1828. The Alabama Baptist As¬ 
sociation tried to buy him of his master? 
John Phillips, but he refused to be sold. Was 
universally respected by whites and blacks. 

Harry Hosier, born in 1810. First American Ne¬ 
gro preacher in the Methodist Church. 

John Chavis commissioned by the Presbyterian 
General Assembly as a missionary to the 
Negroes. He was the first Negro in the 
Presbyterian Church to be prepared for 
Christian leadership. Chavis is said to have 
been born in Granville County, North Caro¬ 
lina in 1801. 

It was not as a preacher, but as a 
teacher of white boys and apparently white 
girls also, that Chavis is best remembered in 
North Carolina. The greater part of the 
time after he was silenced as a preacher and 
probably for a large part of the time from 
his return to North Carolina until his death 
in 1838, he conducted a private school in 
Wake County, and also probably in Chatham, 
Orange and Granville counties. Some of his 
pupils later became distinguished. Among 
these were Charles Manly, Governor of North 
Carolina and Priestly H. Mangum, brother of 
Senator Mangum and himself a lawyer of 
distinction. 



573 











Bethel Baptist 

INSTITUTIONAL CHURCH. 


Mr. Zion A.ME. Church and Parsonage , Jacksonville, Fla 


rtAVt BAPTIST 
CHURC.H 


(TB AvE. Baptist C»UM.». 

giKTUNGrtAH, 


ZER * ‘ETHODIST 
s ? OPA1 - Church, 
ck sojvvjlle, Fur. 


First Congregational 

Church, | 
| v Atlanta, 

G. A. 


oa owav Te 


Mj=, L£? A.Upr 
Uisv 'LL.E, Ky." 


SlXTENTH 


A GROUP OF REPRESENTATIVE NEGRO CHURCHES. 















THE NATIONAL BAPTIST CONVENTION 
By E. C. Morris, D. D. 

The National Baptist Convention, the largest or¬ 
ganization among Negro Christians in the world, 
now has a membership of 3,018,341, according to 
the latest religious census. 

The first National Organization among Negro 
Baptist was the Foreign Mission Convention of the 
United States, which organization was effected at 
Montgomery, Ala., in 1880. The first president of 
the Convention was the Rev. W. H. McAlpine, of 
Alabama. 

The preliminary work of getting the Baptists to¬ 
gether was done by the Rev. W. W. Colley, of 
Richmond, Va., who had spent three years in Af¬ 
rica as a Missionary under appointment from the 
Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist 
Convention. 

Nothing was done the first three years of the 
organization, except to gather means and arouse 
an interest in the denomination for the establish¬ 
ment of a Mission station on the West Coast of 
Africa. The first Missionaries were sent out to 
Africa in 1883. 

Up to 1883 there had not been a religious census 
taken of the Negro organizations, and but little 
was known of their numerical strength, hence in 
1886 the Rev. Wm. J. Simmons, D. D., of Louisville, 
Ivy., organized at St. Louis, Mo. The American 
National Baptist Convention and was elected its 
first president. The object given was, “To gather 
statistics, and study the moral conditions of the 
race.” 

In 1893, the Negro Baptists organized the Nation¬ 
al Educational Convention, the object being to 
study and promote the educational interests of the 
denomination. The Rev. W. Bishop Johnson, of 
Washington, D. C., was the founder, and Rev. M. 
Vann, of Tennessee was the first president. The 
Convention began at once the publication of the 
National Baptist Magazine, which was suspend¬ 
ed in 1895. 

The three above named organizations met an¬ 
nually in the same city each occupying two days, 
but under different management until 1895. When 
the three were merged into, one, under the name, 
“The National Baptist Convention,” the consolidat¬ 
ing of the three Conventions 'took place at Atlanta, 
Georgia, in 1895, and Rev. E. C. Morris, was elect¬ 
ed President, which position he has held continuous¬ 
ly for twenty-three years. 

Immediately upon the consolidation of the three 
conventions, three Boards were chosen by the Con¬ 
vention, to represent the interest of the three foi 
mer Conventions, and the work has been prosecut¬ 
ed by these Boards under the direction of the Con¬ 
vention since that time. In 1896 a Home Mission 


Board was created by the Convention, and was 
charged with the duty of publishing Sunday School 
literature for the denomination, and conducting the 
mission work on the Home field. In 1888 the Home 
Mission Board, by authority of the National Baptist 
Convention, organized the National Baptist Pub¬ 
lishing Board, and the work of Home Missions and 
publications were practically under the same man¬ 
agement until 1914, though an order had been giv¬ 
en as far back as 1904 for the separation of the 
Home Mission and Publishing Boards. 

In 1899 the National B. Y. P. U. Board was or¬ 
ganized at Nashville, Tennessee, and its headquar¬ 
ters located at that place. Rev. E. W. D. Isaac, D. 
D., was chosen as Corresponding Secretary of the 
Board. This Board has organized hundreds of 
thousands of Baptist, Young People into local So¬ 
cieties, foi* training in religious work. 

In 1900, the Woman’s Auxiliary Convention was 
organized at Richmond, Va., and Mrs. S. W. Lay- 
ton was chosen President and Miss N. H. Bur¬ 
roughs was chosen Corresponding Secretary. This 
organization meets at the same time and place of 
the National Baptist Convention, and reports an¬ 
nually to the parent body. The Woman’s Auxil¬ 
iary Convention supports a Woman’s and Girl’s 
Training School at Washington, D. C. 

THE MINISTERS’ RELIEF BOARD 

The Ministers Relief Board was organized in 
1903, the first chairman was Rev. C. B. Brown, of 
Marianna, Ark., and the Rev. W. A. Holmes was 
the first Corresponding Secretary. This Board 
seeks to gather means with which to give relief to 
old worn out ministers, who are not able to earn a 
support in their declining years. 

The youngest of the Board of the National Bap¬ 
tist Convention, is the Church Extension Board, lo¬ 
cated at Memphis, Tenn. The Chairman of this 
Board is the Rev. J. B. Roberts, the Correspond¬ 
ing Secretary is the Rev. B. J. Perkins. Already 
this Board which is less than two years old, has 
afforded relief to several struggling churches, and 
has built some churches where the people were not 
able to build for themselves. 

The principal object before the National Educa¬ 
tional Board at this time is the building of a Theo¬ 
logical Seminary for the training of ministers. The 
Southern Baptist Convention, (White) has voted 
to put 150,000 into the project, and the hope is 
held out that the Northern (White) Baptists will 
give a like amount. 

The Home Mission Board of the National Bap¬ 
tist Convention co-operates with the Home Board 
of the Southern Baptist Convention in Missionary 
work in the Southern Field. The Home Mission 
Board of the National Baptist Convention is at 
present being directed by Dr. Jos. A. Booker, of 


575 


Little Rock, Ark. About twenty Missionaries are 
being regularly employed by this. Board. 

The Foreign Mission work is under the superin¬ 
tendency of Rev. L. G. Jordan, and is at present 
confining its labors to Africa, which has been 
greatly disturbed by the war, but the Missionaries 
have not left the field, and are being supported by 
the Foreign Mission Board. 

The Fleadquarters of the Foreign Mission Board 
is 701 S. 18th St., Philadelphia, Pa. 

The Sunday School Board is located at 418 N. 
4th. Ave., Nashville, Tenn., the present Corres¬ 
ponding Secretary is the Rev. Wm. Haynes. This 
Board publishes the Sunday School literature used 
in a majority of the Negro Baptist Sunday Schools 
in this country. 

There are three strong District organizations, 
viz; The New England Convention; the Lot Carey 
Convention and the General Convention of the 
Western States and Territories, all of which are in 
cooperation with the National Baptist Convention. 

The officers of the National Baptist Convention 
for 1918, are: E. C. Morris, D. D., President; Rev. 
W. G. Parks, D. D., Vice President at large; Prof. 
R. B. Hudson, A. M., Secretary; Rev. T. O. Fuller, 
D. D., E. A. Wilson, D. D., E. H. McDonald, D. D., 
and J. H. Nesbrit, A. B., Assistant Secretaries. 
Rev. A. J. Stokes, D. D. Treasurer, Prof. M. 
M. Rogers, Auditor. There is elected from each 
State one Vice-President, at every annual meet¬ 
ing, who, together with the officers of the Conven¬ 
tion constitute an Executive Committee. 

AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH 

By Bishop C. H. Phillips. 

Resenting what they considered bad treatment 
upon the part of their white brethren and imbued 
with the spirit of independence then in the Amer¬ 
ican atmosphere, being led by Richard Allen, a col¬ 
ored local preacher in the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, in Philadelphia, a number of persons of Af¬ 
rican descent, withdrew from St. George’s Metho¬ 
dist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia and estab¬ 
lished a society of their own. This was in 1787, 
from which date the history of this church began. 

After withdrawing from the white church they 
took immediate steps to secure a building of their 
own, which was not accomplished until they had 
overcome many trials and difficulties. Their build¬ 
ing was finally completed and at their request, 
Frances Asbury, then Bishop of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church opened the house for divine wor¬ 
ship. It was named “Bethel Church.” 

Soon Negroes of other Pennsylvania localities, 
and of New York, New Jersey, Delaware and 
Maryland followed the example of the Philadel¬ 
phians, and formed distinctively African congrega¬ 
tions—often with the encouragement of the whites. 


In 1816 representatives, sixteen in all, from Be¬ 
thel African Church in Philadelphia and African 
churches in Baltimore, Md., Wilmington, Del., At¬ 
tleboro, Penn., and Salem, New Jersey, met in Phil¬ 
adelphia and formed a church organization or con¬ 
nection under the title of “Ihe African Methodist 
Episcopal Church.” 

They adopted the policy and doctrine of the Me¬ 
thodist Episcopal Church, with some slight changes 
and elected one of their number, Richard Allen, as 
their Bishop. Bishop Allen died in 1831. He was 
their first Bishop but the denomination has had a 
succession of able superintendents, some of whom 
have been remarkable for administrative talent and 
pulpit eloquence. 

During the first fifty years, the church was con¬ 
fined almost entirely to the Northern States, and 
its growth was comparatively slow but after eman¬ 
cipation its development became rapid. In 1816 it 
had only 7 churches and 400 members ; in 1836 it 
had 86 churches and 7,594 members ; in 1866 it had 
286 churches and 73,000 members ; in 1896 it had 
4,850 churches and 518,000 members, and in 1916 it 
had 7,500 churches and 650,000 members. It start¬ 
ed with one Bishop in 1816, and had 16 Bishops in 
1916. The number of conferences in 1816 was 2, 
and in 1916 they had grown to 81. It had no schools 
until 1866, and then only one but in 1916 it had 24 
schools. The value of its property in 1816 was 
$25,000, and in 1918 it was -12,500,000. 

Plans for the first school were laid in 1844—a 
manual labor school—near Columbus, Ohio, and in 
1863 it secured Wilberforce University, now one of 
the largest Negro institutions of highei leaining 
in America. Since then an institution of learning 
has been established in most Southern States. 

In 1848 the Missionary Department was origin¬ 
ated and in 1864 put into actual operation, although 
a misionary had been sent to Haiti in 1824. 

In 1916 more than a hundred missionaries and 
native workers are in foreign lands. 

In 1852, “The Christian Recorder,” a weekly 
newspaper was established as the official organ and 
has been maintained ever since. 

In 1882, the Sunday School Department was or¬ 
ganized. By it, all of the literature of the A. M. E. 
Sunday Schools is edited and published. 

The A. M. E. Church has successfully solved the 
problems of Negro organization from the religious 
side. 

AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION 
CHURCH 

The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church 
was organized June 21, 1821, in New Tork City. It 
grew out of the decision of the Colored Methodists 
to declare for independence. It differed in organi¬ 
zation somewhat from the other Methodist church- 


576 


es. It was governed by Bishops quadrennially 
elected but not set apart by the usual forms of or¬ 
dination. 

They got their name of Zionists from the name 
of the local church, called Zion church, which start¬ 
ed the movement that eventuated in the establish¬ 
ment of the denomination. 

James Varick became the first Bishop of the 
church. The denomination has had a marvelous 
growth and has churches throughout the land. 

It now has twelve Bishops, three thousand one 
hundred and eighty churches, with five hundred 
and sixty eight thousand, six hundred and eight 
communicants. It has three thousand and one hun¬ 
dred Sunday Schools and one hundred and seven 
thousand six hundred and ninety two scholars. Its 
church property is valued at $4,833,207. It has a 
publishing house located at Charlotte, N. C. Its 
foreign mission work was organized in 1892. It has 
in its foreign mission fields three stations, five out- 
stations, and eleven organized churches. There are 
five ordained ministers and thirteen native workers 
and other helpers. In 1878 the church did not own 
a single school building nor any school property 
worth mentioning. There were no pupils in schools 
controlled by the church. Thirty years later, at 
the General Conference, Philadelphia, June, 1908, 
Rev. S. G. Atkins, A. M. Ph. D., of Wiston-Salem, 
N. C., Corresponding Secretary of the Board of Ed¬ 
ucation, reported 10 colleges, institutes, and acad¬ 
emies, with an enrollment of 1,842 pupils, and con¬ 
trolling property valued at $276,500. 

Two of the schools of the denomination are lo¬ 
cated in Alabama, three in North Carolina, two in 
South Carolina, and one each in Kentucky, Tennes¬ 
see and Virginia. One of its schools, Livingstone 
College, located at Salisbury, is an institution of 
real college rank. 

The aim of the denomination is to develop two 
more of its schools to such a rank and to advance 
tpg Livingstone College into the field of L mveisitv 
work. 

Secretary Atkins, writing under date of April 6, 
1909, said: 

“We think we have the foundation for a signifi¬ 
cant and comprehensive work in connection with 
the uplift of the Negro people of the country. With 
our schools graded and co-ordinated, and all 
brought into harmony with the latest requirements 
of the science of education, we. shall hope to havt 
a system that will take rank with the best educa 
tional forces of the world, especially as the enlight¬ 
enment and Christianizing of nearly a million peo¬ 
ple will soon be on our hands.” 


THE COLORED METHODIST EPISCOPAL 
CHURCH 

By Bishop C. H. Phillips, D.D. 

Before the Civil War, colored people were, very 
largely, Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Epis¬ 
copalians, and what not, according to the religious 
beliefs of their owners. 

But they had no church organization separate 
from the white people, for, the laws of the South, 
did not allow them to hold meetings among them¬ 
selves. 

At the beginning of the war in 1861, the Metho¬ 
dist Episcopal Church, South, had, in the slave¬ 
holding States a colored membership of 207,766. 
But after emancipation, the African Methodist, the 
African Methodist Episcopal, and the African Me¬ 
thodist Episcopal Zion Churches, which already 
had organizations across Mason and Dixon’s Line, 
began to establish their churches in the South with 
great rapidity and marvelous success. 

The fortunes of war had wrought such changes 
between the master-class and the slave and the 
declaration, of freedom had made such an impres¬ 
sion on the minds and hearts of the colored people, 
that any association with white people in religious 
affairs, was, not only looked upon with disfavor 
and suspicion, but was regarded an act of disloyal¬ 
ty to the race on the one hand, and base ingrati¬ 
tude for the new birth of freedom on the other. 

Under these conditions propagandists for church¬ 
es, which had existence at the North entirely dis¬ 
tinct from white people, found a most responsive 
and fruitful field for operations in the South. 

For, when the war closed, out of 207,766 only 
78,000 remained in the M. E. Church, South. There 
had been an exodus of the colored members of this 
Church into the A. M. E., A. M. E. Zion, and M. 
E. Churches. To save this remnant was the su¬ 
preme thought of the leaders of the Church, South. 
This remnant desired to be organized into a 
Church organization of their own, and the M. E. 
Church, South, acceded to that request by ap¬ 
pointing at its General Conference in May, 1870, 
Bishop Paine, and Doctors A. L. P. Green, Samuel 
Watson. Thomas Taylor, and James A. Heard, to 
assist in the organization. 

In December of this year in Jackson, Tennessee, 
the Church was formally organized and named the 
“Colored Methodist Episcopal Church in America.” 
William H. Miles of Kentucky, and Richard H. 
Vanderhorst of South Carolina, were elected and 
consecrated the first bishops of the new organiza¬ 
tion. 

With two Bishops, eight annual conferences, 
about seventy eight thousand members, legal and 
constitutional in organization, legitimately descen¬ 
ded from the very Father of Methodist, firm in its 


577 



doctrines and principles, the Colored Methodist 
Episcopal Church started upon its career, “clear as 
the sun, bright as the moon, and terrible as an 
army with banners.” 

At its beginning it had no schools, colleges, pub¬ 
lishing house, or churches at the North. Today it 
has church organizations from the Atlantic to the 
Pacific; a Publishing House located at Jackson, 
Tennessee, which, in the near future will be remov¬ 
ed to Nashville; 10 schools and colleges; 7 living 
Bishops; 34 Annual Conferences; 3285 churches; 
3402 preachers; and 267,361 members. This church 
publishes three papers, which voice its sentiments, 
advocates its enterprises and performs such oth¬ 
er functions as are peculiar to denominational or¬ 
gans. 

Tie Missionary Church Extension, Epworth 
League, Educational, and Superannuated Preach¬ 
ers, Widows and Orphans Departments are helpful 
adjuncts to our Church Machinery and are power¬ 
ful exponents of everything that is necessary to 
push the Kingdom of Jesus Christ among men. 
Some of her leaders have had a measure of success 
in the field of literature. “Auto-Biography and 
Addresses” by Bishop L. H. Holsey; “Auto-Bio¬ 
graphy,” by Bishop Isaac Lane; “Sermons and 
Addresses” by Bishop R. S. Williams; “History of 
the C. M. E. Church” by Bishop C. H. Phillips; 
“Morning Meditations” by Bishop R. A. Carter; 
“Auto-Biography” by Bishop M. F. Jamison; and 
“Doctrines of Christ and His Church, by Dr. R. T. 
Brown, deserve special mention. 

'The Church is making preparations to celebrate 
the centenary of the establishment of the first Mis¬ 
sionary Society in this country and the Semi-Cen¬ 
tennial of our Church organizations in 1920. It 
proposes to raise $1,000,000 for Church-extension, 
missionary, educational, and other purposes. 

The Colored Methodist Episcopal Church has 
had a phenominal growth and development. It is 
fortunate in its inheritance; rich in its possibili¬ 
ties ; and Evangelical and fruitful in all its opera¬ 
tions. 

It preserves all the traditions and spiritual fer¬ 
vor of Methodism, and, as a part of the invisible 
Church of Jesus Christ, it essays to do its portion 
in bringing on the era of peace and good will 
among men. 

COLORED CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN 
CHURCH 

Prior to the Civil War the colored members of 
the Cumberland Presbyterian Church belonged to 
the same congregations as the white people, and 
sat under the same pastor, though they had preach¬ 
ers of their own race and often held separate meet- 
ings. They were estimated to number at that 
time about 20,000. 


After the close of the War conditions changed, 
and the Colored members thought it best to form 
themselves into a separate organization, and made 
application to the white congregations to be set 
apart to themselves. Their request was granted, 
and they were legally set apart by the General As¬ 
sembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, at 
Murfreesboro, Tennessee, in May, 1869. 

The first synod organized was the Tennessee Sy¬ 
nod, in 1871, at Fayetteville ; and the first General 
Assembly was organized in 1874, at Nashville. 

The Educational work of the church includes 
three schools, one each in Tennessee, Alabama, and 
Kentucky, with eleven teachers, 350 pupils and 
property valued at $6750. 

The church has also a publishing plant, valued 
at $1500. In 1906 the church had 196 church edi¬ 
fices, 18,066 communicants, 92 Sunday Schools with 
6952 scholars and property valued at $203,778. 

COLORED PRIMITIVE BAPTISTS 

During the years of slavery the Colored Prim¬ 
itive Baptists worshipped with the white churches. 
They were provided seats in the gallery, but had no 
voice in the management of the churches. After 
emancipation they withdrew from the white 
churches. 

In 1865, Elder Thomas Williamson, at Columbia, 
Tennessee, organized the White Springs Primitive 
Baptist Church. 

The first association, the Big Harpeth Primitive 
Baptist Association, was organized in 1866, in the 
State of Tennessee, and soon thereafter other 
churches began to spring up in the Southern 
States. 

In 1867, the first church was formed in West 
Florida. 

The churches of America number 797, with a 
membership of 35,076, they have 166 Sunday 
Schools and 6,224 scholars. The value of the church 
property is $296,539.00. 

UNITED AMERICAN FREEWILL BAPTISTS 

The lines between the white and colored Free¬ 
will Baptist churches in the Southern States for 
some years after the Civil War seem not to have 
been drawn very sharply. 

The increase of the colored churches and the en¬ 
largement of their activities finally led to their se¬ 
paration from the white churches. In 1901 they 
were organized as separate denomination. 

The church has two large schools—one, Kinston 
College, North Carolina, the other at Dawson, Ga. 
There is also a printing establishment at Kinston, 
N. C., which issues a weekly paper. 

There are 251 churches, 14,489 communicants, 
100 Sunday Schools, 3,307 scholars, and church pro¬ 
perty valued at $79,278.00. 


578 


National and Fraternal Organizations 


THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE 
ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE. 

HE National Association for the 
Advancement of Colored People 
is an indirect result of race riots, 
in Springfield, Ohio, the home of 
Abraham Lincoln, in the summer 
of 1908. 

It was decided to inaugurate a campaign on Lin¬ 
coln’s birthday, February 12. 1909. On that day a 
call was published signed by Jane Addams, of Chi¬ 
cago; Harriet Stanton Blatch ; Prof. John Dewey ; 
Hamilton Holt; Charles Edward Russell; Oswald 
Garrison Villard; Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, and Hor¬ 
ace White, of New York; Judge Wendell Stafford, 
of Washington; Lincoln Steffens, of Boston, and 
many other public spirited people. 

On May 30, 1909, a Conference was held in New 
York City, at which a Committee of forty was 
formed and a Secretary employed. Four mass 
meetings were held and thousands of pamphlets 
distributed. It was followed by a second Confer¬ 
ence in 1910, at which the National Association for 
the Advancement of Colored People was or¬ 
ganized. The officers were: National President, 
Moorfield Storey, Boston; Chairman of the Execu¬ 
tive Committee, William English Walling; Treas¬ 
urer, John E. Milholland; Disbursing Treasurer, 
Oswald Garrison Villard; Executive Secretary, 
Frances Blascoer; Director of Publicity and Re¬ 
search, Dr. W. E. B. DuBois. Through Dr. Du- 
Bois the Association was brought closely in touch 
with a group of Colored people known as the Nia¬ 
gara Movement, which had attempted a work of 
legal redress similar to that of the Association. 

In the same year, 1910, was published the first 
number of “The Crisis,” a monthly magazine, ed¬ 
ited by Dr. Dubois, which early in 1919 had at¬ 
tained a circulation of 105,000. 

Concurrent with a constant effort to organize 
Negroes for the maintenance and defense of their 
rights as United States citizens throughout the 
country, the Association devoted itself to a number 
of activities which may be classified as: 1 he fight 
against lynching; Fighting the color line; Educa¬ 
tional and publicity work; Legislative work and in¬ 
vestigations ; and during the world war Welfare 
and defense of the colored soldier. 

In the fight against lynching trained investigat¬ 
ors were employed to ascertain the facts underly¬ 
ing outbreaks of mob brutality against Negroes, 
and the facts were then published in periodicals 
and made available for publication in the pi ess. 
One consequence of this work was the publication 


in 1919 of the booklet entitled “Thirty Years of 
Lynching in the United States,” containing all 
available statistics. 

In the closing years of the world war the Asso¬ 
ciation made its greatest membership gains. From 
a membership of 9,282 comprising 80 branches in 
December, 1917, the Association grew to 165 bran¬ 
ches and 43,994 members in December 1918. At 
the conclusion of the tenth anniversary meeting of 
the Association, held in Cleveland, Ohio, in June, 
1919, the Association had increased to 237 branches 
and 68,031 members. The information from which 
this article was prepared was furnished by James 
W. Johnson, Field Secretary of the National Asso¬ 
ciation for the Advancement of Colored People. 

NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE. 

George Edmund Haynes founded the league 
about 1912 in the city of New York. It first was 
local in its work and scope but like many institu¬ 
tions looking to the betterment of the race it soon 
overleaped the bounds of locality and developed 
into a National movement. 

When the National League on Urban Conditions 
was formed it began to study the problems of the 
Negro in cities upon the basis that it was a ques¬ 
tion which called for the co-operation of the best 
men and women, white and colored. The program 
of work which was adopted was elastic and well 
adapted to the new situation created in many cities 
by recent events. 

During the Fall of 1916, concentrated efforts 
were made to organize movements in local commu¬ 
nities where the problems were in danger of be¬ 
coming acute. The result of this effort has brought 
about the organization of branches in more than 
thirty cities. 

The first year of the organization its annual 
budget amounted to $2,500.00 and now it is over 
$100,000.00. Until several years ago the work of 
the National League and the New York branch 
were conducted in the same office, but the growth 
of the work has made it necessary to separate the 
two organizations. 

The League advocates the forming of organiza¬ 
tions for the purpose of fostering good feeling be¬ 
tween the two races; to study the health, school 
and work needs of the Negro population; to de¬ 
velop agencies and stimulate activities to meet 
those needs; by training and health protection ,to 
increase the industrial efficiency of Negroes and to 
encourage a fairer attitude toward Negro labor es¬ 
pecially in regard to hours, conditions a-nd regular¬ 
ity of work and standard of wages; and- to increase 



579 









the respect for law and the orderly administration 
of justice. 

The rapid development of the League and the 
valuable work it has already accomplished is clear 
evidence that it has a mission in the world and the 
carrying out of that mission is sure to work well 
in the uplift of the Negro race, 

Its labors should continue until every city in the 
Lhiion has a branch established in it. 

This effort of the Negro race to ameliorate the 
condition of its members is meeting with a hearty 
response by their white friends, who not only sym¬ 
pathize with it but give its substantial support. 

This was illustrated when the great conflagra¬ 
tion swept Atlanta and destroyed many Negro 
homes. There the white and colored co-operated in 
good spirit to care for the unfortunate. 

The work relief for the colored families was un¬ 
der the general supervision of the Urban League. 

THE NATIONAL NEGRO BUSINESS MENS’ 
LEAGUE. 

The trend of the modern Negro as he grasps the 
scheme of things, is towards organization. Once 
he rushed into this, but disappointed, yes shocked 
by trickery of his brothers of both races he for a 
long time stood aloof with distrust. Education 
has re-adjusted his faith, as it has reformed the 
plans of those who lead. The Negro therefore or¬ 
ganizes now for protection, for ideas, for strength, 
and for inspiration. 

Among the many bodies that leaped to the fore 
for the welfare of the black man, the National Ne¬ 
gro Business Men’s League stands foremost. It is 
comprehensive in its membership and most benevo¬ 
lent in its platform. Beginning with a few mem¬ 
bers in Boston twenty years ago, it has grown in 
importance and in its composite scope until it has 
absorbed at least a goodly part of every Negro or¬ 
ganization of importance in the land. Under its 
general head come the National Negro Insurance 


Association, National Negro Retail Merchants As¬ 
sociation, National Negro Farmers’ Association, 
National Negro Undertakers Association. National 
Negro Bar Association, National Negro Medical 
Association. 

The League was founded by Booker T. Wash¬ 
ington, and had its first meeting in Bos¬ 
ton. Booker T. Washington was there chosen 
president and Emmett J. Scott secretary. Officials 
in other capacities went and came, but Dr. Wash¬ 
ington and Emmett J. Scott continued to serve; 
the former to his death and the latter to this day. 

Immediately upon its incorporation, the Negro 
Business men of ail sections rallied to its colors. 
Drawing no very distinct lines, Dr. Washington 
enlisted the educated and the uneducated so long 
as the candidate stood for some progress in his 
community. Thus he had meet in one body and 
appear on the same platform an illiterate, but suc¬ 
cessful farmer, a leading teacher, a bishop of the 
church, a banker, a merchant, a hair dresser, a boot 
black, a dentist, an undertaker. 

The League members all had a story to tell, a 
tale of success, brief, succinct, full of hardship, pre¬ 
judice, and frequently, humor. The press was en¬ 
listed at the League’s annual gatherings, and year 
by year the public was, and still is, told those tales 
America loves so well, of the steady plod from pov¬ 
erty to wealth. Some men at these meetings grew 
discontented with themselves because they had 
done so little. Others took courage and ventured 
to walk where once they had scarcely dared to 
crawl. 

Beginning thus with encouragement in simple 
business undertakings, the League soon became the 
center from which radiated many plans of organ¬ 
ized effort for the welfare of the Negro throughout 
the country. When it seemed best for the Negro 
to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of his freedom, 
the League took up the matter and through its 
press association and through the assistance of the 



GROUP NATIONAL NEGRO BUSINESS MENS’ LEAGUE DURING DR. WASHINGTON’S LIFE TIME. 


580 







Associated Press let the world know that there 
were in America persons of color known as the 
American Negro, that this same American Negro 
had once been enslaved, but now he was free, and 
that the same freeman, so far from lack of appre¬ 
ciation, so thoroughly rejoiced over his freedom 
that he had built churches, bought farms, erected 
schools, cut down illiteracy against all sorts of en¬ 
croaching odds, accumulated millions of dollars and 
gathered from his contact with his white neigh¬ 
bors, taste, culture, refinement, business acumen, 
tact and diplomacy. All this he wished the world 
to know about and the National Negro Business 
Men’s League saw to it that the public was in¬ 
formed. 

Thus it was with every notion of uplift or enter¬ 
prise. It aids and encourages the banker, the un¬ 
dertaker, the journalist. When the idea of a clean 
up time became current, the League seized upon 
it and gave it impetus, until it reached the black 
man in every section of the country. When pig 
clubs and canning clubs attracted the economists 
of the Nation, the League saw to it that the Negro 
in the school, in the church, on the farm, played 
their part in aiding the government to conserve 
food and to perpetuate the idea of economy and 
thrift. It sent out appeals for better homes, bet¬ 
ter schools, cleaner living and a more cordial re¬ 
lationship between the two races everywhere. 

Though the members of the League are all col¬ 
ored men it has managed to enlist the good will and 


co-operation of Governors of States, ministers, 
jurists, philanthropists and public men in all walks 
of life. Theodore Roosevelt kept in the closest 
touch with its activities, as did many of his cabinet 
members. Andrew Carnegie was one of its personal 
friends, aiding it financially for a number of years. 
George Foster Peabody, of New York, John E. 
White, of Atlanta, Georgia; Colonel Henry Water- 
son, of Louisville, Colonel Parker, of Louisiana, 
have all been in close touch with it at one time or 
another. 

For years it supported, largely through the help 
of Andrew Carnegie, an organizer, who went from 
State to State and from city to city, to organize or 
to rejuvenate smaller leagues. This was kept up 
until every state and every city where there is a 
large number of Negroes could boast of a local lea¬ 
gue. Delegates from these make up the great cos¬ 
mopolitan, the National League. First, foremost, 
and always, whether the business League survives 
or perishes, it will always be one of the monuments 
to Booker T. Washington, to his foresight, to his 
genius for service and organization. 

The officers of the League at this writing are: 
Mr. John C. Napier, banker, of Nashville, Tennes¬ 
see, is the President; Chas. Banks, First Vice-Pres¬ 
ident, Mound Bayou, Mississippi; C. H. Brooks, 
Second Vice-President, Philadelphia, Penn.; John 
M. Wright, Third Vice-President, Topeka, Kansas; 
Fred R. Moore, Fourth Vice-President, New York; 
Robert R. Church, Fifth Vice-President, Memphis, 
































Tennessee; Emmett J. Scott, Washington, D. C., 
Secretary; Albert L. Hosley, Assistant Secretary, 
Tuskegee Institutee, Alabama; Charles H. Ander¬ 
son, Treasurer, Jacksonville, Florida; F. H. Gil¬ 
bert, Brooklyn, N. Y., Registrar; R. E. Clay, Asst. 
Registrar, Briston, Tennnessee; William H. Davis, 
Official Stenographer, Rosecraft, Maryland; Ern¬ 
est T. Attwell, Transportation Agent, Tuskegee In¬ 
stitute, Alabama. 

MEDICAL, DENTAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL 
ASSOCIATION. 

From the hoodooism of African jungles and the 
“root docterin” of the benighted Southern slave 
plantations to the modern treatment of typhoid 
fever, the administration of salvarsan and the ab¬ 
dominal section, has been a long stride for the 
Negro physician. But this stride he has taken— 
sometimes by plodding, sometimes by leaps and 
bounds till he now occupies a position in the med¬ 
ical world that is recognized and respected. 

While a few educated physicians and apotheca¬ 
ries, some of them slave-born, were practising 
among their people as early as the end of the eiglv 
teenth century, yet the majority of the Negro “doc¬ 
tors” consisted till far into the nineteenth century 
of “herb doctors” who healed by spells and by prac¬ 
tising superstition. After the Civil War, how¬ 
ever, a number of Negroes took up the scientific 
study of medicine and medical colleges in the 
United States alone have graduated many thous¬ 
and such students. 

In general these colored physicians, surgeons 
and pharmacists have the esteem of their white 
colleagues, and contribute notably to the improve¬ 
ment of the hygiene of their race which still leaves 
much to be desired. It is indubitable that these 
colored physicians have made the greatest pro¬ 
gress of any members of their race, and together 
with the teachers, have been of the greatest ser¬ 
vice to it, as is clearly shown by the slowly de¬ 
creasing mortality of the Negroes. The colored 
physician, like his white colleague in North Amer¬ 
ica, is often the proprietor of a pharmacy. Patent 
medicines are as much beloved by the Negroes as 
by the people of North America in general. 

Another element in the w ; ork of improving the 
health of the Negroes, is the rise of the Negro hos¬ 
pitals. These hospitals and sanitariums are well 
patronized and have not only done much to pre¬ 
vent the sufferings of the colored people, but have 
proven financially successful. 

Along with the establishment of Negro hospitals 
have arisen the nurses’ training schools. Most of 
the hospitals mentioned above have connected 
with them such schools, which are sending out 
from year to year a large number of colored 
women, who are not only getting ready employ¬ 


ment among the white people, but are taking their 
share of the burden of spreading the gospel of 
good health and right living among Negroes. 

The National Medical Association is composed 
of Negro physicians, dentists and pharmacists ; and 
was organized in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1895, dur¬ 
ing the Cotton States and International Exposi¬ 
tion. The object of the Association is to organize 
for mutual benefit and helpfulness the Negro phy¬ 
sicians, dentists and pharmacists; and to insure 
progressiveness in the profession. It is also the 
object of the Association to help improve living- 
conditions among the Negro people by teaching 
them the simple rule of health. 

NATIONAL NEGRO PRESS ASSOCIATION 
By Henry Allen Boyd, Corresponding Secretary. 

The National Negro Press Association is an or¬ 
ganization of newspaper men, publishers and cor¬ 
respondents organized for the highest development 
of Negro journalism. The Association came into 
existence more than thirty-five years ago. The 
plan is the result of matured thought on the part 
of some of the race’s foremost journalists. It had 
its existence back in times and days during the re¬ 
construction period following close on the heels 
of the civil war. For a number of years it simply 
marked time, but within the past ten years it has 
been very active, having succeeded in blending to¬ 
gether one hundred and twenty-six publications 
and their representatives with a combined weekly 
circulation of 2,300,000 journals; or in other words, 
more than 20% of the population are furnished 
publications each week through the efforts of the 
National Negro Press Association and its mem¬ 
bers. 

Among the things accomplished in the recent 
years by the Association was the standardization 
of advertising; the inaugurating of reciprocal news 
service; the promotion of inter-telegraph circles 
among the larger publications; the dividing of 
membership into zones; the formation of a code 
service committee that is preparing a special code 
to be used by the members belonging to the As¬ 
sociation; the placing of a permanent exhibit of 
bound volumes of the publication's to be sent to 
various fairs and expositions ; to work for the mu¬ 
tual uplift of the smaller journals to see that only 
wholesome literature is sent in the rural districts ; 
the co-operating of all agencies in helping the gov¬ 
ernment in solving perplexing problems, the assist¬ 
ing in stamping out crime in the race and the re¬ 
ducing of illiteracy by the dissemination of purer 
literature and the working for an untrammeled 
Democracy among the people of the United States; 
the making of America safe for Americans. The 
officers for 1919 aer as follows: 


582 


Copyright—A. N. Scurlock. 

MEETING OF PROMINENT COLORED EDITORS IN WASHINGTON, D. C., DURING WORLD WAR. 


C. J. Perry, Philadelphia, Pa., President; W. E. 
King, Dallas, Texas, Vice-President; J. H. Ander¬ 
son, Charlotte, N. C, Second Vice-President; Henry 
Allen Boyd, Nashville, Tenn., Corresponding Sec¬ 
retary; J. A. Hamlett, Jackson, Tenn., Recording 
Secretary ; Miss Blanche Johnson, Newport News, 
Va., Assistant Recording Secretary; B. J. Davis, 
Atlanta, Ga., Treasurer; E. A. Williams, Cincinnati, 
Ohio, Auditor; Jos. L. Jones, Cincinnati. Ohio, 
Chairman, PPxecutive Committee. 

NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, WHEN OR¬ 
GANIZED. 

American Negro Academy, 1897. 

American Negro Historical Society, 1897. 

National Association of Teachers in Colored 
Schools, 1904. 

Negro National Educational Congress, 1910. 

Negro Society for Historical Research, 1911. 

The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, at Cornell Uni¬ 
versity, 1906. 

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, at Indiana Univer¬ 
sity, 1911. 

National Negro Business League, 1900. 

National Negro Insurance Association. 

National Negro Bankers’ Association, 1906. 

National Railway Employees’ Protective Ass’n. 

National Association of Funeral Directors. 

National Marine Cooks’, Stewards’, Head and 
Side Waiters’ Association. 

National Negro Retail Merchants Association. 

National Alliance of Postal Employees, 1913. 


National Medical Association, 1895. 

National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses. 
1908. 

National Negro Bar Association, 1909. 

National Negro Press Association, 1909. 

Western Negro Press Association. 

National Association of Colored Musical and Art 
Clubs, 1908. 

National Equal Rights League, 1910. 

National Colored Democratic League. 

National Association of Colored Women, 1895. 

Southern Negro Anti-Saloon Federation. 

The National Association for the Advancement 
of the Colored People, 1909. 

NEGRO MASONRY. 

Extracts from “Prince Hall and His Followers” by 
Geo. W. Crawford. 

“The test of the legitimacy of a Masonic body is 
this: Is the authority by which it assumes to 
practice and exemplify Masonic principles derived 
from the proper source and did the manner of the 
derivation of such authority conform to the ac¬ 
cepted Masonic usage for the time being? Tried by 
this test, the Negro Masonry of the United States, 
which is in direct line of succession from Prince 
Hall Grand Lodge, can make out as good a case for 
the legitimacy of its existence as any Masonry in 
the Western hemisphere.” 

The clean cut and orderly work of Prince Hall. 
Provincial Grand Master and the father of Negro 
Masonry in America, is well established. 



583 








Concerning the constitution of African Lodge 
No. 459, F. and A. M. (subsequently No. 370) and 
the establishment of all that is in Masonic se¬ 
quence thereto, there is not the slightest difficulty 
in determining what was done and upon what au¬ 
thority. 

In 1775, in an Army Lodge holding a warrant 
under the Grand Lodge of England, and attached 
to one of the Regiments at Bunker Hill, Prince 
Hall and fourteen other men of African descent 
were duly initiated, passed and raised. Nine years 
later almost to a day these fifteen Negro Masons 
applied to the Grand Lodge of England to be set 
apart as a regular lodge. Their application was 
granted and a warrant issued to them September 
29, 1784, authorizing them to be constituted into 
a regular lodge under the designation as African 
Lodge No. 459. 

This warrant, which follows, was delivered to 
them three years later, i. e. May 2, 1787, and the 
lodge was duly organized four days after that date, 
with Prince Hall as its Master. 

WARRANT OF AFRICAN LODGE, NO. 459. 

WARRANT OF CONSTITUTION: A. G. M. 

To All And Every: 

“Our Right Worshipful and Loving Brethren:— 
We, Thomas Howard, Earl of Effingham, Lord 
Howard, etc., Acting Grand Master, under the au¬ 
thority of his Royal Highness, Henry Frederick, 
Duke of Cumberland, etc., Grand Master of the 
Most Ancient and Honorable Society of Free and 
Accepted Masons, send greeting: 

“Know ye that we, at the humble petition of on 
Right Trust and well beloved brethren, Prince 
Hall, Boston Smith, Thomas Sanderson, and sev¬ 
eral other brethren residing in Boston, New Eng¬ 
land, in North America, do hereby constitute the 
said brethren into a regular Lodge of Free and Ac¬ 
cepted Masons, under the title or denomination of 
the African Lodge, to be opened in Boston, afore¬ 
said, and do further, at their said petition and of 
the great trust and confidence reposed in every one 
of the said above-named brethren, hereby appoint 
the said Prince Hall to be Master; Boston Smith, 
Senior Warden; and Thomas Sanderson, Junior 
Warden, for opening the said Lodge, and for such 
further time only as shall be thought by the breth¬ 
ren thereof, it being our will that this, our appoint¬ 
ment of the above officers, shall in no wise affect 
any future election of officers of said Lodge, but 
that such election shall be regulated, agreeable to 
such By-Laws of the said Lodge as shall be con¬ 
sistent with the Grand Laws of the society, con¬ 
tained in the Book of Constitutions; and we here¬ 
by will, and require of you, the said Prince Hall, 
to take special care that all and every, the said 
brethren are to have been regularly made Masons, 


and that they do observe, perform and keep all the 
rules and orders contained in the Book of Consti¬ 
tutions ; and, further, that you do from time to time 
cause to be entered, in a book kept for that pur¬ 
pose, an account of your proceedings in the Lodge, 
together with all such Rules, Orders, and Regu¬ 
lations as shall be made for the good government 
of the same, that in no wise you omit once in every 
year to send to us, or our successors, Grand Mas¬ 
ters, or Rowland Holt, Esq. our Deputy Grand 
Master, for the time being, an account of your 
said proceedings, and copies of all such Rules, Or¬ 
ders and Regulations as shall be made as aforesaid, 
together with the list of the members of the Lodge, 
and such sum of money as may suit the circum¬ 
stances of the Lodge, and reasonably be expected 
toward the Grand Charity. “Moreover, we will, 
and require of you, the said Prince Hall, as soon as 
conveniently may be, to send an account in writing 
of what may be done by virtue of these presents. 

“Given at London, under our hand and seal of 
Masonry, this 29th day of September, A. L. 5784, 
A. D. 1784, by the Grand Master’s command. 

R. Holt, Deputy Grand Master. 
Attest: William White, Grand Secretary.” 

In the same year African Lodge was formerly 
entered upon the English Registry along with oth¬ 
er colonial Masonic bodies. 

This lodge continued as a subordinate lodge, ex¬ 
ercising all the prerogatives of a regular Masonic 
body, until June 24, 1791, when it was superceded 
by African Grand Lodge which was organized in 
Boston, Massachusetts, on that date. 

At no time during the 18th century was there 
any accepted form of constituting a Grand Lodge. 
Especially was this true of early American Grand 
bodies. Scarcely any two of these were formed in 
the same way. Some were organized by Provin¬ 
cial Grand Masters, acting under deputations from 
England; others by self assumption of Grand 
Lodge powers; still others by union of lodges in 
her localities. 

It was some years after the achievement of Ame¬ 
rican independence before these provincial bodies 
were totally emancipated by the English Grand 
Lodge; they were all carried upon the English reg¬ 
istry until 1813 when the “Ancients” and “Mod¬ 
erns” agreed upon terms of peace aud became uni¬ 
ted. 

The African Grand Lodge was formed at Boston, 
Massachusetts, on St. John’s (The Baptist) Day, 
1791. The meeting was presided over by Provin¬ 
cial Grand Master Prince Hall, and participated in 
by many of the members of the craft who had been 
made in African Lodge No. 459. 

The badge of recognition alone,would be a com¬ 
plete answer to the critics of African Grand Lodge 


584 


for in countless ways the treatment accorded 
African Grand Lodge and Prince Hall Grand Lodge 
in England, shows conclusively that they were con¬ 
sidered by the Mother Grand Lodge to be higher 
than subordinate bodies in dignity. 

African Grand Lodge does not have to rely upon 
English recognition, however, for no matter which 
of the three procedures outlined above was follow¬ 
ed, there are numerous and weighty precedents in 
favor of its regularity. To impeach the regularity 
of African Grand Lodge, it is manifest that there 
must be shown a violation of some vital principle 
of Freemansonry universally recognized. 

Masonry is entirely different from all other fra¬ 
ternal organizations. In other fraternal bodies, if 
one element of its membership is offended because 
of the presence of another elemnt, the disgruntled 
ones usually settle the difficulty by withdrawing 
and setting up for themselves an “Independent” or 
“Improved” branch of the same order. In Ma¬ 
sonry such things cannot be done. Masonry knows 
no caste. The badge of a Mason to its worthy pos¬ 
sessor is an honor which is equal to any which he 
could ever receive from Kings or Potentates. To 
a true Mason an admission of his inferiority to any 
man is a disavowal of his Masonry. 

THE KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS OF NORTH 

AMERICA, SOUTH AMERICA, EUROPE, 
ASIA, AFRICA AND AUSTRALIA 

By John L. Jones, Supreme Vice-Chancellor. 

This well known and aggressive Order is one of 
the strongest and best governed institutions 
among colored fraternities. It is non-sectarian and 
non political. Its mottoes are: Friendship, Charity 
and Benevolence. 

It was patterned after the Order instituted b\ 
J. PI. Rathbone and others just after the Civil War. 
Several attempts were made by colored men to join 
the Order instituted by Mr. Rathbone, but in each 
case the applicants were met by refusal. 

Finally the degrees were unwittingly conferred 
upon several colored men, led by Dr. Geo. A. Place, 
of Macon, Miss., Dr. Thos. W. Stringer, of Vicks¬ 
burg, Miss., and Mr. A. E. Lightfoot, of Lauder¬ 
dale, Miss. 

Dr. Stringer, regarded as the founder of the Or¬ 
der, lost no time in launching the work among his 
race. The first lodge organized was Lightfoot 
Lodge No. 1, at Vicksburg, Miss., March 26th, 1880. 

The female department of the order, known as 
the Order of Calanthe, was authorized at a Su¬ 
preme Lodge meeting at Vicksburg, May 14th, 
1883 and the first Subordinate Court of Calanthe 
was ’instituted at Whitehall, La., during the same 
year. 

The Military Department of the Order, known 
as the Uniform Rank, Knights of Pythias, and re¬ 


cognized as the best governed military organiza¬ 
tion of the race, was also authorized in May, 1883. 

There is also a Military Cadet Department at¬ 
tached to the U. R. K. P. for boys and a Juvenile 
Department for girls and boys attached to the Cal¬ 
anthe Department. 

The growth of this order has been phenomenal 
and lack of space here forbids the mention this Or¬ 
der deserves. For the benefit of those desiring 
further information, we refer them to that very 
complete History of the Colored Knights of Py¬ 
thias, sold by the Central Regalia Co , of Cincin- 
natti, Ohio. 

GROWTH AND RESOURCES OF THE ORDER 
RECAPITUATION 

The following statement from the official re¬ 
ports show the growth and financial resources of 


the Order. 

Number of Lodges July 1, 1915_ 3,185 

Number of Lodges July 1, 1917_ 3,113 

Decrease for the term _ 72 

Number of Members July 1, 1915_105,140 

Number of Members July 1, 1917_118,210 

Increase for the term_ 13,070 


Total amount of Endowment paid out for term 
ending July 1, 1915—$1,182,574.39. Total amount 
of Endowment paid out for term ending July 1, 
1917—$935,153. 4. Amount of Endowment in treas¬ 
uries July 1, 1915—$338,838. 6. Amount of En¬ 
dowment in treasuries July 1, 1917—$463,688.08. 
Increase over last term—$124,850.02. Amount of 
Grand Lodge Fund on hand July 1, 1917—-$42,356.62. 
Amount of Supreme Lodge Fund on hand July 1st, 
1917—$16,936.32. Value of property owned by 
Grand Lodges—$702,848.90. Value of property 
owned by Supreme Lodge—$70,000.00. Value of 
Property owned by Subordinate Lodges — 
$474,619.83. 

FINANCIAL RESOURCES OF THE ORDER 


Endowment in treasuries _$463,688.08 

Grand Lodge Funds on hand _ 42,356.62 

Supreme Lodge Funds on hand_ 16,936.32 

Property owned by Grand Lodges_ 702,848.90 

Property owned by Supreme Lodge_ 70,000.00 

Property owned by Subordinate Lodges, 474,619.83 

Total Resources _$1,770,449.75 

There are about eighty thousand women, mem¬ 
bers of the Order of Calanthe, and about twenty- 


five thousand members of the Military Depart¬ 
ment. The very efficient executive officers of 
the several Departments of the Order are: Smith 
W. Green, of New Orleans, La., Supreme Chan¬ 
cellor of Lodge Dept., Jos. L. Jones, of Cincinnatti, 
Ohio, Supreme Worthy Counsellor of the Order 
of Calanthe; R. R. Jackson, of Chicago, Ill., Maj. 
General of the Uniform Rank; J. L .V. Washing- 


585 















COLORED PYTHIAN TEMPLE, NEW ORLEANS, LA, 






























ton, of Louisville, Ky., Royal Potentate of the 
Dramatic Order of Knights of Omar. 

There are twenty-eight Grand Lodge or State 
Organizations of men, and twenty-five Grand 
Courts or State Organizations of women. The 
Military Department of this Order holds en¬ 
campments biennially at the place where the Su¬ 
preme Lodge and Supreme Court meets. The af¬ 
fairs of this Department are modeled after the Un¬ 
ited States Army, and their encampments of five 
thousand Sir Knights or more every two years re¬ 
ceive high commendation from the daily press. 

This Order owns Pythian Temples in many 
States. The Supreme Lodge owns and operates 
at Hot Springs, Ark., the Pythian Sanitarium and 
Bath House—and in Chicago it owns two valuable 
pieces of property. 

INDEPENDENT ORDER OF OFF FELLOWS 

An international secret fraternal beneficiary so¬ 
ciety. The history of its English Odd Fellows So¬ 
ciety projenitors runs back to about 1745. The 
early English order appeared about twenty-five 
years after the modern revival of Free Masonry in 
1717 at London. Fragmentary historic records and 
conjectures intimate that the first English Odd Fel¬ 
lows were an outgrowth of rivalry to the Masons, 
who had acquired prominence in the early half of 
the 18th century, particularly among the so-called 
upper classes, in the army, navy, diplomatic serv¬ 
ice and among the nobility. The distinctive feature 
of the order, not only the early English branches 
but also those resulting from consolidations and 
from schism, as well as the now Independent Amer¬ 
ican child of English Odd Fellowship, is found in 
their being based on definitely expressed obligations 
to care systematically, financially and otherwise, 
for sick, distressed, and dependent members of 
their family. 

That Odd Fellowship in England was the fount 
from which flowed the stream of non-secret friend¬ 
ly societies there is no doubt, and it was the activ¬ 
ities of the latter that suggested the flood of 
American secret assessment, life insurance and 
beneficiary societies of the last fifty years. 

The earliest recorded English Odd Fellows Lodge 
is that of Aristarchus No. 9 which in 1748 met at 
the Globe Tavern, London. 

Almost all secret society meetings, in the Uni¬ 
ted Kingdom, except those of the Masons, were 
proscribed by the British Government late in the 
18th century, and the Odd Fellows, Orangemen, 
and friendly societies of that time suffered ac¬ 
cordingly. There was a revival of activity early in 
the 19th century, and a Grand Lodge of Odd Fel¬ 
lows for England was formed at London m 1803. 
In 1809 one of the subordinate lodges at Manches- 

587 


ter declared itself independent and started as a 
grand lodge to form a new order of Odd Fellows. 

By 1813 the Independent Order of Odd Fellows 
Manchester Unity, had become fully established 
and constitutes the largest English branch of the 
order today. The Manchester Unity was respon¬ 
sible for the introduction of the order into the 
United States in 1819. 

In 1843 the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows 
of England established a lodge in the United States, 
petitioners for the same being Negroes. 

The American Independent Order of Odd Fel¬ 
lows had previously refused such a petition, on the 
ground of racial incompatibility. The English 
Grand United Order found fertile soil among Ne¬ 
groes in the United States and has continued to es¬ 
tablish lodges upon application from them since. 

It thus has a white membership in England and 
black in the United States. This explains the ap¬ 
parent anomally of the existence of Colored Odd 
Fellows in the United States, side by side, but not 
connected, with an order having a similar, but not 
the same name. 

Peter Ogden was the founder of the Order of 
Odd Fellows among Negroes in the United States. 
He had joined the Grand United Order of Odd Fel¬ 
lows of England and secured a charter for the first 
Negro lodge, Philomethean, No. 646, of New York, 
which was set up March 1, 1843. Negro Odd Fel¬ 
lows in America are under the jurisdiction of Eng¬ 
land and are regularly represented in the general 
meetings of the Order. 

KNIGHTS AND DAUGHTERS OF TABOR 

The Order of Twelve, of Knights and Daughters 
of Tabor, was not organized under a sudden im¬ 
pulse, but rather the growth of an inspiration born 
of a desire to break the shackles of slavery, which 
came to Rev. Mose Dickson, of Ohio, who interest¬ 
ed with him eleven companies who in August, 1846, 
formulated a plan which they put into immediate 
execution. The plan was one fraught with great 
danger both to originators and those who should 
follow their lead. For this reason the organizers 
were careful to pick the men that were courageous, 
patient, temperate and possessed of sound common 
sense. The oath that bound them together was so 
binding that it could not be broken. One feature 
of it was: “I can die, but I cannot reveal the name 
of any member until the slaves are free.” This 
oath never was broken. 

The first organization that was created, under 
the distinct name of the Order of Twelve, was or¬ 
ganized in the city of Galena, Ill., by Mr. Dickson, 
at the residence of Alfred H. Richardson, in August 
1856. The secret work of the Knights of Liberty 
was not imparted to this Society. At the close of 


the war, so far as is known, seven men of that 
great number, returned from the battlefield. 

In 1871, Mr. Dickson organized an order to per¬ 
petuate the the memory of the TWELVE that or¬ 
ganized the Knights of Liberty. He organized a 
Temple and Tabernacle in Independence, Mo.; a 
Tabernacle in Kansas City, Mo.; a Temple and 
Tabernacle in Lexington, Mo. With these five or¬ 
ganizations a Convention was called to meet in In¬ 
dependence, Mo., the second Tuesday in August, 
1872. 

This Convention organized the National Grand 
Temple and Tabernacle of the Order of Twelve, of 
Knights and Daughters of Tabor. The Child of 
Destiny was born, and named. The Order was of 
rapid growth and spread from State to State, gath¬ 
ering strength in its onward march. Within for¬ 
ty-seven years this Order has taken its place and 
rank with the greatest organizations of the world. 
It is united by the strongest ties of friendship, and 
bound together by solemn obligations, and estab¬ 
lished on a firm basis, for the purpose of making a 
united and effective effort in aiding each member 
in sickness or distress, to protect and defend each 
other, to aid and help the widows and orphans of 
members that died in good standing, to inculcate 
true morality, to build up and spread the Christian 
religion. 

The Order is non-sectarian—all members being 
free to make a choice of any Evangelical Church. 

The members are encouraged to use every hon¬ 
orable method to advance the cause of education; 
to avoid intemperance; to cultivate true manhood, 
and to eschew immoral and degraded people. They 
are encouraged to acquire real estate. It seeks to 
help and elevate the colored race. 

THE ROYAL KNGHTS OF KING DAVID 
By W. G. Pearson, Supreme Grand Scribe. 

The Royal Knights of King David, an organiza¬ 
tion carrying endowment, was organized in the 
city of Durham, N. C, the 24th of Sept, 1883. 

This organization is composed of departments of 
men and women and children. 

It has a governing department known as The 
Supreme Grand Lodge, with headquarters in the 
city of Durham. It is a purely Negro organiza¬ 
tion ; organized for the protection and advance¬ 
ment of the Negro race. The Initiation fee is small, 
which with monthly dues of only twenty-five cents 
each entitles a member in case of death to ONE 
HUNDRED dollars. The local Lodge, in addition 
to this, pays twenty-five dollars burial expenses. 
It also gives weekly indemnity when sick; and 
further, it furnishes physicians and free medicine 
to its sick members. This organization has had a 


phenominal growth and has a membership of 
100,000. It has paid to widows and orphans and 
male beneficiaries since its organization $750,000 
in sick and death benefits. 

It has bought and paid for $25,000 worth of State 
bonds, and $11,000 worth of government bonds, 
and has much holdings in other securities. 

In the Actuary’s report of 1918, among other 
things he said that “The Royal Knights of King 
David is a substantial institution, and is one of few 
among the many, regardless of color, who has a 
reserve in compliance with the Laws of the State 
in which they operate.” He said, further, “If The 
Royal Knights of King David initiated NO MORE, 
and every one who is now a member remain in the 
Lodge till his death, that the Order would be able 
to pay off each and every assessment and then 
have a BALANCE of $70,586.82.” 

The Supreme Grand Lodge—-with headquarters 
in Durham, employs NINE regular, commercially 
educated clerks. Its system of book-keeping is 
very far in advance of anything seen of its kind in 
this country. Too much cannot be said of the 
work this organization is doing throughout this 
country. 

It is operated and managed by the Supreme 
Grand Scribe—Prof. W. G. Pearson, of Durham. 
N. C. 

FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS 

Secret societies among the Negroes may be 
roughly divided into two classes : the old line so¬ 
cieties, such as the Masons, Odd Fellows and the 
Knights of Pythias ; and the benevolent secret so¬ 
cieties, such as the Mosaic Templars, Royal Knights 
of King David, United Order of Good Shepherds, 
.Independent Order of St. Luke, Royal Circle of 
Friends of the World, the Knights and Daughters 
of Tabor, all of which have been tr ;ated in full 
.elsewhere in this volume. Other societies of note 
are: 

Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of 
Elks, organized 1899. National Ideal Benefit Soci¬ 
ety, United Order of True Reformers, Grand Unit¬ 
ed Order of Gallilean Fishermen, organized in 1856, 
United Brothers of Friendship and Sisters of the 
Mysterious Ten, organized in 1854, Grand United 
Order of Wise Men, organized in 1901, The United 
Brothers of Friendship, Grand United Order of 
Tents of the J. R. Giddings and Jollifee Union or¬ 
ganized in 1866, Independent Benevolent Order, 
Independent Order of Brothers and Sisters, Sons 
and Daughters of Moses, organized in 1868, Grand 
United Order Sons and Daughters of Peace, organ¬ 
izer in 1900. Grand United Order of Brothers and 
Sisters of Love and Charity, 


Sxample of Successful Negro Towns 


T 

I 



RESIDENCE OF CHARLES BANKS, BOOKER T. 

WASHINGTON DAY. 

MOUND BAY T OU—THE BLACK MAN’S PRIDE 
bank, a post office, an ice factory, 
a school, a Carnegie Library, a 
cotton seed oil mill, shops, stores, 
farms, laws, all in the hands of 
colored people, administered by a 
Negro town council, a Negro Ma¬ 
yor and a Negro marshall—who 
does not feel pride and hope surg¬ 
ing in the breast? Here all the “Jim Crow” laws 
and customs are reversed ; the black man’s waiting 
room is in the front; the black man is in the ticket 
office ,the black man maintains law and order. 

Prior to 1887, this fair little town of black folk 
was a wilderness, dense with trees and foliage, be¬ 
ing in Bolivar County, a very rich delta section. In 
the fall of 1887, Isaiah T. Montgomery, a former 
slave, landed here with a few followers to clear 
this forest and to establish a colony of colored peo¬ 
ple. For nearly a year they worked away with ax 
and saw, living in shanties and eating what food 
they could find. In 1888 the settlers returned home 
and brought their families and the town began. 

At the time there was no land sufficiently cleared 
to cultivate. But the railroads needed cross ties, 
hence the men sawed and hewed, and thus earned 
their bread while they were clearing land for til¬ 
lage. Three years then passed rapidly by. When 
they looked around they had cleared 4078 acres of 
land and had made ready some 1250 acres for cul¬ 
tivation. The sum of $8,780 had been earned from 
timber, 370 bales of cotton had been raised and 
3045 bushels of corn. The squatter settlement now 
became the mecca for black folk, not only in Miss¬ 
issippi, but in nearly every state in the South. The 
town soon grew from three or four families to 
scores, then to hundreds. I odav it numbers a 



STREET SCENE—MOUND BAYOU. 


thousand -families, making a population of 5000. 
The people own 40,000 acres of land, and produce 
cotton in abundance, cultivating about 65% of the 
40,000 acres. It produces one-twentieth of the cot¬ 
ton crop of Bolivar County, and Bolivar is one of 
the leading cotton producing counties of the world. 

So much for the historical side of the town. He 
who has not seen Mound Bayou has missed one of 
the blessings of the age. Whether one approves 
of racial isolation or not, he is inspired by the stur¬ 
dy independence, the genial atmosphere, the stride 
of progress and the spirit of cooperation of its in¬ 
habitants. There is about the town the old time 
communal spirit. Everyone knows his neighbor, 
speaks of him as he does of his own family. The 
formality of knocking at the door, or of ringing 
door bells appears never to have entered the town; 
you walk right in, put down your grip and say 
whether or not you are hungry, how long you are 
staying and the like. Stores, banks, offices, are 
all open, no sign or secrecy, no jealous guarding for 
fear of stealing goods, money or ideas. 

The people in the town and about the country do 
most of their buying in a cooperate store, which is 
in charge 0 f**********Booze, son-in-law of the 
founder. They bottle their own soft drinks, having 
voted liquor out of the town long before the state 
joined the ranks of prohibition. They manufac¬ 
ture their own ice ; they ship lumber, they have all 
the agencies for modern improvement. 

The bank of Mound Bayou, over which Charles 
Banks, the financial genius of the place presides, 
has taught the proper use of checks, how to deposit 
and draw out money; indeed, given them instruct¬ 
ion in business. 

Thus does Mound Bayou flourish, demonstrating 
that the Negro can organize, obey and live together 
in peace and good will. 




MOUND BAYOU OIL MILL 


589 



















Negro Progress in tfye Soutf\ and in tfye Nortfy 

B. METHODIST. All branches constitute about 
three-tenths sub-divided as follows : 

(a) A. M. E.—composing fully two-thirds of 
Methodism; Main churches, Big Bethel, Rev. R. H. 
Singleton, pastor; Allen Temple, Rev. J. A. Lind¬ 
sey, pastor; St. Paul, Rev. Wm. McLendon, pastor; 
Cosmopolitan, Rev. W. J. Williams, pastor; and 
a score of others. Big Bethel is a general refuge 
for all colored Atlanta. Its distinguished expon¬ 
ents, resident, the late Bishops Turner and Gaines, 
and J. S. Flipper, presiding Bishop of the diocese. 

(b) M. E.—composing about one-sixth of col¬ 
ored Methodism; chief churches, Central Avenue, 
Rev. L. H. King, pastor; Warren Chapel, Rev. E. 
H. Oliver, pastor; South Atlanta, Rev. James De- 
mory, pastor; and a few others. 

(c) C. M. E.—about one-twelfth of colored Me¬ 
thodism ; largest churches Butler Street, Rev. H. 
W. Evans, pastor; Holsey Temple, Rev. Willie 
Williams, pastor; West Mitchell Street C. M. E. 
Church ; and a few others. The distinguished ex¬ 
ponents of the church, resident, being Bishops L. 
H. Holsey and R. A. Carter. 

(d) . All other branches of Methodism about 
one-twelfth of colored Atlanta, the leading of the 
remaining branches being the A. M. E. Z. Church, 
represented by the A. M. E. Z. Boulevard Church, 
Rev. W. Q. Welch, pastor. 





ODD FELLOWS BLOCK—SHOWING AUDITORIUM AND OFFICE. BUILDING 

590 


COLORED ATLANTA 

By ]. W. Davidson, Managing Editor of the 
Atlanta Independent, Atlanta, Ga. 

F Atlanta’s two hundred twenty- 
five thousand people, its colored 
citizens number seventy-five thou¬ 
sand. The city itself radiates 
from a common center like the 
spokes radiating from the hub of 
a wheel, and the colored people live in all parts of 
the city except in places where the extraordinary 
price of land preclude people of ordinary means. 

The relationship of the races is most cordial. 
However different the past may have been, the pre¬ 
sent is certainly harmonious. 

Colored Atlanta is as progressive as white At¬ 
lanta, and the progressiveness characteristic of 
both combined, constitutes what the world knows 
as “the Atlanta spirit.” 

For this brief review, we shall group colored 
Atlanta as follows : 

1. RELIGIOUS, denominational: 

A. BAPTIST. Comprise four-tenths; its prin¬ 
cipal churches are Friendship, Rev. E. R. Carter, 
pastor; Wheat Street, Rev. P. James Bryant, pas¬ 
tor ; Liberty, Rev. Ernest Hall, pastor; Mt. Olive, 
Rev. T. L. Ballou, pastor; these being chiefest 
among a hundred others. 























All other denominations combined make up 
about three-tenths of colored Atlanta, the more 
important being: 

C. Congregational, Rev. H. H. Proctor, pastor; 
Rush Memorial, Rev. Geo. F. Thomas, pastor. 

D. Presbyterian, principal church( Radcliffe Me¬ 
morial, Rev. E. C. Hames, pastor. 

E. Episcopal, principal church, St. Paul, Father 
L. Q. Rogers, rector. 

r • Catholic, Boulevard Mission; and a large va¬ 
riety of minor churches. 

2. EDUCATION: 

City and state provision includes common 
schools thru the seventh grade, there being no 
higher educational provisions. All high school and 
collegiate training is provided for by colored At¬ 
lanta itself and by Northern philanthropy as fol¬ 
lows : 

A- ATLANTA UNIVERSITY, Edward T. Ware. 
President; strictly collegiate, founded under the 
auspices of the American Missionary Association 
in 1867. It has graduated more prominent colored 
leaders and educators than any institution for col¬ 
ored people in America. Its presidents and officers 
include such distinguished men as Edmund Asa 
Ware, founder; Dr. Horance Bumstead, Prof. T. 
N. Chase, Rev. Cyrus W. Francis, Mrs. Lucy E. 
Case, and Dr. W. E. B. Dubois; all very dear to the 
hearts of colored Atlanta 

B. CLARK UNIVERSITY, Harry Andrews 
King, president; founded in 1870 by the Freed- 
men’s Aid Society under the patronage of the M. 
E. Church; provides normal, academic and classical 
training. 

C. SPELMAN SEMINARY, Miss Lucy Hale 
Tapley, principal; the largest female institution in 
America for colored girls; founded under Baptist 
auspices, under its distinguished first principal, 
Miss Packard, and her associate, Miss Hattie E. 
Giles ; provides for training in normal, nurse train¬ 
ing and domestic science courses; patronized by 
the Rockefellers. 

C. MORRIS BROWN UNIVERSITY; founded, 
officered and maintained by the A. M. E. Church 
in Georgia, exclusively; Wm. Alfred Fountain, 
president; Bishop J. S. Flipper, Chancellor; pro¬ 
vides preparatory, normal, commercial, classical 
and theological training. 

D. MOREHOUSE COLLEGE, founded in the 
sixties by the Baptist Home Mission Board, at Au¬ 
gusta, Georgia, under the lamented Dr. Roberts, 
president ; later removed to Atlanta under the late 
Dr. Graves, as president; rehabilitated and re¬ 
named under its present president, John Hope; pro¬ 
vides normal, academic, classical and theological 
courses. 


E. GAMMON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, 
organized under the auspices of the M. E. Church ; 
largely endowed ; located on the campus of Clark 
University; provides higher theological training; 
Dr. J. M. Waters, president; Dr. J. W. E. Bowen, 
vice president. 

These colleges dot the hills surrounding Atlanta 
and are generally erected upon the breastworks 
thrown up for the defense of the city in the war 
between the states. They constitute an educational 
center for that section of the United States where 
colored people live in largest numbers, and make 
Atlanta an educational center, greatly accounting 
for the marvelous progress of the colored people of 
the Gate City of the South. 

3. FRATERNITIES—Colored Atlanta easily 
leads all other cities in America from a fraternal 
standpoint, and the Grand United Order of Odd 
Fellows leads all others here. 

A. ODD FELLOWS—District Grand Lodge No. 
18, G. U. O. O. F. of America, Jurisdiction of Geor¬ 
gia, has assets in money, stocks, bonds and real es¬ 
tate aggregating a million dollars, with no mort¬ 
gage encumbrance upon it whatsoever. It has dis¬ 
bursed among its members thru the local lodges 
and its Atlanta headquarters over three million dol¬ 
lars under the capable direction of B. J. Davis, its 
guilding spirit. Its headquarters in Atlanta, cov¬ 
ering a city block and valued at over a half million 
dollars, is easily the largest property of its kind 
owned by colored people in the United States and 
has been the principal factor in inspiring the race 
with the spirit of cooperation, race pride, and race 
consciousness. Out of its successful operation has 
grown the remarkable strides that colored Atlanta 
has taken in economic and businesss lines. In its 
office building there is housed Negro corporations 
of upwards of over a half million dollars in autho¬ 
rized capital stock, and its membership in the state 
approximates forty thousand. 

B. MASONS: 

(a). Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, gen¬ 
erally spoken of as state rite Masons, easily pre¬ 
dominate in the state among Masons with their 
headquarters in the Odd Fellows Building, where 
their Grand Master, Dr. H. R. Butler, and the sec¬ 
retary of their endowment bureau, Mr. W. C. 
Thomas, have their offices. Their growth has 
been steady and conservative, as characteristic of 
the fraternity, with a large membership embracing 
some of the brightest and best citizens of the race. 

(b.) Ancient Free and Accepted York rite Mas¬ 
ons, having a considerable membership in the state, 
have their principal office in Atlanta, this being the 
home of their Grand Secretary, Mr. J. H. Dent, 
capable and efficient. 

C. I. B. O.—A large and flourishing fraternity; 


591 



has its headquarters in Atlanta, owning and oc¬ 
cupying a three-story brick building on Bell Street 
near the Odd Fellows Building. The officer in 
charge of its Headquarters is W. S. Cannon, active 
energetic and progressive. 

D. KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS—has a large mem¬ 
bership both in its straight fraternity and its uni¬ 
form ranks here, but none of its general officers 
are domiciled here. 

E. GOOD SAMARITANS—has a considerable 
following in the state and Atlanta is the home of 
its Grand Secretary, W. H. Whittaker. 

F. KNIGHTS AND DAUGHTERS OF TABOR 
—has a considerable following in the State and one 
of its principal officers, T. W. Holmes, the Grand 
Secretary, is domiciled in the Odd Fellows Build- 
in. There are scores of minor secret societies in 
the city. 

4. BUSINESS: 

A. STANDARD LIFE INSURANCE COM¬ 
PANY—straight, old line life insurance; capital 
stock paid up $125,000; assets $295,000; income, 
$382,000; total insurance outstanding, $8,200,000; 
total paid beneficiaries since its organization in 
1913, $145,350. Heman E. Perry, president; Harry 
H. Pace, secretary. Its officers and directors com¬ 
prise some of the most prominent and successful 
business men in the race throughout the country. 
It occupies fully an entire floor and one-half in the 
Odd Fellows Building to transact its business. 

B. GATE CITY DRUG STORE—capitalized at 
$20,000.00; the pioneer colored drug store of Geor¬ 
gia and the South. Moses Amos, manager and 
founder. Its store, in the Odd Fellows Building, 
is one of the finest in the entire south irrespective 
of race. There are also in the city the Walton 
Drug Store, Auburn Avenue ; South Atlanta Drug 
Store, and some two or three others. 

C ATLANTA STATE SAVINGS BANK—cap¬ 
ital stock authorized $100,000; has grown steadily 
since its organization, having the entire confidence 
of the people. J. O. Ross, president, C. C. Cater, 
cashier, are retired merchants bringing to the 
banking business the experience gained from suc¬ 
cessfully conducted commercial enterprises for a 
number of years, occupies one-fourth of the ground 
floor of the Odd Fellows Building. 

D. THE SERVICE COMPANY—capital stock, 
$100,000; business headquarters in the Odd Fellows 
Building; H. E. Perry, president; conducts an up- 
to-date laundry in a four-story brick building on 
Auburn Avenue, and an equally large establishment 
in Augusta, Ga. 

E ATLANTA MUTUAL INSURANCE COM¬ 
PANY—the largest industrial insurance company 
in the State with headquarters in the Odd Fellows 
Building; A. F. Herndon, president. 

F. FIRESIDE ' INSURANCE COMPANY—T. 


K. Gibson, Manager, is officered and promoted by 
the wealthiest colored men in Atlanta. 

Other insurance companies, with headquarters 
elsewhere, conduct large businesses here, viz: The 
Pilgrim Health and Life Insurance Company, S. 
W. Walker, Manager; Guaranty Mutual Life In¬ 
surance Company, Thomas Taylor, Manager, Geor¬ 
gia Mutual Insurance Company, J. D. Whitlow, 
Manager, and the North Carolina Mutual, J. I,. 
Wheeler, Manager, a North Carolina Company do¬ 
ing business here both industrial and straight life 
insurance, with capital stock and other resources 
of over fully $500,000. 

G. GROCERY BUSINESS—Men engaged in 
the retail grocery business are many, there being 
upwards of fifty-three well stocked and prosperous 
grocery concerns in the different parts of the city. 

H. PRINTING HOUSES—There are three 
printing establishments owned and operated by 
colored men, the principal of which is the Union 
Publishing Company, under the capable manage¬ 
ment of C. A. Bullard. There is one large printing 
establishment owned by the Odd Fellows. 

I. REAL ESTATE.—The real estate business 
is well represented in agents and corporations that 
are prosperous. There are the Standard Loan and 
Realty Company, W. J. Shaw, secretary; the Au¬ 
burn Loan and Savings Corporation, B. H. Towns- 
ley, manager; both located in the Odd Fellows 
Building. There are S. Cunningham, Broad Street, 
H. D. McGhee, Broad Street, A. Graves, Wall 
Street, and scores of others. 

J. AMUSEMENTS.—There is but one place for 
theatrical amusement, the Auditorium Theatre, a 
moving picture concern located in the Odd Fellows 
Building under the capable management of R. 
Black. 

K. L T NDERTAIvERS.—David T. Howard and 
Son, under the management of David T. Howard, 
one of the wealthiest of Atlanta’s Colored men and 
most charitable and public spirited of its citizens ; 
Cox Brothers, C. S. Cox, manager; Atlanta Under- 
taking Company, Sam Ware, manager; A. B Cum¬ 
mings, Dunn Brothers, Ivery Brothrs, H. H. and P. 
E .Williams, and J. M. Robinson complete the list 
of prosperous undertakers the latter. J. M. Robin¬ 
son, in addition, conducting on a large scale one of 
the largest sale, feed and livery stables. 

L. CAFES.—We have upwards of 115 well reg¬ 
ulated cafes, the most up-to-date of which are 
Robt. J. Harper’s cafe in the Odd Fellows Build¬ 
ing, Elijah Best, Cafe de Luxe, and Mrs. Scott Sut¬ 
ton’s. 

M. NEWSPAPERS.—The Atlanta Independent 
leads. Its circulation is the largest; its mechanical 
make-up perfect, and its editorial page the most 
straightforward, comprehensive and courageous of 
any weekly publication in America; B. J. Davis, 


592 



editor, J. W. Davidson, managing- editor; its of¬ 
fices in the Odd Fellows Building. 

5. PROFESSIONS: 

A. PHYSICIANS.—There are forty-four reg¬ 
ular licensed and practicing physicians in the city, 
graduates of all the leading medical colleges in 
the country. 

B. DENTISTS.—There are eight dentists in the 
city, alumni of the most representatives of Amer¬ 
ican colleges. 

C. LAWYERS.—There are four colored law¬ 
yers in the city, some of whom rank among the 
best. Henry Lincoln Johnson is the Dean. 

D. MISCELLANEOUS.—There are four chiro¬ 
podists, on occulist, six pharmacists, seventeen au¬ 
tomobile mechanics, one surveyor and engineer, 
and one architect. 

E. BARBERS.—Atlanta boasts of the finest, 
most elaborate and comprehensive barber shops in 
the country and of these, A. F. Herndon’s shop on 
Peachtree Street, operated for white customers, 
and J. F. Griffin’s shop in the Odd Fellows Build¬ 
ing, operated for colored customers, are each the 
last word in art, sanitation, arrangement and 
equipment. 

F. CONTRACTORS.—A. D. Hamilton & Sons, 
L. G. Harris, Geo. L. Goosly, R. E. Pharrow, and 
a few others are contractors on a large scale. 

G. CHARITIES.—Carrie State Orphans’ Home, 
Leonard Street Orphans’ Home, Carter’s Old Folks 
Home, and Meadow Brook Old Folks Home, sup¬ 
ported by public charity. 

H. CEMETERIES.—South View Cemetery. 

I. HOSPITALS.—St. Luke’s Hospital, made 
from enlargement of the home of the late Bishop 
Turner. 

J. MISCELLANEOUS-INDUSTRIAL—Brick- 
masons, organized under American hederation of 
Labor, are fully a half of this branch of skilled la¬ 
bor, as are also the lathers and plasterers, tailors 
and pressers; carpenters and joiners, numerous; 
painters, harness and shoe-makers and repairers, 
stone-masons, tinners in fair numbers ; blacksmiths 
and dressmakers; chauffeurs, coachmen, railroad 
and electric wire laborers abound; few plumbers; 
bakers, confection makers numerous; wagoners 
exclusively; porters, janitors, char-women, maids, 
cooks, butlers in abundance. 

6. Colored Atlanta as regards it home manifests 
the high ideals inculcated by its educational envi¬ 
ronment ; tliev stand easily at the head of the list 
in architecture and design. 1 hey are Southern in 
taste, but Yankee in keeping. Very nearly each 
home is well filled with choice liteiature, the Bible 
generallv taking the chief place in the libraiy, 
music of all kinds—classic and modern. Not one 
graduate of all the colleges has ever been convicted 
of crime or even charged with heinous offense. 


THE WEALTHIEST NEGRO COLONY IN THE 
WORLD—HARLEM—NEW YORK CITY 

In uptown New York flourishes the wealthiest 
Negro Colony in the world. There are those 
among them who count their possessions in six 
figures. This Colony is usually spoken of as Har¬ 
lem. It extends roughly from 131st street to 144th 
Street and from Seventh Avenue to the Harlem 
River. But this boundary is constantly changing 
for the Colony is constantly growing. 

Within this area is to be found every thing that 
is needed for the comfort, convenience and pleas¬ 
ure of an intelligent people. There are apartment 
houses, churches, institutions, shops, restaurants, 
clubs, theatres and dance halls. The homes are 
varied. Some are modest and well appointed, 
some apartments rent from $20 to $60 a month 
and some'of the people live in their own handsome 
residences. Several of the apartment houses are 
luxurious. There are rich rugs, marble statuary, 
valuable paintings in the corridors. Liveried ser¬ 
vants, sometimes foreign born whites, are to be 
seen in some of the more pretentious homes. 

In some of the restaurants the food served com¬ 
pares with the best served on Broadway. In fact, 
all the necessary things for comfortable living are 
to be had right in the community. There are all 
sorts of business enterprises that are flourishing. 
Many of these are incorporated and well capita¬ 
lized. The professions are also well represented 
there, being many physicians, dentists, lawyers 
and publishers. Three newspapers are supported 
also in this Colony. 

Social life in the Colony finds expression in 
Church festivals and clubs. Among the principal 
clubs are the New York Colored Men’s Association, 
the United Civic League and the Pullman Porter’s 
Club. Here in this section the Colored people of 
New York have built for themselves a little world 
where they can develop along all lines. They have 
their own moving picture shows, theatres, places 
of amusements of all kinds. Their churches are 
up-to-date and form social centers, giving to their 
members all kinds of recreations. They run their 
own businesses. They own automobiles and all 
sorts of luxuries. 

The famous fifteenth regiment was the first in 
the State of New York to receive its full quota. 
They are all justly proud of this fact. Indeed 
they are very proud of the record of the regiment 
and of its leader—Major Tandy. With this justly 
famous regiment is the European Band. This band 
is winning distinction for its music in France. It 
was two men from this regiment—Robinson and 
Johnson—who were decorated for bringing in a 
number of German prisoners. Harlem should, 
with all colored America, be proud of her soldiers. 


593 



The Republic of Liberia 



LIBERIA COURT OF ARMS 

IBERIA is situated on the west 
coast of Africa between Sierra 
Leone and the Ivory Coast. The 
Republic has a coast line stretch¬ 
ing along the Atlantic for about 
350 miles Northwest to Southeast. 

Three promonitories, Cape Mount, Cape Mesura- 
do and Bafu Point are the only actual interruptions 
of a monotonous coast line. There are no good har¬ 
bors. Ships regularly anchor at a considerable dis¬ 
tance from the shore and load and unload by means 
of small boats sent from the towns. 

Its area is approximately 43,000 square miles—a 
little larger than the State of Idaho. Only the 
coast strip with an average width of seven miles is 
under development and a strip of not over 40 miles 
is under administration and this line is constantly 
being contended by hostile natives. Be it said to 
the credit of the D. E. Howard administration’s 
positive dealings with these hostile .tribes 
in 1917, persons might walk from Monrovia 
to Cape Palmas without being attacked for the 
first time since the foundation of the Republic. 
Five sixths of the total area of the Republic is cov¬ 
ered with dense tropical forests. The highest lands 
are found in the eastern half of the country. With 
the exception of the coast lands all the interior is 


elevated and rolling, in some places there are large 
plateau regions covered with tall grass and few 
trees. 

Liberia is exceptionally well watered. Some 
thirty-five rivers furrow its bosom supplying mois¬ 
ture for plant life, and furnishing fish and means 
of travel. Few of them are navigable to any dis¬ 
tance. The St. Paul can be ascended only to a dis¬ 
tance of 25 miles ; the Dukvia only 30 miles and 
the Cavalla only 80 miles. 

Brilliantly plumed birds flit through the tropical 
forests and flowers in rich profusion bloom every¬ 
where. 

Mahogany, ebony and other valuable trees are 
found in large quantities and rubber producing 
trees and plants abound. Fruit trees which bear 
almost perennially bend beneath the weight of lus¬ 
cious tropical fruit. 

CLIMATE 

Throughout Liberia the climate is salubrious. 
There are two rainy seasons—one in June and July, 
the other in October and November. There is a 
marked difference between the climate of the forest 
region and that of the Mandingo Plateau. In the 
forest region, the dry season is short, it is the hot¬ 
test period of the year and includes the months of 
December and January. The temperature ranges 
from 55 degrees at night to 100 degrees in the 
shade at mid-day. During the wet season the con¬ 
stant temperature stands at about 75 degrees. The 
coolest month of the year is August with a day 
temperature of 69 degrees and a night temperature 
of 65 degrees. On the Mandingo Plateau the dry 
season extends from November to May. The hot¬ 
test time of the year is at the beginning and end 
of the rainy season when the thermometer may 
mark more than one hundred degrees at mid-day. 

HISTORICAL 

The Republic of Liberia owes its origin to the 
efforts of the National Colonization Society of 
America, organized in 1816 for the purpose of col¬ 
onizing in Africa the free colored people of the 
United States. Several attempts were made at 
colonization but nothing was permanent until 1821 
when a treaty was concluded by Lieut. Stockton 
with certain native princes by which a tract of land 
suitable for the purpose was acquired about Cape 
Montserrado. Liberia existed as a colony till July 
26, 1847, when the Declaration of Independence was 
signed. 

THE FLAG, ETC. 

The flag consists of eleven stripes alternately 
red and white : the field, blue bears a single star 



594 













POLITICAL 

The Constitution of Liberia is framed after that 
of the L T nited States. Executive authority is vest¬ 
ed in a President and Vice-President, elected for 
four years and a council of six members. Legisla¬ 
tive power rests with a Congress of two houses, 
known as the Senate consisting of eight members 
and the House of Representatives with fourteen 
members. Voters must be of Negro blood and own 
Real Estate. Natives have not yet availed them¬ 
selves generally of the suffrage. No foreigner can 
own real estate without the consent of the govern¬ 
ment. 

The President, Vice-President and Congressmen 
are elected: all other officers of state are appoint¬ 
ed by the President, subject to the approval of the 
Senate. 

There are also Quarterly, Probate and Justice 
courts, for each of the countries and territories. 
Monrovia recently abolished the Justices of the 
Peace and established a Municipal Court with a 
special judge, whose tenure of office is, during 
good behavior. 

The actual Military forces consist of militia, vol¬ 
unteers and police. All able-bodied men between 
the ages of 16 and 50 are liable for military service. 

POPULATION AND SETTLEMENT 

Liberia has a population of two and one-half 
millions and more than two millions are aborigin- 
ies. The rest are Americo-Liberians. The truly 
native population consists of many different tribes, 
each with its own language, territory, government 
and life. Most of the native tribes are pagan. In 
the western half of Liberia, however, Mohamme¬ 
danism has taken hold of the great tribes of Man- 
dingo and Vai. Among all these natives tiL 
bal organization and government remain in full 
force, although most of them recognize the sov¬ 
ereignty of the Republic, native dress, art and in¬ 
dustries remain; among the pagan tribes poligamv 
is common: domestic slavery still exists: witch¬ 
craft is recognized and the ancient ordeals are 
practiced. Most of the Americo-Liberian settle¬ 
ments are on the coast although ther e ai e a num¬ 
ber along the St. Paul River and a few along othei 
rivers. The Republic is divided into four counties, 
viz: Montserrado, Grand Bassa, Sinoe and Mary¬ 
land. There are four cities in the Republic, with 
Mayor and common council, viz: Monrovia, Grand 
Bassa, Edina, and Harper. These cities, with 
Manna, Nifu, Sarstown and Fishtown are the only 
ports open to foreign trade. 

Monrovia the capital city is the best representa¬ 
tive of the development. It is a city consisting of 
about 7000 inhabitants. It is sharply divided into 
two divisions, a civilized quarter upon the summit 
of a ridge some 290 feet in height: here live the 
Americo-Liberians and the European residents. 


While nearly all around the city are the village and 
native towns composed of members of various 
tribes from all parts of the republic. To illustrate 
this; I have found the name of Jesus given in 14 
dialects in a group of about 200 persons. 

The Liberians are a sociable people. They love 
to gather on almost any occasion. There are prac¬ 
tically no places of public amusement. In 1831 there 
was a public library with 1200 volumes in the city 
of Monrovia; today' there is no public library or 
reading room in the capital city. The number of 
secret organizations is very large. Literary socie¬ 
ties and lyceums are from time to time organized. 
There is one at Cape Palmas which has had a con¬ 
tinued existence for many years. A respectable 
Bar Association has been in existence for several 
years, has annual meetings, and prints its proceed¬ 
ings. 

A considerable number of men write remarkably 
well. The public documents of the Republic have 
always been well worded and forceful. 

The message of successive presidents to the leg¬ 
islature have shown extraordinary ability. In de¬ 
liberation they show judgment, and in diplomatic 
procedure extraordinary skill. 

RESOURCES 

Liberia is rich in material resources. Perhaps in 
all the world there can not be found a more fertile 
soil and a more productive country. Cotton grows 
plentifully and sugar cane flourishes also: rice, cof- 
tee, edible roots, and oil palms may be found in the 
clearings. Bananas and plantains grow in rich 
profusion. Salt is common in some places and 
“salt sticks” form a desirable article of trade. For 
the present and for sometime to come the country 
must necessairly depend upon its trade in raw pro¬ 
ducts. Wealth must come from palm nuts and oil, 
passava, rubber and the like. In such products the 
Republic has enormous wealth none of which has 
been developed save to a very limited extent. 

RELIGION 

The Liberians are stid to be very religious. The 
Bible is read in many homes with a devotion which 
people in better favored lands might emulate. Sun¬ 
day is a day of rest and religious duty and woe 
to him who desecrates it. Most of the leading de¬ 
nominations are found there either as an independ¬ 
ent church or as Missions. 

EDUCATION 

Education is not neglected in Liberia although it 
has always been difficult to raise money to conduct 
Schools. The Superintendent of Public Instruction 
is a Cabinet Officer. In 1912 there were ninety-one 
Schools under his direction. 

Liberia College is fifty years old and many men 
prominent in Liberian affairs received their educa¬ 
tion here. There are many Mission schools also 
which are doing high grade, useful work. 


595 



Colored Theatricals 

By Lester A. Walton, of the New York Age, 
New York City. 


OLORED theatricals are on the 
boom. When announcement was 
made by the daily and colored 
press in June of this year (1919) 
that a circuit of first class colored 
theatres had been formed and the 
merger was generally regarded 
as the most far reaching step 
ever taken in the history of the stage in which Ne¬ 
groes prominently figured, both colored and white 
people evinced more than ordinary concern in this 
piece of information. 

Since the publication of the first statement about 
the colored circuit white publications have vied 
with colored papers and magazines in telling of 
the big project in which thousands of dollars are 
involved—of the systematic movement launched by 
colored promoters to create a more agreeable con¬ 
dition throughout the United States for the colored 
theatregoer and also open up opportunities for the 
colored performer. 

The first significant move to establish a chain of 
colored houses taking in the principal cities of the 
North and South, was made in the early part of 
June, when a syndicate headed by E. C. Brown, the 
colored banker, of Philadelphia and Norfolk, took 
over the lease of the Lafayette Theater, at 131st 
Street and Seventh Avenue, New York, and as¬ 
sumed all outstanding contracts which the Quality 
Amusement Company had with the Lafayette 
Players. The Lafayette Theatre is the best known 
colored theatre in America, and the Lafayette 
Players is the best known dramatic organization 
among colored people in the country. 

The next important house is the Dunbar Thea¬ 
tre of Philadelphia, just completed, which has a 
seating capacity of 1600 and is situated at Broad 
and Lombard Streets, only two blocks from the 
Shubert Theatre. This large and modern struct¬ 
ure was built by a company headed by E. C. Brown, 
president; Lester A. Walton, vice president; An¬ 
drew F. Stevens, secretary and treasurer. The 
ground, building and equipment cost $375,000. 

The Howard Theatre, Washington, D. C, the 
Avenue Theatre, Chicago, and the Lyceum Thea¬ 
tre, Cincinnati, were the other houses originally in¬ 
cluded in the chain, but the numerical strength of 
the circuit has been greatly increased since June. 
The Pershing Theatre, controlled and managed by 
Negroes, has been taken in, as well as theatres in 
Richmond, Norfolk, Savannah and New Orleans. 
Before the year it is expected that St. Louis, Louis¬ 
ville, Detroit, Cleveland, Baltimore, Memphis, Bir- 
mingham and Nashville, will be represented. 

In organizing a chain of frst class theatres the 
promoters had in mind the bettering of conditions 
for colored amusement-lovers, especially in the 
South. The existence of what are known as “col¬ 
ored” theatres in such cities as New York, Phila¬ 
delphia, Chicago and Detroit are due to the pres¬ 


ence of thousands of Negroes residing in a district 
and such houses are the natural product of a com¬ 
munity as a Jewish thetre in a Jewish community 
or a German theatre in a German community. Col¬ 
ored people in these cities also attend houses under 
white management. 

i he reason for opening colored theatres in the 
Southland is vastly different. In this section of the 
country there are many cities where the Negro is 
not wanted at all as a patron, and when he is ad¬ 
mitted it usually is in the gallery and then he is set 
off to himself. There are thousands of self-respect- 
ting colored people who do not take kindly to this 
policy and, therefore, religiously remain away from 
the white theatres. They also refuse to patronize 
colored theatres where the performer is permitted 
to say and do what he pleases and the management 
is lax and general conditions extremely objection¬ 
able. 

With theatres built in the South for colored peo¬ 
ple where an effort will be made to afford clean, 
wholesome entertainment, and race standards will 
be put on a higher plane, the colored person with 
high ideals will be given an opportunity to secure 
up-to-date amusements and at the same time sup¬ 
port meritorious race enterprises. 

The theatres on the circuit will be provided with 
attractions by the Quality Amusement Corporation 
of New York, of which E. C. Brown and Andrew 
F. Stevens are controlling factors, and Lester A. 
Walton is general manager. A school of dramatic 
art has been opened for young colored men and 
women who give indication of possessing histrionic 
ability, and they will be brought to New York from 
all sections. 

Various companies—dramatic and musical—are 
being organized by Quality Amusement Company 
and the dramatic directors employed are the best 
that can be secured in New York. 

With the enforced withdrawal from the scene 
of action of the William & Walker, Cole & John¬ 
son and Ernest Hogan companies some ten years 
ago, colored theatricals have been at a low ebb. 
These companies played in cities throughout the 
North and West, appearing in theatres owned and 
controlled by white managers. The advent of the 
movies, which turned many of such theatres into 
moving picture houses, was largely responsible for 
the disappearance of the big colored musical show 
on the road. 

Colored theatricals are now being revived along 
practical and sane lines. Instead of depending on 
others, the Negro is taking the initiative and ex¬ 
ploiting among his own people a field hitherto un¬ 
touched, one pregnant with wonderful possibilities. 
He is, therefore, making opportunities for himself 
and race—which is one of the most constructive 
pieces of work the colored American has undertak¬ 
en during this great era of rehabilitation. 



596 




Reminiscences of Slavery Days 

By J. W. Beverly, Principal State Normal School, 
Montgomery, Ala. 


Slavery was introduced into English colonies by 
way of the colony of Virginia in 1619. However, 
the first landing of slaves in what is now the Unit¬ 
ed States was in Florida in 1565. 

As early as 1637 some Pequod Indians were ex¬ 
changed for Negroes from the Bermudas. It is 
worth while to note that the Indians were ex¬ 
changed because they would not obey their mas¬ 
ters. 

Note-—the Negro, as a class, had always been 
obedient to authority. Of course there have been 
and will always be cases of disloyalty; but the Ne¬ 
gro as a class is loyal even when he is mistreated. 
A mere declaration of this sort would amount to 
but little; but all history will bear out this state¬ 
ment. 

In some cases in the New England colonies, there 
is record of the fact that when slaves were no 
longer serviceable to their masters by reason of 
having spent their energies, they manumitted them 
to live on charity or do otherwise. But in 1702, in 
Connecticut, a law was soon passed compelling 
the former owners to care for these manumitted 
and worn out slaves. 

Washington and Jefferson were both opposed to 
buying or selling Negroes off the plantations to 
which they belonged. Washington manumitted 
his slaves in his last will. Thomas Jefferson never 
favored slavery; and Benjamin Franklin was op¬ 
posed to the trafflce in human beings. 

Patrick Henry said of the overseer of his time, 
“They are the most abject, and unprincipled race.” 
The above statement is quoted to show, that most 
of the oppression and cruelty practiced against Ne¬ 
groes came not from the hand of the master; but 
from that of the overseer. 

Sometimes, yes often times, cruel and oppressive 
Negroes were used as slave drivers. These Negro 
drivers were most crude in many instances. 

History fails to produce a parallel case to that 
of the fidelity of the Negro towards his master in 
the time of the Civil War. 

While the best blood of the South was at the 
front, fighting to retain slavery, the Negro, the 
bone of contention, was at home and was tilling the 
fields, and caring for the family left behind. 

The leading white men and the public press have 
ever since that day declared that this act of fidelity 
on the part of the Negro is deserving to be cele¬ 
brated in song, and to be recorded on the pages of 
history. They have declared that the Negro fidel¬ 
ity in these trying times has endeared the lace to 
the entire white South, 

Almost any other race on the face of the globe, 
with conditions so favorable for revolt and destruc¬ 
tion, would have used the opportunity. 

Many colored men went to the war to act as 
body guards to their masters and when the master 
was cut down the Negro body guard with loving 
hands would remove the body and accompany it 
home to be laid away in the home cemtery. And 
well does the writer know of instances, where the 


faithful Negro slave would turn over the body of 
his dead master and search it for valuable belong¬ 
ings such as a gold watch, a fine ring, and would 
report these things to the white folks at home. And 
many a time, the family would say to the faithful 
slave, “you may have the watch or what not.” 

In this world, and as we colored people are wont 
to stay, “in this cold and unfriendly world” there 
is no abiding place, no continuing city unless it be 
in the loving remembrance, of good deeds done 
whch will enshrine us in the heart and affection of 
mankind. 

The late Booker T .Washington used to say that, 
every Negro had his white man that he could go to 
in times -of need, and that every white man had his 
Negro friend that he could trust in the dark house 
of this unfriendly world. 

And there is much in this—inter-dependence the 
white needing the Negroes, and the Negroes need¬ 
ing the whites. What do the Scriptures say about 
this ? The members of the body can not say the 
one to the other “I have no need of thee. Can the 
eye say to the hand. I have no need of thee?” 

That many masters were cruel to their slaves no 
one will deny but the main source of cruelty was 
not the master; but usually the overseer, or Negro 
driver. He had no interest in the slave, and so had 
no care for him. 

There were many free Negroes even in the slave 
states. The free Negro in a slave state had to be 
under the protection of some white man, who repre¬ 
sented him in some legal phases. Some masters 
manumitted their slave.s George Washington, the 
father of his country it is said, manumitted his 
slaves. Many masters allowed certain skilled me¬ 
chanics of their slaves to hire themselves out for 
a certain wage by the year, a portion of the wage 
to go to the slave and a portion to the master in 
the way of purchase of the slave by his own labor. 

The writer’s own great grandfather, a good doc¬ 
tor purchased himself from his master. 

Thousands of the best blood of the South will 
forever bless the memory of the Negro race for 
the many kind and nice attentions given by the 
“Black Mammy” and the attachment between the 
white children and the “Black Mammy” have come 
down from the days of slavery with endearing sen¬ 
timent to many distinguished white men of the 
South. 

Many a “Black Mammy” has been cared for 
while fiving; and peacefully laid away after death 
by the loving hands of white men, whose parents 
used to own them. 

And these “Mammies” in the days of slavery 
were the real rulers of the household. What they 
demanded for the children of the family usually 
was granted even in opposition to the mistress’ 
wishes. The “Mammy” had her way in most mat¬ 
ters that concerned the whims or welfare of the 
children; and to her would the children look for 
refuge even to the restraining of the rod correc¬ 
tions in conduct. 





TOP VIEW—Raw recruits arriving at cantonment, Copyright Underwood and Underwood. 

CENTER VIEW—325th Field Signal Battalion colored troops, boarding boat for Camp Merritt. Copyright 
Western Newspaper Union. 

BOTTOM VIEW—Temporary resting place between Pont a Maisson and Metz, of Heroes of the 92nd divi¬ 
sion who made the “Supreme Sacrifice.” U. S. Official. 










The Negro in the World War 

By EMMET r J. SCOTT, Secretary-Treasurer of Howard University, Washington, D. C. 

I repared for this publication in October, 1918—thirty days before signing of Armistice. 


EMMETT J. SCOTT, Special Assistant to the 
Secretary of War, who prepared the article which 
follows, is by virtue of his commanding position 
and closeness of view to the incidents and circum¬ 
stances which are shown herein, most happily sit¬ 
uated to give authentic testimony concerning 
“THE NEGROE’S PART IN WINNING THE 
WAR.” 

The office of Special Assistant to the Secretary 
of War was created because of the recognized im¬ 
portance and weight of the Negro in the National 
equation, and because of the broad-minded opinion 
of the Hon. Newton D. Baker, Secretary of War, 
that the problems growing out of the relations of 
the 12,000,000 colored people of the country in a pe¬ 
riod of war, with new conditions and new demands 
to be met and adjusted, were of sufficient impor¬ 
tance to justify the establishment of a special bu¬ 
reau to deal exclusively with their affairs. Seek¬ 
ing the best fitted man of the race in America to 
handle the delicate and far-reaching questions that 
must necessarily arise in a crisis that touches the 
fundamental principles of Government, Secretary 
Baker placed at his right hand to advise him with 
reference to the Negro millions, a man, who need¬ 
ed no introduction to the American people of any 
race, and whose selection was at once acclaimed by 
all as the very best that could have been made. 

Eor eighteen years Mr. Scott was the Secretary 
and confidential advisor of the late Booker I. 
Washington, and he has had intimate contact with 
the most influential forces of the nation, white and 
black. The wide experience thus gained and val¬ 
uable acquaintanceships formed, coupled with na¬ 
tive zeal, wisdom and industry, render him an ideal 
man for this post of exacting responsibility. 

That the office, with its increasing volume of in¬ 
tricate questions and broadening scope of activities 
is giving excellent service, is convincingly attest¬ 
ed by the laudatory comments at the hands of the 
United press of the country, and the warm perso¬ 
nal congratulations received by Mr. Scott by tel¬ 
egram, letter and “word of mouth every day m 
the year, as well as by the grateful acknowledg¬ 
ments of hundreds of persons in all sections of the 
land, who have been faithfully and efficiently serv- 
ed through the official channels covei ed by this 
Bureau. It is a veritable “clearing house” for Ne¬ 
gro problems, military and civil, emphasized by 
reason of the war, and it is universally admitted 
that the condition of the race has been improved 
beyond measure since the establishment of this di¬ 


rect point of contact between the Negro and the 
high officials of the War Department. Mr. Scott 
has justly earned the commendation of the entire 
nation by his comprehensive grasp of the vital is¬ 
sues of the day and wrought out concrete results 
through his courageous mastery of them in con¬ 
ference, on the platform, and through the public 
prints. 

Secretary Baker is a true friend of the Negro 
people not as Negroes per se, but as human be¬ 
ings and citizens of the Republic. He is a genuine 
100 pei cent American and a democrat—in the 
strictest interpretation of those lofty terms—and 
has indicated in a thousand forceful ways that race 
pi ejudice has no place in his personal make-up; 
and he has made it plain that he would brook no 
color discrimination or the practice of narrow- 
gauged methods in the administration of his offi¬ 
cial duties. His high regard for the welfare of the 
12,000.000 colored Americans has been demonstra¬ 
ted in a most practical fashion by his organization 
of the Bureau for the consideration of affairs di- 
i ectly affecting this loyal and productive group of 
citizens which, under the sympathetic and pain¬ 
staking supervision of Mr. Scott, has proven its 
worth to the nation and to all concerned.—(Editor.) 


The NEGRO in the present war for LIBERTY 
AND WORLD-WIDE DEMOCRACY is proving 
to be a notable and inspiring figure. The Colored 
American, in common with his brother in White, 
realizes more and more that this is THE PEO¬ 
PLE’S WAR, and it is his determination to remain 
in the fight to the finish. He is cheerfully laying 
upon the altar of his country’s honor everv ounce 
of his manhood strength, his individual influence 
and the limit of his means to bring VICTORY to 
the only flag he claims as his own. The Negro is 
100 per cent American and rightly regards it as his 
EIRST DUTY to utilize every resource at his com¬ 
mand to aid the nation to win its batle for civiliza¬ 
tion and justice in this hour of humanity’s peril. 

THE NEGROE’S “MAN-POWER” IN THE PRESENT 
CONFLICT. 

The Negro now (October, 1918) has in the mil¬ 
itary establishment of the nation nearly 400,000 
men. He entered the war with four regiments to 
his credit—the 9th and 10th Cavalry and the 24th 

and 25th Infantry of the Regular U. S. Army_ 

these regiments embracing about 10,000 men. In 
the National Guard—as it was formerly known_ 


599 




I 4U, I 



TOP VIEW—Negro soldiers arriving at a typical French village. 

UPPER CENTER VIEW—Colored Soldiers advancing along a camouflaged road in France. 
LOWER CENTER VIEW—Gas mask drill in France. 

BOTTOM VIEW—Narrow gauged railroad used in trench warfare on French battlefields. 
U. S. Official. 


600 


' 

















made up of units from several states, such as the 
8th Illinois, the 15th New York, the First Separate 
Battalion of the District of Columbia, the First 
Separate Company of Maryland, a company from 
Massachusetts and one from Connecticut, the 9th 
Ohio, etc., the race also had about 10,000 men. A 
large number of these forces came through volun¬ 
tary enlistments and their work on the field and in 
camp has been of the highest possible order. 

To this call to the colors, the Negro responded 
with a cheerfulness that made the world stare in 
wonderment. It is worthy of note that in the first 
draft in June, 1917, there were 737,628 colored reg¬ 
istrants, or nearly 8 per cent of the total registra¬ 
tion of the country, which was 9,586,508. Of the 
first group of 208,953 colored registrants examined 
under call of November 12, 1917, 36.23 per cent of 
them were accepted for service. Out of 2,873,996 
white men examined at approximately the same 
time, 24.75 per cent of them were accepted. In 
groups representing nearly an identical proportion, 
it will be noted that in relative military fitness the 
Negro race outranked other races by about 12 
per cent. It is also a matter of pride with the Ne¬ 
gro to note that the per centage of colored men 
claiming exemption from military service is much 
lower than that of other groups. Many thousands 
of colored men are on duty overseas. 

NEGRO REPRESENTED IN NEARLY EVERY 
BRANCH OF SERVICE 

The Negro is represented in practically every 
branch of the military service—including Infantry, 
Cavalry, Engineers, Field and Coast Artillery, Sig¬ 
nal Corps (radio, or wireless, telegraphers, etc.), 
Medical Corps, Sospital and Ambulance Corps, 
Aviation Corps, (ground section), Veterinary 
Corps and in the noncombatant forces, which em¬ 
brace, among other organizations, the Stevedore 
Regiments, Service of Labor Battalions, Depot 
Brigades. These latter render valuable service be¬ 
hind the lines and are indispensable to the well-be¬ 
ing of the troops on the firing lines. Many Ne¬ 
groes are employed as chemists, draftsmen, sur¬ 
veyors, etc. A premium is placed on men who are 
skilled in the technical and mechanical pursuits, 
such as electricians, auto-repairers, wheelwrights, 
blacksmiths, carpenters, etc. 

The colored combat troops overseas are now 
comprised in the 92nd and 93rd divisions, com¬ 
manded respectively, at the time of their assign¬ 
ment, by Major-General C. C. Ballou and Briga¬ 
dier-General Roy C. Hoffman. 

MORE THAN 1,000 NEGRO OFFICERS NOW UNDER 
COMMISSION 

The Negro now has passed far beyond the 1,000 
mark in the matter of commissioned officers, the 
number being now fully 1,200. There were few 


in the original Regular Army. The highest in 
rank was Charles Young, of Ohio, who, prior to his 
retirement from active service, had risen to the 
rank of Colonel in the 10th Cavalry, and had served 
with distinction in the Indian fights on the Ameri¬ 
can border, in the Spanish-American War, in the 
Philippines and Mexico, and had won honors as 
the formative genius in the Government Constabu¬ 
lary and as United States Military Attache in 
Haiti. He is a graduate of West Point Military 
Academy. The highest active officer of the race 
now in the Army is Lieut-Col. Benjamin Oliver 
Davis, of the 9th Cavalry, a native of Washington, 
a product of her public school system, who entered 
the service at the outbreak of the Spanish-Ameri¬ 
can War as a private in a volunteer regiment. He 
rose to his present station by merit. He has been 
military instructor at Wilberforce University, Un¬ 
ited States Military Attache and head of the Con¬ 
stabulary in Liberia and is now stationed with his 
regiment in the Philippines. Walter H. Loving, 
also a Washingtonian, developed the famous Phil¬ 
ippine Constabulary Band, and is now a Major on 
the retired list, but engaged in a special work for 
the Government in the present conflict. 

In the National Guard, several colored men, well 
versed in military tactics and with fine capacity for 
organization, have held ranks as Colonels, Majors, 
and officers of subordinate grade and have given an 
excellent account of themselves in preserving order 
in their respective States and have assisted the 
Federal Government in instances of national em¬ 
ergency. 

CAPABLE YOUNG OFFICERS FROM THE NEW 
TRAINING CAMPS 

The present war has brought to the front a 
splendid array of talented and capable young men 
who have won commissions as officers in the new 
training camps that have been formed for the pur¬ 
pose of supplying leaders for the new United 
States Army. Out of the Reserve Officers’ Train 
ing Camp at Fort Des Moines, came 639 colored of¬ 
ficers, commissioned as captains and first and se¬ 
cond Lieutenants, after a course of intensive train¬ 
ing, covering four months, concluding in October, 
1917. Many of these commanders were college 
men, hailing from such standard institutions of 
learning as Harvard, Yale, Columbia, University of 
Pennsylvania, Amhurst, University of Chicago, 
Howard, Fisk, Wilberforce and Lincoln University. 
In the field service these officers, for the most part, 
have “made good,” and are in command of troops 
of the race at a number of camps on this side and 
across the sea. They have stood up bravely 
through their “baptism of fire,” and in cases, now 
almost numerous, they have won the French Croix 
De Guerre and were conspicious in the terrific en- 


601 



TOP VIEW—The men and officers of the 369th Infantry were decorated at the Stadium of City College 
by General Collerdet of the French Army and Colonel Hayward of the 369th Infantry who is in command of the 
unit. The view shows the officers at attention during the playing of the Marsellaise. Copyright Underwood & 
Underwood. N. Y. 

BOTTOM VIEW—Decks of the “France” loaded with New York’s Colored Troops. The “France” brought 
back New York’s famous colored regiment the 389th Infantry, better known as the old 15th. These men cov¬ 
ered themselves with glory, were the first American soldiers to reach the Rhine, never had one of their men 
captured by the Hun and received the Croix De Guerre for their bravery in action. Copyright Western News¬ 
paper Union. 



























gagement which led to a whole regiment of Ne¬ 
groes being cited for valorous conduct, and the re¬ 
port of the same to the War Department at home 
by General Pershing, the intrepid and square-deal- 
ing Commander-in-Chief of the American Expe¬ 
ditionary Forces in France. 

Speaking of the Colored troops in general, a mil- 
itaiy expert has said: l hey are notably steady 

under fire, patient to endure hardships, and cheer¬ 
ful and good-natured at all times—and THEY 
CAN FIGH 1 ! In addition to the officers already 
mentioned, shortly after the Fort Des Moines 
group, there were graduated at traifiing camps 114 
officers in Infantry, 11 in Cavalry and 35 in Field 
Artillery. At the close of the series ended August 
al, 33 colored men were commissioned as Lieuten¬ 
ants of bield Artillery at Camp Taylor, Louisville. 
Ky., and 107 were graduated and commissioned as 
Lieutenants of Infantry at Camp Pike, Little Rock, 
Ark. I hey will be given desirable assignments 
with troops of the race. With the output of Fort 
Des Moines, this brings the total of officers from 
the training camps alone up to 941. Those com¬ 
missioned in the Medical Reserve Corps number 
about 250; about 100 of these are still on the inac¬ 
tive list. The hope is expressed that as the num¬ 
bers of colored men brought into the army through 
the selective draft are increased, many colored of¬ 
ficers of the Medical and Dental Reserve Corps 
will be needed and will therefore be given their 
place in active service. 

Three regiments of Field Artillery were formed, 
made up of colored troops and the doors were 
thrown open for colored officers. A goodly num¬ 
ber of colored officers qualified for the work and 
at Camp Meade and other points where instruct¬ 
ions was given, it is said by competent judges that 
the young men detailed for this training showed 
marked adaptability for the intricate problems in¬ 
volved and their college equipment stood them in 
timely stead. The Field Artillery Regiments re¬ 
ferred to are the 349th, 350th, and 351st, and they 
were stationed in the East, prior to their departure 
for France. The reports from the Officers’ Train¬ 
ing Schools at Camp Taylor and Camp Pike are of 
a flattering character and the personal conduct of 
the young men was highly praised by the com¬ 
mandant in charge, and the people of the adjacent 
cities welcomed their visits when they were on 
furlough. 

At the Field Artillery School at Camp Taylor, 
Louisville, Ky., which closed August 31, 1918, there 
was a total enrollment of 2,500 candidates. In the 
list of graduates, thirty-three were colored. The 
official report shows that out of the first fifteen 
graduates, five (or one-third), were colored, whose 
respective ratings ran from fourth, with a percen¬ 
tage of 82.44, to fifteenth, with a rating of 81.11— 


merely a difference of one and one-third per cent 
between the standing of the candidate who stood 
fourth and the one who stood fifteenth. 

FORTY-SEVEN COLORED CHAPLAINS IN THE 
ARMY 

Iheie are now forty-seven colored Chaplains in 
the several branches of the Army. They are, with¬ 
out exception a fine body of men—“sturdy, up¬ 
standing, red-blooded men’’—such as the regula¬ 
tions call for, and they have been specially selected 
because of their knowledge of the weakness and 
the strength of mankind, and are thus particularly 
well-fitted for the work of giving wise counsel un¬ 
der trying circumstances and getting the best out 
of the thousand-and-one types that are necessarily 
thrown together in army life. Before they are de¬ 
signated foi the training school for Chaplains for 
the five-weeks’ course prescribed, candidates are 
passed upon by the General War-Time Commission 
on Churches, the Federal Council of Churches and 
b\ the chief officials of their own denomination, 
and they are compelled, as has been intimated, to 
meet the requirements of a most rigid educational, 
physical and moial standard. An effort is made to 
select Chaplains, as far as possible, who represent 
the faiths to which the soldiers belong in the larg¬ 
est numbers, with a fair division among' the several 
denominations. 

Chaplains are appointed after the five-weeks’ 
training for war work and are commissioned as 
First Lieutenants, receiving $2,000 per annum in 
this country and $2,200 abroad, and they are pro¬ 
moted by seniority to the highest grade attainable 
before retirement for age. 

SPECIAL TRAINING IN TECHNICAL AND MECHAN¬ 
ICAL BRANCHES 

A very recent achievement, and one to which the 
race points with pardonable satisfaction, is the pro¬ 
vision by the Government for special training of 
the young colored men in technical and mechanical 
work, which will add to their efficiency as a factor 
in the Army, enlarging their opportunities for use¬ 
fulness and for preferment, and rendering them 
more capable of earning a livihood for themselves 
at the close of the war. Since May, 1918, fifteen 
of the leading educational institutions of the land 
have been carrying on this training and not less 
than 3,000 Colored men have finished courses in 
such essential subjects as electricity, radio (or 
wireless telegraphy), bench wood-working, chauf¬ 
feur, auto-mechanics, concrete working, black- 
smithing, wheelwrighting, army truck driving, 
carpentry, cobbling horse-shoeing, pipe-fitting and 
general mechanics. 

Of the total graduating up to September 15, 
1,140 came out of Tuskegee Institute, 600 from 
Howard University, 250 from Hampton, 270 from 


603 



TOP VIEW (Left to Right)—Capt. Stewart Alexander, Lieut. Frank Robinson of New York’s colored regi¬ 
ment who won the Croix De Guerre for conspicuous bravery. This regiment has the honor of being the first 
American Unit to reach the Rhine. Copyright Western Newspaper Union. 

CENTER VIEW—Heroes of old 15th Infantry, New York City all received the Croix De Guerre from the 
French Government. Front (left to right) Privates “Eagle Eye” Ed. Williams, “Lamplight,” Herbert Taylor, Leon 
Traitor, “Kid Hawk,” Ralph Hawkins (hack row) Private H. D. Prunes, Sgt. D. Stormes, Private “Kid” Woney, 
Joe Williams, Arthur Menly, Corporal Taylor. Copyright western Newspaper Union. 

BOTTOM VIEW—The men of a colored unit receiving the D. S. C. at Finistere, France. Major General 
Eli Helmick is decorating the men. Admiral Moreau of the French Navy just behind the general. Copyright 
Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. 










the Greensboro, (N. C.) Agricultural and Technical 
College and varying numbers from all the rest of 
the fifteen. So successful was the experiment, 
that the \\ ar Department Committee on Educa¬ 
tion and Special Training, which is in control of 
this phase of the work, has decided to continue the 
work, and training in technical and mechanical 
branches will be given in fourteen of the principle 
coloi ed schools, where Vocational Training De¬ 
tachments are being formed, under the instruct¬ 
ion and command of carefully selected army offi¬ 
cers. 

During the month of August and into Septem, 
her, at Howard University, a special school for 
student-instructors was carried on, under the di¬ 
rection of Lieut. Russell Smith, formerly of the 
10th Cavalry, a graduate of the Fort Des Moines 
Officers’ Reserve Training Camp, and a disciplina¬ 
rian and military tactician of the First rank. This 
school comprised 450 students and members of fa¬ 
culties, sent from the various schools and colleges 
of the race, who, after receiving the prescribed 
forty-seven days of intensive training in military 
science and tactics at Howard, have returned to 
their respective institutions to instruct others in 
the courses which they have just finished. From 
this school 320 went out September 15th, 1918, ful¬ 
ly equipped for the work of instructing the units of 
the Student’s Army Training Corps established in 
their several institutions. 

Provision has been made by the Special Com¬ 
mittee on Education and Special Training for the 
instruction of this year and the next, of fully 20,000 
colored men in technical and mechanical branches, 
in conjunction with their military training. The 
effect of this training and discipline undoubtedly 
holds untold benefits for the race for all the future. 

The executive Secretary of the Committee on Ed¬ 
ucation and Special Training is Dr. R. B. Perry, of 
Harvard University, one of the ablest, broadest- 
visioned and most resourceful educators in this 
country. He is not only concerned about doing 
that which will enable the American Negro to lend 
himself most effectively toward winning the war, 
but he is desirous at the same time to do for this 
struggling race, a service that will best aid the Ne¬ 
gro to win a better position in life for himself. 

THE STUDENT’S ARMY TRAINING CORPS 

Following closely upon the heels of the Special 
Vocational Training Detachments for the fourteen 
technical and mechanical schools, comes a provis¬ 
ion by which young colored men of eighteen and 
over, who desire to secure a college education, may 
carry on a thorough course in military science and 
tactics, while engaged in their academic studies 
at any college on the list of institutions with which 
the Government has entered into a contract. The 


young men of college standard, who have register¬ 
ed with their local boards and who wish to be in¬ 
ducted into the military service after matriculating, 
subject to the regulations of the college chosen, 
constitute a new division of the constructive work, 
planned by the Committee on Education and Spec¬ 
ial Training, and this is styled “The Students’ Ar¬ 
my 1 raining Corps,” designed to fit young men for 
the Army while permitting' them to continue their 
higher education. And all this is at the expense of 
the Government, which obligates itself to pay for 
the subsistence, housing, uniform, tuition and 
equipment and allow the student-soldier $30.00 pet- 
month besides. Graded by proficiency indicated, 
the student may later be assigned to military duty, 
either by transfer to an officers’ training camp, ot¬ 
to a non-commissioned officers’ training school, ot¬ 
to a vocational training school, or he may be trans¬ 
ferred to a cantonment for duty as a private. Or, 
if it is deemed best, he may be directed to continue 
his scientific studies in the school where he is en¬ 
rolled. Under this admirable Student Army Train¬ 
ing Corps system these young men will have the 
advantage of a skillful preparation in war work be¬ 
fore entering upon their duties in the field, and 
will not be losing precious moments from their 
mental advancement. 

Eleven schools, forming nine units, have been se¬ 
lected for the Collegiate Section of the Student 
Army Training Corps, as follows: 

Howard University, Washington, D. C. 

Lincoln University, Chester County, Penn. 

Fisk University, Nashville, Tenn. 

Meharry Medical School, Nashville, Tenn. 

Atlanta University and Morehouse College, 
(combined), Atlanta, Ga. 

Wiley University and Bishop College, (com¬ 
bined), Marshall, Texas. 

Talladega College, Talladega, Alabama. 

Virginia Union University, Richmond, Virginia. 

Wilberforce University, Wilberforce, Ohio. 

SCHOOLS IN WHICH VOCATIONAL DETACHMENTS 
HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED 

The institutions in which the Vocational Train¬ 
ing Detachments of the S. A. T. C. have been es¬ 
tablished are: 

Tuskegee Institute, Tuskegee Institute, Ala¬ 
bama. 

Hampton Institute, Hampton, Va. 

Howard University, Washington, D. C. 

Atlanta University, Atlanta, Ga. 

Georgia State A. and M. College, Savannah, Ga., 

North Carolina A. and F. College, Greensboro. 

South Carolina A. and M. College, Orangeburg. 

Prairie View N. and I. College, Prairie View, 
Texas. 

Lincoln University, Chester County, Penn. 


605 



TOP VIEW (Left)—Lieut. Thos. A. Painter, of the 370th (Chicago) Infantry, decorated for conspicuous 
bravery in action, who arrived with his regiment on the transport “France," February 10th, 1919. Copyright Un¬ 
derwood & Underwood, N. Y. 

TOP VIEW (Right)-—Lieut. Robert Campbell, of Company I, 368th U. S. Infantry, hero of the battle of Ar- 
gonne Forest. The first man in the 92nd Division to receive the Distinguished Service Cross for bravery. Copy¬ 
right Western Newspaper Union. 

BOTTOM VIEW—Famous Jazz Band Leader back with colored 15th. Lieut. Europe, (deceased) who for 
years has been N. Y. society’s favorite orchestra (dance) leader, and who was formerly with Mr. Vernon Cas¬ 
tle, returned Feb. 12th with his regiment, the 369th, (Colored 15th). He is above shown with his band. Copy¬ 
right Underwood and Underwood, N. Y. 






West Virginia Collegiate Institute, Institute, W. 
Va. 

Wilberforce University, Wilberforce, Ohio. 

Alabama A. and M. College, Normal, Ala. 

Tennessee A. and M. College, Nashville, Tenn. 

Louisiana A. and M. College, Baton Rouge, La. 

WAR WORK OF THE COLORED Y. M. C. A. 

\ igorously supplementing the religious labors of 
the forty-one Chaplains in the United States Army 
fully 200 earnest colored men are engaged in Y. M. 
C. A. work in the various camps and cantonments 
where colored men are stationed. Some of them 
are also in France with the troops under General 
Pe.rshing, carrying the cheering message of the 
Red I riangle.” 1 hese helpful agents of the Mas¬ 
ter not only assist in lifting up the moral nature of 
the men with whom they are brought into daily 
contact, but they are working out systems of in¬ 
struction whereby the deplorable illiteracy so prev¬ 
alent in certain quarters may be reduced to a mini¬ 
mum and the mental attitude of indifferent soldiers 
changed to one of enthusiasm and aspiration. The 
Y. M. C. A. “huts” are serving as the social centers 
of the camps, where conveniences for writing and 
reading and conversation are made available and a 
home atmosphere is generated. “Hostess Houses” 
in a constantly increasing number are being estab¬ 
lished at the camps, with high-purposed women in 
charge, and additions to the present list will be 
made as rapidly as funds and competent workers 
can be provided for the same. These “Hostess 
Houses” throw around female visitors a chaperon- 
age that is essential to the well-being of the camp 
and remedy many evils long complained of. There 
is an insistent and very proper call from every 
Camp for Hostess or Community Houses to im¬ 
prove social conditions. Back of the movement 
will be the Y. M. C. A. Secretary, who is not infre¬ 
quently the real “drive-wheel” of the camp when 
any ingredients for comfort are to be secured for 
the “boys.” On the staff of Dr. J. E. Moorland, 
International Secretary of the Y. M. C. A., in 
charge of war work of the “Y” among colored 
people, are fortv-seven executive secretaries, em¬ 
bracing some of the race’s foremost men, and they 
are getting results. They, with their army of as¬ 
sistants, cover a wide range of territory, serving 
not only in the army camps, but have extensions 
ramifying into the government training schools, 
into centers where colored men are employed in 
large numbers on industrial work, shipyards, mu¬ 
nitions plants, nitrate works, lumber sections, and 
the like. The scope of the Y. M. C. A.’s labors is 
growing day by day, and its sweetening influence 
is manifesting itself perceptibly in every direction. 
If some service is wanted by a visitor at a camp, 
the first man to whom he should turn is the Y. M. 
C. A. Secretary. 


WORK OF COMMISSION ON TRAINING CAMP 
ACTIVITIES 

To make a soldier “fit to fight,” is is the belief 
of the War Department that his mind should be 
fi eed from dull care” and during the time he is 
released from the routine duties of the day. Men 
and women, consecrated to the upbuilding of the 
morale of the nation’s valiant defenders, are en¬ 
gaged m the service of providing amusement and 
recreation for the men in the various camps. This 
branch of work is under the control of the War De- 
partment Commission on Training Camp Activi¬ 
ties, of which Dr. Raymond B. Fosdick is Director. 
It co-ordinates the work for the soldier planned by 
all of the welfare institutions like the Y. M. C. A., 
the Y. W. C. A., the Knights of Columbus, the 
Jewish Welfare League, etc., organizes the singing- 
units of the camps, directs the operations of the 
theaters and furnishes the talent for the vaude¬ 
ville, athletic, dramatic and other amusements and 
recreations. At many of the camps there has been 
established a “Liberty Theater” as a center of re¬ 
creational diversions, and where the men assemble 
to enjoy the various dramatic, musical and athletic 
programs and view educational moving pictures. 
Lester A. Walton, of the New York Age, New 
\ ork City, is the colored representative on the 
Commission having in charge these theatrical at¬ 
tractions. Camp songs, plantation melodies, folk¬ 
songs and “spirituals” have proven popular and the 
men are receiving instruction in this type of sing¬ 
ing by skilled directors, of whom Mr. J. E. Blanton 
is one of the best-known. Some, keen-witted ob¬ 
server has said: “You cannot defeat a singing na¬ 
tion, and he had made the War Department be¬ 
lieve it—and the colored boys are “some singers.” 

A n important and far-reaching phase of the 
work of the Commission on Training Camp Acti¬ 
vities is the educational propaganda to combat the 
spread of venereal diseases among the colored men. 
handling this campaign in conjunction with the of¬ 
fice of the Surgeon-General of the Army, under 
the immediate supervision of Capt. Arthur B. 
Springarn, who is manifesting in many practical 
ways his deep interest in the moral and physical 
well-being of the colored wing of the service. Mov¬ 
ing pictures of the type of “Fit to Fight” are be¬ 
ing shown to emphasize the dangers that come 
through the “social evil,” arid a course of instruc¬ 
ts e lectures has been arranged, with that eminent 
specialist, Dr. C. V. Roman, of Nashville, Tenn., 
as a major campaigner, assisted by a group of ex¬ 
perienced physicians who understand the psycho¬ 
logy and the pathology of this menace to our men 
in the camps and cities. 

The War Camp Community Service is another 
wing of army auxiliaries that is doing much to 
make the soldiers’ lot a happy one. Clubs for the 


607 



General view of parade of famous 369th Infantry on Fifth Avenue, N. Y. C. New York welcomed its col¬ 
ored heroes of Colonel “Bill” Hayward’s famous “Hell Fighters” of the 369th Infantry in a parade on Fifth Ave¬ 
nue. Photo shows immense crowds at the New York Public Library 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue as the 
Dusky heroes marched by. Copyright Western Newspaper Union. 




















accommodation and entertainment of soldiers and 
sailors have been established under War Camp 
Community Service auspices at many points, and 
comfortable and well-appointed recreation centers 
may be found in New York City, Washington (2), 
Louisville, Ky., Battle Creek, Mich., Des Moines, 
Iowa, Rockford, Ill., Petersburg, Va., Chillicothe, 
Ohio, Newport News, Va., and Baltimore, Md. 
Plans are under way for additional clubs at Green¬ 
ville, S. C., Atlanta and Macon, Ga. In fact, it is 
the intention to have clubs in every community 
near the camps where colored troops are stationed, 
as the good resulting from such centers fully jus¬ 
tifies the expense incurred through their mainten¬ 
ance. A very pleasing circumstance is the appoint¬ 
ment of Prof. John M. Gandy, President of the 
Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute, Peters¬ 
burg, Va., as special assistant to the War Camp 
Community Service in the South on colored work. 
Capable assistants are being named to aid the work 
at all points and the organization is approaching 
a most satisfactory stage. Hostess houses are also 
being established at many camps and others are in 
contemplation. 

WAR WORK OF COLORED WOMEN 

The colored women of the country are nobly do¬ 
ing their share of the work that must win the war. 
In the Red Cross Society they are particularly ac¬ 
tive and enthusiastic. They are represented in 
nearly every community through either the Red 
Cross or the Young Women’s Christian Associa¬ 
tion, or in some form of voluntary service organi¬ 
zation to assure the casting of the soldiers’ lines in 
pleasant places, over here and over there. They 
are vieing with their brothers, fathers and sons 
in the high quality of their patriotism and in the 
practical methods of manifesting the same. 

Mrs. Alice Dunbar Nelson of the faculty of 
the Wilmington (Del.) High School, an edu- 
actor, author, social worker and organizer of 
tried capacity, has been appointed as a field agent 
by the War Department and the Woman’s Com¬ 
mittee of Council of National Defense, to mobilize 
the colored women of the country and to indicate 
to them how they may hest aid the nation to win 
the war. She has just concluded a broad survey of 
the Southern States and has formed many new pa¬ 
triotic organizations in support of the War aims 
of the government and revived and stimulated 
many others that have been allowed to elapse in 
their activities. Mrs. Dunbar’s report is highly 
encouraging and is an earnest of the loyal laboi 
that may be expected of the Negro womanhood of 
the country. 

CONCRETE EVIDENCES OF THE NEGROE’S 
LOYALTY 

Concrete evidences of the Negro’s loyalty to his 
country’s flag have been abundant in all the strug¬ 


gles and combats of the Republic from its lcept.-.j 
ion to the present day. The colored Ame an 1 V 
never been a laggard or “slacker.” He is ali-A^ 
ican. He knows no hyphen in his citizenship aV 
can have no divided allegiance. His only ensign is 
the Stars and Stripes. For the defense and main¬ 
tenance of his country’s ideals he is ready to lay 
down his own life and to offer his beloved sons up¬ 
on her altars. He gives liberally of his means and 
substance to uphold the lofty principles of man¬ 
hood and civic opportunity that the flag so proudly 
represents. Be it remembered that a Negro, Cris¬ 
pins Attucks, was the first man killed in the Revo¬ 
lutionary War. A Negro was the first to lose his 
life in the Spanish-American War—Elijah McCoy, 
a sailor, being drowned in line of duty in the har¬ 
bor of Havana. A Negro company, the First SeH\ 
parate Battalion of the District of Columbia, was 
the first to be called out to defend the National 
honor in the present European conflict, having 
been summoned at the outbreak of war, under 
command of the gallant Major James E. Walker, 
to guard the public buildings, the bridges, power 
plants, reservoirs, etc., or the nation’s Capital. 
From Hunker Hill to Carrizal in Mexico, as well as 
with Pershing in the St. Mihiel sector, the Negro 
has given indisputable evidence of his loyalty and 
of his quality as a fighting unit for “Old Glory.” 

I he story of the dashing exploits of Needham 
Roberts and Harry Johnson is still fresh in the 
memory of all, and the huzzahs from press and 
public, white and black, extended in such gracious 
and unstinted measure, has unquestionably 
strengthened the morale of the race, and stimulat¬ 
ed to an incalculable degree the endeavors of the 
Negro people in those lines of endeavor that call 
for patriotic service and self-sacrifice. 

In one instance an entire regiment of colored 
fighting troops was cited for extraordinarily he¬ 
roic conduct and were accorded the Croix de 
Guerre. In another case, a stevedore regiment of 
Negroes won honorable mention in the dispatches 
for breaking the world’s record by unloading and 
coaling the monster steamship “Leviathan” at a 
French port—56 hours. In the trenches, in the 
officer’s habitat and in the cities of France, the 
colored troops are welcomed, highly respected and 
treated with exceptional courtesy by soldiers and 
by the populace. 

COLORED NURSES ACCEPTED FOR SERVICE IN 
THE ARMY 

There was general rejoicing when the announce¬ 
ment was made in July, 1918, that colored nurses 
who had registered with the Red Cross Society to 
the number of aboift 2,000- would be accepted for 
service in the army. Plans were worked out for the 
assignment of colored nursos at six of the base 
hospitals at camps where nearly 40,000 colored 





TOP VIEW (Reading Left to Right)—Col. Frank Denison; Col. Thos. A. Roberts; Lt. Col. Otis B. Duncan 
CENTER VIEW—Another group of officers of the 370th (Old 8th Illinois) on the deck of the La France 
before landing. Reading left to right 2nd Lt. Lawson Price; 2nd Lt. L. W. Stearls ; 2nd Lt. Ed White; 2nd Lt. 
Eli F. E. Williams; st Lt. Oasola Browning; Capt. Louis B. Johnson; 1st Lt. Frank Bates; 1st Lt. Binga Desmond. 

BOTTOM VIEW—Chicago homecoming of the 370th Regiment (Old 8th Illinois) passing in parade at 113th 
Street and Michigan Avenue. 



























troops were stationed. The camps named for this 
service were : Camps Funston, Grant, Dodge, Tay¬ 
lor, Sherman and Dix. Comfortable buildings are 
now being erected at several camps for the accom¬ 
modation of these nurses. General Pershing is con¬ 
sidering the use of Colored nurses in the base hos¬ 
pitals in France. 

In addition to this, the Woman’s Committee of 
the Council of National Defense launched a move¬ 
ment to secure 25,000 nurses for army service, and 
organized a Student Nurses’ Training Corps, and 
threw open its doors to young colored women who 
wished to prepare for army work. As a result, 
many responded and at an early date it is expected 
that they will be assigned for instruction to var¬ 
ious colored hospitals in their respective localities 
preparatory to being enlisted ultimately in the 
work of caring for the sick and wounded soldiers 
in this country and among the American Expedi¬ 
tionary Forces abroad. 

CAMPAIGN OF “GINGER” BY THE Y. W. C. A. 

The statement has been made that the War 
Council of the Y. W. C. A. is to devote $400,000 of 
its $5,000,000 war budget to its work among Negro 
women. The money is being used, and more will 
be forthcoming, for the maintenance of Hostess 
Houses, housing for the families of colored troops 
and recreational work among colored girls in war 
industrial centers. Workers are being furnished 
for places where there is no Y. W. C. A., and to do 
all that is possible to protect colored girls for the 
period of the war, and to help the female relatives 
of the men in the service to take advantage of the 
present unprecedented opportunities in the indus¬ 
trial world. Large recreational centers are plan¬ 
ned for Washington, where a $200,000 plant is to 
be established at an early date, and in New York, 
Brooklyn, Philadelphia, and other cities, some of 
which in a limited way are already in operation. 
Col. Theodore Roosevelt has just given $4,000 
from the Nobel Peace Fund for the furtherance of 
this work. A number of colored women have been 
sent abroad to develop this phase of work among 
our men on the western front in France, Mrs. 
Helen Curtis and Mrs. A. W. Hunton being among 
this group. The colored secretary of the National 
Board of the Y. W. C. A., Miss Eva D. Bowles, 600 
Lexington Avenue, New York City, is in charge of 
this excellent movement. Although much has been 
done to speed up and put “pep” into the labor of 
increasing the technical skill of Negro men and 
women and reducing the illiteracy found in many 
quarters, much remains to be done. It is asserted 
by the Y. W. C. A. authorities that the demand for 
qualified workers and college-trained individuals 
has far exceeded the supply. When a specific 
thing is to be done, they say they find it exceeding¬ 


ly hard to find the person who can ’-ender the ser¬ 
vice at a 100 per cent mark of efficiency. 

The women of the race have displayed their spi¬ 
rit of self-sacrifice and patriotism by their readi¬ 
ness to enter the arena of industry, as well as in the 
more refined branches of war service, many are 
found in the mills, factories, in stores and offices, 
on wagons and auto trucks, running elevators, 
caring for live stock, and even in the field, doing 
farm Work of the most exhausting character—and 
all this, too, without complaint. 

It is not doubted that there are in the army 
thousands of Roberts’ and Johnsons’ in embryo, 
eager to repeat their courageous deed. 

SALE OF LIBERTY BONDS, WAR SAVINGS STAMPS 
AND KINDRED AIDS 

In the purchase of Liberty Bonds, War Savings 
Stamps and kindred aids the Negro has done, and 
is still doing his full duty. Few Negroes are weal¬ 
thy, but the masses are thrifty, and out of their 
moderate incomes they have bought generously 
of all three issues of the Liberty Loan Bonds, and 
of the War Savings and Thrift Stamps, besides 
contributing heavily to the Red Cross, the War 
Chest, and many other war relief institutions, and 
lending themselves without limit to the support of 
the Y. M. C. A. and the Y. W. C. A. ministrations. 
They show no signs of weariness in well-doing. 

A few notable instances of the financial aspect of 
the Negro’s patriotism may be cited by way of il¬ 
lustration : The North Carolina Mutual and Pro¬ 
vident Association, a Negro corporation of Dur¬ 
ham, N. C., has taken a total of $125,000 worth of 
Liberty Bonds. The Mosiac Templars of Amer¬ 
ica, with headquarters at Little Rock, Ark., sub¬ 
scribed for $110,000 worth of Liberty Bonds, with 
provision for an additional $40,000 in February, 
next, and purchased outright $1,000 worth of War 
Savings Stamps. The Atlanta Mutual Insurance 
Company and the Standard Life Insurance Com¬ 
pany, both of Atlanta, Ga., bought $50,000 each of 
Liberty Bonds. The Grand United Order of Odd 
Fellows took $50,000 worth, and the Improved Be¬ 
nevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the 
World followed with the purchase of $30,000 worth. 
The Knights of Pythias of Florida bought $25,000 
worth. Various churches in many states pursued 
a policy of investing the surplus funds in their 
treasury in Liberty Bonds, as did also numerous 
fraternities and social clubs. The Ebenezer Bap¬ 
tist Church, of Pittsburgh, is on record with a 
$10,000 purchase. One Tuskegee graduate, Wil¬ 
liam V. Chambliss, individually purchased $30,000 
worth. 

The colored citizens of Jacksonville, Florida, with 
Charles H. Anderson, a banker and business man 
at the head of the local colored committees, were 
asked to purchase an allotment of $50,000 worth of 


611 



TOP VIEW—Ground broken for Base Unit to Assist in care of colored soldiers. Different organizations 
at the celebration of the breaking of the ground for the McDonough Memorial Hospital at West 133rd Street, 
near Fifth Avenue,-N. Y. The plant can be completed and equipped and furnished for $100,000. It will be a 
model, fire-proof and up-to-date Hpspital Building. The Institution is named in honor of Dr. David Kearney 
McDonough, a pioneer colored physician of New York City. Copyright Underwood & Underwood, N. Y. 

BOTTOM ROW—Group of colored casuals-some who have been’wounded or gassed back on the “Giuseape 
Verdi” March 311, 1919, They are all from Philadelphia. Copyright Western Newspaper Union 









Liberty Bonds of the third issue. At the close of 
the campaign they had subscribed for bonds to the 
amount of $250,000, and won an honor flag. At 
Suffolk, Va., the colored committee, led by Robert 
Williams, won honors in each of the Liberty Bond 
“drives” and subscribed over $15,000 in the Red 
Cross rally of last May. Many Negroes purchased 
their bonds at banks where they do business, in¬ 
dependent of other purchases as members of or¬ 
ganizations, and no record was kept as to the color 
of the investor. Robert L. Smith, a colored bank¬ 
er of Waco, Texas, contributed a full-page adver¬ 
tisement to a daily paper of his town in promotion 
of a Liberty Bond campaign, and a similar gift was 
made by the colored citizens of Louisville, Ivy., 
through the Louisville News, a, colored paper. J. E. 
Taylor, a public spirited colored man of Wilming¬ 
ton, N. C, disposed of over $2,000 worth of Bonds 
in a single day, and in a “drive” in Philadelphia, 
Pa., Amos Scott sold $80,000 worth among his peo¬ 
ple. The colored people of Washington, D. C., in 
a War Savings Stamp “drive,” captained by Dr. 
William A. Warfield, and Rev. D. E. Wiseman, sold 
$52,000 worth to colored people from February to 
May, and the colored school children in the same 
period averaged $200 per week, and this total does 
not include the purchase by individuals in the 
Federal departments or independent of the cam¬ 
paign 'committee. These are tangible evidences 
that the fires of patriotism are burning brightly 
in the breast of the American Negro, North and 
South, East and West, alike. Totals for the coun¬ 
try at large are not available by races, but with 
these scattering notations as a basis foi calucula- 
tion, it can be seen that the Negro is “doing his 
bit” in the matter of putting forward his MONEY 
POWER, just as it has herein been shown that he 
is not a derelict in responding to the call for MAN¬ 
POWER Secretary of the Treasury McAdoo has 
made a public acknowledgment of his gratitude 
over the ready, prompt and generous response of 
the Colored Americans everywhere to the nation’s 
appeal for financial aid. It is certain that in the 
Fourth Liberty Loan campaign, just concluded, the 
Negro will maintain the high average he has made 
in the past. 

THE NEGRO LENDS A HAND IN INDUSTRIES 
AND PRODUCTION 

To the demand of the Food Administration for 
increased production in the food essentials and in 
the conservation of Food already in hand the col¬ 
ored man has responded with equal cheerfulness 
and fidelity. 

In the field of agriculture, in the mines, in the 
munitions and nitrate plants, building trades, on 
the railroads and in the general industrial arena, 
as well as in the business and professional world, 


the Negro is laboring with all his might, and play¬ 
ing his part with no less fervor than is true of his 
brother of lighter hue. Wherever and whenever 
a patriotic duty is to be done, the Colored Ameri¬ 
can is quick to step forward and exclaim: “Here 
I am, Uncle Sam; take me!” If the Negro has 
any one complaint above another, it is that Uncle 
Sam has not found tasks enough for his willing 
hands to perform. 

THE SPEAKERS’ “COMMITTEE OF ONE 
HUNDRED 

Through the office of the Special Assistant to 
the Secretary of War, in conjunction with the 
Committee on Public Information, a Speakers’ Bu¬ 
reau has been placed in operation and one hundred 
specially-equipped men of the race are in the field 
taking part in an intensive campaign of educa¬ 
tion, presenting the war aims of the Government 
in a plain and straight fashion, and their logical 
statement of the issues involved in the present 
world-wide conflict in going far toward inspiring 
a livelier patriotism among all classes of colored 
people and encouraging them to engage more 
heartily in the activities designed to help America 
to win the war. These speakers are all known 
quantities, accepted leaders in their respective 
spheres of influence and represent every group and 
section with which the colored people are identi¬ 
fied. Their services are made more effective by 
their close co-operation with the State Councils of 
Defense in the North, East, South and West. 

PRESS AND PULPIT SOUNDING THE “TOCSIN” 

In connection with this campaign of education 
due credit must be given to the press and the pul¬ 
pit, which are doing their full duty in the circula¬ 
tion of information that tends to enlighten the 
masses and therefore strengthen them in the cause 
that lies nearest to all American hearts. The col¬ 
ored editors, with a unanimity that cannot be other 
than gratifying, are giving columns of their valua¬ 
ble space weekly, to propaganda matter, without 
charge to the Government, and at a positive sacri¬ 
fice of time and money, while the ministers are 
delivering powerful sermons on the divinity of ser¬ 
vice and the bounden duty of a Christian people to 
fight for the establishment of justice throughout 
the world, and are allowing the use of their church¬ 
es rent-free for patriotic meetings and popular as¬ 
semblies devoted to improving the morale of the 
race. Both the press and the pulpit are sounding 
the tocsin of liberty with vigor and intelligence. 

A FRUITFUL CONFERENCE OF COLORED EDITORS 
AND LEADERS 

In June, 1918, there was held in Washington, 
under call of Emmett J. Scott, representing the 
War Department and the Committee on Public In¬ 
formation, an important conference of colored ed- 


613 



itors and a selected group of leaders of thought 
and action. To the number of about fifty they 
gathered at the nation’s capital, and after three 
days of free, frank and full discussion of all the is¬ 
sues relating to the Negro in the War and in civil 
life, the conference agreed unanimously upon an 
address for submission to the President of the Un¬ 
ited States, the Secretary of War and the Commit¬ 
tee on Public Information, which set forth in a 
most illuminating fashion the grievances and de¬ 
sires of the colored people, together with sugges¬ 
tions looking to a correction of inequalities com¬ 
plained of, and making specific requests for certain 
benefits, under the head of “A Bill of Particulars.” 
The well-tempered and wholly patriotic attitude of 
this editorial conference so impressed the Federal 
authorities, who thus sought the confidence of the 
Negro people, through their accredited spokesmen, 
that in the few weeks that have followed this sig¬ 
nificant exchange of views, the response to the 
conference’s “Bill of Particulars” has come in the 
form of: 

(a) A message from the President in denun¬ 
ciation of the practice of mob violence. 

(b) The enrollment of colored Red Cross nurs¬ 
es for service in the camps and cantonments of the 
army. 

(c) The continuance of the training camps for 
colored officers and the increase in their number 
and enlargement of their scope of training. 

(d) Betterment of the general conditions in the 
camps where Negroes are stationed in large num¬ 
bers, and positive steps taken to reduce race fric¬ 
tion to a minimum everywhere soldiers are 
brought into contact. 

(e) The extension to young colored men of op¬ 
portunity for special training in technical, mechan¬ 
ical and military science in the various schools and 
colleges of the country. 

(f) An increase of the number of colored Chap¬ 
lains for army service. 

(g) The establishment of a woman’s branch 
under the Council of National Defense, with a col¬ 


ored field agent, to organize the colored women of 
the country for systematic war work. 

(h) Steps taken to recall Colonel Charles 
Young to active service in the United States Army. 

(i) The appointment of the first colored, reg¬ 
ularly-commissioned war correspondent, to report 
military operations on the western front in France. 

(j) The granting of a loan of $5,000,000 for the 
relief of the Republic of Liberia. 

TRADITIONAL LOYALTY OF OTHER DAYS AD¬ 
HERED TO BY NEGRO 

From this somewhat rambling recital of the ac¬ 
tivities, aspirations and achievements of the Negro 
American of these times, it will be seen that he 
is more than living up to his traditional loyalty of 
other days. As has been stated, the Negro has 
tken part in all the wars of the Republic, and 
from Boston Common to France’s bleeding west¬ 
ern front he has never failed to give a creditable 
account of himself. He is an inseparable factor in 
the history that this nation has made. 

In war he has been brave; in peace, he has been 
faithful and true. There can be no doubt that the 
“sacred jewel of liberty” is safe in his hands. 
Whenever called upon to choose an alliance, he in¬ 
variably stands shoulder to shoulder with the sub¬ 
stantial forces of social and political fabric, and is 
never identified with the reactionary or revolu¬ 
tionary elements that menace the tranquility and 
civic order of our land. In the present conflict the 
Negro is participating in more and larger ways 
than ever before, and from the superb showing he 
has thus far made, there is reason to believe that 
in the future he will be, in a still larger and more 
effective way, a DISTINCT AND VALUABLE 
ASSET TO THE NATION. 

The Negro is not forgetful of his RIGHTS in all 
this strife and turmoil; but he chooses, in this cris¬ 
is, to place the deeper emphasis on his DUTIES. 
He is expecting that when the FRUITS OF VIC¬ 
TORY shall come to be distributed that he shall be 
awarded the share he has justly won by his patrio¬ 
tism, and through his efficient service in battle and 
in the not less essential work behind the lines. 


Other Prominent Individuals and Institutions 


ALLEN, DAVID B., merchant, born at Danville, 
Va., Jan. 2, 1855, moved to Newport, Va., 1880, 
where he still resides. Started as cook and event¬ 
ually established largest restaurant in Virginia, 
sold out in 1916 and started bakery and delicates¬ 
sen in his own building. Married Charlotte Allen 
in 1892. Member A. M. E. Church, Mason, Odd 
Fellow, Independent Order of St. Luke’s, National 
Negro Business League; and a charter member 
Newport Board of Trade. 

ALLISON, CHARLES WILLIAM, preacher, 
born on his father’s farm near Nashville, Tenn. 
Graduate Meigs High School, Nashville and Cen¬ 
tral City College. Member A. M. E. Church and 
began preaching in 1911. Held many important 
charges in church and its organizations. Member 
of U. B. F.’s. Married Miss Elizabeth Cecil Har¬ 
lan of Mitchellsburg, Ivy. Now pastoring at Stan¬ 
ford, Ky. 

ANDERSON, JOSEPH CLINTON, minister, 
born March 1, 1862, in Fluvanna County, Va. Grad¬ 
uate Taylor University; McCormick Theological 
Seminary. Converted at age of 23; ordained a 
minister"in the A. M. E. Church; trustees of Wil- 
berforce University; fraternal delegate to the M. 
E. General Conference which met at Saratoga 
Springs, New York in 1916; member Odd Fellows, 
Mason, International Order of Twelve. Knights 
of Tabor. Married Miss Musadora Donley of 
Rockford, Ill. Now pastor prominent Chicago 
church. 

ANDERSON, MAJOR JACKSON, born at Jef¬ 
ferson County, Florida, Oct. 23, 1863. Graduate 
Florida Baptist Institute (now Florida Memorial 
College), at Live Oak. Florida State College, at 
Tallahassee. Graduated Meharry Medical College, 
j-y^ 1897. He is now a prominent physician 
of Tampa, Florida. The Doctor has been twice 
married, and has two daughters, Alnian J. and 
Rebar. 

THE ARLINGTON LITERARY & INDUS¬ 
TRIAL SCHOOL. One of five schools for Negroes 
in Wilcox County, Ala., founded and fostered by 
the United Presbyterian Church, with headquarters 
in Pittsburg, Penn. The plant is situated on the 
highlands near Arlington station on the Southern 
Railwav and consists of 510 acres of land, school 
buildings, dormitories, saw mill, brick yard, car¬ 
penter shop, blacksmith shop, dairy and piggery. 
The principal of the school, Prof. John T. Arter, 
has made a splendid record for his school. 

BALDWIN, MISS MARIA, noted educator. Has 
made a national reputation as principal of the 
Ao-assey School, Cambridge, Mass. This school is 
considered one of the best in New England and a 
majority of the pupils are white. It is under the 
shadow of that noted seat of learning, Harvard 
University, where thorough intellectual training is 
taken as a matter of course, which makes Miss 
Baldwin's record all the more noteworthy. 


BARNES, ROBERT C., attorney, born Sept. 22, 
1856, in Mercer County, Ohio. Educated, public 
schools, Liber College, Ada Normal Institution, 
Wilberforce University. Admitted to the Ohio and 
to the Michigan Bar in 1889. Began practice in 
Detroit the same year. For the past twenty-three 
years he has associated in practice with Walter H. 
Stowers. Married Miss Mabel Brown, Dec. 25, 
1877, in Putnam County, Ohio. 

CONWAY, HIRAM, minister, born in Northum- 
ber County, Va., 1851. Graduate Richmond Insti¬ 
tute, now Virginia University, 1886. Mason, a 
Gallilean Fisherman and President Bay State Mis¬ 
sionary Society of Massachusetts. Married in 
1892 Miss Josephine Montgomery of Columbia. S. 
C. Now pastoring prominent church of Worcester, 
Mass. 

DEBERRY, PERFECT R., minister First Con¬ 
gregational Church, Raleigh, N. C. Like most of 
the Congregational ministers, Rev. DeBerry is 
highly educated. Is a man of fine principles and is 
doing splendid work. He is well thought of by the 
citizens of Raleigh, irrespective of race. 

DINKENS, EDWARD J., merchant, New ‘Port, 
R. I. A splendid example of what the Negro can 
accomplish even in the face of keen New England 
competition. Mr. Dinkens chose to match wits 
with the sharpest merchants of the country and 
his success speaks volumes for the native ability 
of the colored man. 

DUMAS, A. W., physician and surgeon, Natchez, 
Miss., was born at Houma, Louisiana, Sept. 9, 1876. 
Educated at Houma Academy, and at the age of 
19 years completed the scientific course. Took up 
the study of medicine at the Illinois Medical Col¬ 
lege, Department of Medicine of Loyola Univer¬ 
sity, Chicago, Ill., graduated 1899. Came to Miss¬ 
issippi, in 1899, began practice at Natchez. He has 
been eminently successful as a physician, and finan¬ 
cially, having accumulated considerable valuable 
real estate. In connection with the practice of 
medicine, he operates a first-class drug store, and 
a modern private infirmary for the care of the 
sick, where many difficult medical and surgical 
cases have been treated. He is held in high esteem 
by both white and black citizens. 

FAUCETT, T. J. Leading colored physician of 
Lynchburg, Va. He is well recognized by the white 
physicians as well as other citizens. He believes 
heartily in everything that tends to develop and up¬ 
lift the Negro race. Has done many deeds of cha¬ 
rity and always contributes liberally of time and 
money to whatever he believes is beneficial to hu¬ 
manity. Has a splendid practice and is financially 
successful. 

FORTE, ORMAND ADOLPHUS, scholar, pub¬ 
lisher, born in Bridgetown, Barbados, W. I., Dec. 
17, 1887. Educated St. Mary’s Public School, Com- 
be’rmere Collegiate School, Harrison College, Bar- 


615 



bados, W. I. Matriculated Student University of 
Cambridge, Eng., 1907. Asst. Master St. Mary’s 
School; French Correspondent Mackay & Co., and 
Special Asst. Office of Official Assignee at Barbados 
W. I. (British Civil Service). In 1914 founded the 
Cleveland Advocate, now editor and proprietor. 
Director, National Colored Soldiers Comfort Com¬ 
mittee. Member of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 
Cleveland, Ohio. Married Ida Grant, at Cleveland, 
Ohio, July 27. 1910. 

HAMILTON, BICHARD THEODORE, M. D„ 
born at Montgomery, Ala., March 31, 1869. Ed. Ala¬ 
bama State Normal School. Graduated Howard 
University, 1901. Interne in Freedmen’s Hospital. 
Took special course in Organic Chemistry, Bacte¬ 
riology and Pathology. Opened office in Dallas, 
Tex., in 1901. In 1906 appointed medical inspec¬ 
tor of the Dallas Colored Schools. Medical exam¬ 
iner Endowment Department G. U. O. of O. F., and 
Household of Ruth. 

HARRIS, J. SILAS. Mr. Harris is a native of - 
the State of Missouri. He has for years been a 
leading worker in State and Educational matters. 

HARRISON, COLUMBUS WILLIAM, physi¬ 
cian, born at Tarboro, N. C., educated in New Eng¬ 
land, and graduated from Tuft’s College in 1906. 
Practicing physician, official examiner for the Odd 
Fellows of Boston, Pocahontas Lodge of Elks, 
Lodge of Knights of Pythias, and the auxiliary 
women’s lodges of these organizations. Treasurer 
Columbus Day Activities for the colored citizens of 
Boston. Owns beautiful summer home at Ply¬ 
mouth, Mass., and residence in Boston. 

HARTFIELD, ISHAM, a product of Tuskegee 
Institute and a business man of Vicksburg, Miss., 
was born in Issequannah County, Miss., Jan. 4th, 
1884. He is the owner of a good home, trustee and 
class leader in the Bethel A. M. E. Church and a 
Mason. Mr. Hartfield married in 1904 Miss Bon¬ 
nie Lou Collins of Vicksburg. 

HICKS, LUCIUS SUMNER, born at Plymouth, 
N. C. His father died when he was very young 
and his mother moved with her two sons to Bos¬ 
ton, Mass., in 1894. Graduated Boston Law School 
1908. Admitted to the Suffolk Bar in 1909, and 
immediately began to practice in Boston. Repub¬ 
lican, Episcopalian, Mason. Served as Assistant 
Registrar of Voters, Assistant Corporation Counsel 
of Boston. 

HILL, LESLIE, P. Mr. Leslie P. Hill is a grad¬ 
uate of Harvard University. He was for a good 
many years, in charge of the Department of Edu¬ 
cation at Tuskegee Institute. From Tuskegee he 
went „to Manassas where he was principal for sev¬ 
eral years. Manassas owes its development very 
largely to Mr. Hill. Mr. Hill is at present princi¬ 
pal of Cheney Institute, Cheney, Pa. 

HOLMES, D. A., physician, residing at 711 New 
Jersey Ave., Kansas City, Mo. One of the leading 
physicians of Missouri, and has many admirers, 
both of his professional skill and personal affabil¬ 
ity. Has an extensive and growing practice and is 
ranked as an eminently successful practitioner. 


JACKSON, GEORGE W., born at Smith Sta¬ 
tion, Lee County, Ala. Graduated from Fisk Uni¬ 
versity, Nashville, Tenn., 1887. Has taught in 
schools of Texas 34 years. At present principal, 
Douglass High School, Corsicana, Tex. Supervis¬ 
ing Principal Negro Public Schools and church 
worker in many capacities. Author. Married Miss 
Jessie A. Blythe (deceased), in 1887. Miss M. L. 
Morris, Helena, Ark., in 1903. 

JONES, WILLIAM B., dentist; born in War¬ 
ren County, N. C., March 16, 1881. Graduate Shaw 
University, Raleigh, N. C., and Dental Department 
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Opened 
dental office at Springfield, Mass., in 1908. Gets 
splendid practice from both races. Member Bap¬ 
tist Church, President Men’s Community Club. 
Married Miss Cathrine Hill of Windsor, Conn., in 
1910. 

KNOX, L. AMASA, lawyer, born in Greenville 
County, Va., Jan. 6, 1869. Educated at Virginia 
N. & I. Institute, Petersburg, and EL. D. from 
Howard University, Washington, D. C. Member 
firm of Knox and Henderson, Kansas City, Mo., 
Baptist, Past Master Mason, Odd Fellow, K. of P. 
For the two last named he is Grand Attorney. 
Member Board Federated Charities, Board of Man¬ 
agement of the Pasco Y. M. C. A., Treasurer 
Wheatley-Provident Hospital, member Draft 
Board Division 11. Married at Washington, D. C., 
June 26, 1901, Miss Clara Tarquinia Chase. 

LLOYD, AARON W., born at Little Springs, 
1885. In April, 1863, he came to St. Louis, Mo. He 
became a member of the Knights of Pythias in 
June, 1885, was elected Grand Chancellor of Mis¬ 
souri in 1900, which office he has successfully filled 
for 19 years. When Mr. Lloyd was complimented 
on the manner in which the affairs of the Knights 
of Pythias of Missouri were found, he replied. 
“That’s my specialty. I know that work and don’t 
try to do any other.” This one fact alone shows 
the reason why the work has developed so under 
his leadership. 

LUSHINGTON, AUGUSTINE NATHANIEL, 
doctor; born and received his early education in 
the British West Indies. Came to America and 
graduated Cornell University. Principal Trinidad 
Public Schools. Returned to America and grad¬ 
uated from Department of Veterinary Science, 
University of Pennsylvania, and opened office in 
Philadelphia; taught in St. Emma Agricultural 
College in Rock-castle, Va. Moved to Lynchburg, 
Va., where he built large practice. Member I. O. 
St. Lukes ; Reporter to the United States Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture; probation office of the Ju¬ 
venile Court of Lynchburg. Married Miss Eliza¬ 
beth N. Govino of Antigua, B. W. I., in 1890; three 
daughters. 

THE MODEL TRAINING SCHOOL—T h e 
work of Mrs. Julia C. Jackson Harris, an 
earnest Christian worker who has gone into the 
rural district near Athens, is one that deserves men¬ 
tion. The work done in this school is exceptional. 
Mrs. Harris’ plan is to uplift the entire community. 
This is done through the class room, the church, 


616 


the home and various clubs. Four weeks of the 
ten months school year are devoted to the training 
of the teachers in the county schools. In such high 
esteem is the work of this school held that the 
board of education has made it compulsory upon 
the county teachers to attend the Model Training 
School during the session for the teachers. 

One of the unique features of the work of Mrs. 
Harris is her method of getting the people into 
better homes. They were formed into clubs and 
the club purchased property. When it was paid 
for, it was divided and each member had a site for 
a home. 

MONEY, THOMAS JEFFERSON, born at Clay¬ 
ton, Arkansas. Educated Tuskegee Institute as a 
bookkeeper, overseer on plantation, solicitor 
Union Grocery Company, opened grocery store 
there for himself, in Vicksburg, where he is still 
doing a successful business. He financed himself 
playing baseball. Episcopalian, a member of his 
church’s financial board. Married in 1916 Miss 
Rosia E. Ivoeber of Vicksburg. 

MUTUAL BENEFIT SOCIETY of Baltimore, 
incorporated 1903 in the State of Maryland. Ope¬ 
rates only in Maryland. Number of financial policy 
holders, December 31st, 1917, 28,369. Amount of 
insurance in force $1,799,080.00. Legal Reserve 
Life Insurance Company, providing reserves for 
life on the basis of American Experience and three 
and one-half per cent a sick benefit reserve, and an 
emergency reserve, Harry O. Wilson, Gen. Mgr. 

McCURDY, THEODORE E. A., physician, born 
in British Guiana, South America, April 27, 1877. 
Graduate Leonard Medical College, Raleigh, N. C, 
ini 1904. While in college he won prizes in obste¬ 
trics and in surgery. After graduating he opened 
an office in Boston, Mass. Member National Med¬ 
ical Association, Bay State Medical and Dental 
Association, and the Massachusetts Medical So¬ 
ciety. Member of the Baptist Church. Mason, 
Odd Fellow and Iv. of P. 

NICHOLS, HENRY WASHINGTON, physician, 
born in Carroll County, Miss., in 1875. Educated 
Tugaloo College. Graduated from Meharry Med¬ 
ical College in 1901, immediately thereafter open¬ 
ed an office in Clarendon, Ark., where he remain¬ 
ed one year and then moved to Clarksdale, Miss., 
where he is now practicing. Member A. M. E. 
Church and K. of P.’s. Married Miss Georgia Rob¬ 
erts, of Pickens, Miss., in 1902. 

PHILLIPS, HENRY C., preacher; born at Ja¬ 
maica, British West Indies, March 11, 1847. Grad¬ 
uate Philadelphia Divinity School of the Protest¬ 
ant Episcopal Church, 1875, ordained the same 
year; served a year as Rector of St. Thomas’ Pro¬ 
testant Episcopal Church in Philadelphia; from 
1876 to 1912 served the church of the Crucifixion. 
In 1912 appointed Archdeacon of colored work in 
the Diocese of Pennsylvania, which position he 
now holds. President and trustee of several char¬ 
itable institutions. K. of P. and Odd Fellow. Mar¬ 
ried Miss Sarah Elizabeth Cole of Philadelphia, 
Dec. 2, 1875. 


POTTER, M. D., clergyman, editor; born at 
Dawson, Ga., educated, public schools of Dawson; 
Howard Normal School Cuthbert, Ga. Taught in 
Georgia public schools three years and thirteen 
years in Florida. Entered ministry in 1903. Built 
fine church and parsonage in Florida. Editor, man¬ 
ager and owner of the Tampa Bulletin, and Pub¬ 
lishing Co. Member A. M. E. Church, Sons and 
Daughters of Jacob, Odd Fellows, trustee Edward 
Waters College, Jacksonville, Fla., president Min¬ 
isterial Alliance of Tampa, Fla. 

ROBINSON, WILLIAM PATRICK, born in 
Iheraw, S. C., July 23, 1878. Benedict College. 
Started undertaking business in 1909 and is one of 
the most successful in the state. Mason, K. of P. 
and Odd Fellow. Secretary local lodge Odd Fel¬ 
lows and of Clinton Chapel A. M. E. Z. Church, 
of Charlotte, N. C., his home town. Married Miss 
Sarah L. Wilson in 1905. 

SHAFFER, CORNELIUS THADDEUS, Bishop 
A. M. E. Church. Born Troy, O., Jan. 3, 1847. Ed. 
Berea College, Ivy. Private tutors, M. D. Jeffer 
son Medical College, Phila. Honorary D. D. Allen 
U. Columbia, S. C. Honorary D. D. and LL. D. from 
Wilberforce. Veteran Civil War, Author. Takes 
prominent part in upbuilding of Wilberforce U. 
Married Miss Annie Maria Taylor of Lexington, 
Ky., in 1870. Resides in Chicago. 

STEWART, R. T., New Port News, Va., has been 
engaged in the grocery business for the past 20 
years. His business has increased to such an ex¬ 
tent that he employs three or four clerks in his 
store and a number of trucks on the outside for the 
purpose of delivery. Ex-Cashier Crown Savings 
Bank. Member Baptist Church, Mason, Odd Fel¬ 
low, a Pythian and aGood Samaritan. 

STOWERS, WALTER HASLIP, attorney, born 
on February 7th, 1859, at Owensboro, Ky., educa¬ 
ted High Schools of Detroit, Mich., Mayhew’s 
Business University, Detroit College of Law. Ad¬ 
mitted to the bar in 1895, and for the past twenty- 
three years has associated in the practice of law 
with Robert C. Barnes at Detroit. They are one 
of the leading firms of attorneys of the country. 
Married Miss Susie F. Wallace, February 23rd, 
1886, Oberlin, Ohio. 

WILLIAMS, JAMES STEVE, born in Franklin 
Parish, La., April 21, 1871. Educated there and in 
New Orleans University. In 1900 he entered the 
undertaking business. In this and in the business 
of real estate he is still engaged in the city of 
Shreveport, La. He is a member of the Christ 
Temple Church, president of the Louisiana Negro 
Business League and vice-president of the Under¬ 
taker’s Association of the U. S. Married Miss Car¬ 
rie Bell Thomas, of Shreveport, in 1900. 

INGE, HUTCHINS, Mr. Inge is a prominent 
lawyer and leading citizen of St. Louis, Missouri. 
He is a graduate of Hampton and an old school¬ 
mate of Booker T. Washington. 


617 


Statistical Review 



PART OF BUSINESS SECTION COLORED JACKSONVILLE. 


Within fifty-six years American Negroes have 
acquired over $700,000,000 worth of property. 

There are about fifty thousand Negro business 
enterprises covering practically every line of en¬ 
deavor and doing an approximate business of one 
and a quarter billion dollars annually. 

They have shown a correspondingly keen inter¬ 
est in education and have reduced their illiteracy 
from nearly 100 per cent to less than 30 per cent. 

Annual expenditures for public .schools by South¬ 
ern States are eleven million dollars. 

Total number of schools for Negroes of certain 
religious boards 300. Number of teachers 2,028. 
Annual expenditures (1914-15) of boards, perma¬ 
nent funds and contributions $3,856,996. 

It is estimated there were about 35 Negroes in 
each regiment in the Revolutionary War. There 
was altogether about 3,000 Negro soldiers employ¬ 
ed by the Americans. 

In the War of 1812, there were two regi¬ 
ments of Negroes, a total of 2,000. In the Civil 
War there were 141 infantry, 7 cavalry, 12 heavy 
artillery and 1 light artillery regiments of Negroes 
with a total strength of 178,975. 

There were several regiments of free Negroes in 
the Confederate Army, notably one of 1,400 men 


reviewed in New Orleans, La., February 9, 1862. 

July 28, 1866, Congress passed a law that Ne¬ 
gro regiments should be a part of the regular army. 
Under this act the Ninth and Tenth Cavalry and 
the Thirty-eighth, Thirty-ninth, Fortieth and For¬ 
ty-first Regiments of Infantry were organized. 

In the Spanish-American War there were in ad¬ 
dition to the regulars, ten regiments of volunteers. 

In the World War there were nearly 400,000 Ne¬ 
gro soldiers in the U. S. Army and Navy, of these, 
10,000 regulars and 10,000 trained volunteers were 
ready when war was declared. 

There were 106 captains, 329 first lieutenants 
and 204 second lieutenants, commissioned from the 
training school at Ft. DesMoines, Iwoa. 

COLORED OFFICERS IN THE REGULARS 
WHEN WAR WAS DECLARED. 

Lt. Col. Allen Allensworth (retired) Chaplain, 
Twenty-fourth Infantry. 

Major William T. Anderson (retired) Chaplain, 
Ninth Cavalry. 

Major John R .Lynch (retired) Paymaster. 

Major Richard R. Wright, Paymaster, 1898, 
Spanish-American War. 

Major Charles Young, Tenth Cavalry. 


618 



















Captain George W. Prioleau, Chaplin, Twenty- 
fifth Infantry. 

Captain Theophilus G. Steward (retired) Chap¬ 
lain, Twenty-fifth Infantry. 

First Lieutenant Benjamin O. Davis, Tenth Cav¬ 
alry. 

First Lieutenant John E. Green, Twenty-fifth In¬ 
fantry. 

First Lieutenant W. W. E. Gladden, Chaplain, 
Twenty-fourth Infantry. 

First Lieutenant Oscar J. W. Scott, Chaplain, 
Tenth Cavalry. 

First Lieutenant Louis A. Carter, Chaplain, Ninth 
Cavalry. 

NEGROES AT WEST POINT. 

^ Three Negroes have graduated from the United 
States Military Academy at West Point, New York. 
Henry O. Clipper, 1877; John Alexander, 1887; 
Charles Young, 1889. 

NEGROES TO WHOM THE CARNEGIE HERO 
FUND HAS MADE AWARDS. 

John B. Hill, 1905; George A. Grant, 1906; Theo¬ 
dore H. Homer, 1908; Albert K. Sweet, 1909; Geo. 
E. McCune, 1908; Martha Generals, 1906; Harley 
Tomlinson, 1909; Frank Forest. James L. Smith, 
1909; Boyce Lindsay, 1910; John G. Walker, 1909; 


Charles A. Smith, 1910; Mack Stallworth, 1910; 
Janies Pruitt, 1911; James Hunter, 1911; Nathan 
Duncan, 1907; Nathan Record, 1908; Lucy G. Ed¬ 
wards, 1912; Elbert Gray, Nolden Townsell, 1912; 
Arthur Lockett, 1912; Beecher Roberts, 1912; Rob¬ 
ert Kenney, 1913; Henry West, 1913; Lumis Little, 
1913Ujames Williams, 1912; -William R. Dyke, 
1913; Woodson Graham, 1913; James W. Brice, Sr., 
1914; Abner Sullivan, 1914; Walter Roberson, 1914; 
John E. Rufus, 1913; Henry H. Rogers, 1914; Wil¬ 
liam Pratt, 1914. 

There are twenty-eight white persons to whom 
the Carnegie Hero Fund has made awards for sav¬ 
ing Negroes. 

HAITI. 

I he area of the Republic, which embraces the 
western portion of the Island of Haiti is estimated 
at 10,204 square miles. The population estimated 
to be 2,029,700 is mainly Negroes. There are also, 
large numbers of mulatto Haitians, the descend¬ 
ants of the former French settlers. There are some 
5,000 foreigners, of whom about 10 per cent are 
white. The population of the principal cities are 
Port-au- Prince, the capital, 100,000; Cape Haiti, 
30,0000 ; Les Cayes, 12,000; Gonaives, 13,000; Port 
de Paix, 10,000. The language of the country is 
French. Most of the common people speak a dia¬ 
lect known as Creole French. 


FIFTY YEARS ECONOMIC PROGRESS. 


Homes Owned _ 

Farms Operated _ 

Businesses Conducted _ 

Wealth Accumulated _ 

Educational Progress— 

Per Cent Literate_ 

Colleges and Normal Schools_ 

Students in Public Schools_ 

Teachers in all Schools_ 

Property for Higher Education 

Expenditures for Education_ 

Raised by Negroes_ 

Religious Progress— 

Number of Churches- 

Number of Communicants _ 

Number of Sunday Schools- 

Sunday School Pupils- 

Value of Church Property- 

Reference Negro Year Book. 


Gain in 


1866 

1916 

Fifty Years 

12,000 

600,000 

588,000 

20,000 

981,000 

961,000 

2,100 

45,000 

42,900 

$20,000,000 

$1,000,000,000 

$980,000,000 

10 

75 

65 

15 

500 

485 

100,000 

1,736,000 

1,636,000 

600 

36,900 

36,300 

$60,000 

$21,500,000 

$21,440,000 

700,000 

14,600,000 

13,900,000 

80,000 

1,600,000 

1,520,000 

700 

42,000 

41,300 

600,000 

4,570,000 

3,970,000 

1,000 

43,000 

42,000 

50,000 

2,400,000 

2,350,000 

$1,500,000 

$76,000,000 

$74,500,000 


1860 1910 

Number of college graduates- 30 8,000 

Number of professional men-450 75,000 

Number of practicing physicians 

and pharmacists- 0 3,500 

Number of Lawyers- 0 1,500 

Number of Banks- 0 72 

Number of Negro Towns- 0 50 

Number of Newspapers and Pe 

riodicals- 1 398 

Number of business men, esti¬ 
mated _600 50,000 


1860 1910 

Drug Stores _ 0 300 


General stores and other industrial 

enterprises__ 20,000 

Hospitals and nurse training 

schools_ 0 61 

Insurance companies _ 0 100 

Property owned by secret societies_ $8,000,000 

Capital stock Negro banks- -0 $2,000,000 

Number of Negroes in U. S. Gov¬ 
ernment employment, civil_ 0 22,087 

Census 1910. 


619 
































ALABAMA. 


Adams, Oscar _ 17 

Allen, C. W. _ 512 

Alstork, J W. _ 18 

Barnes, B. H. _ 19 

Barnes, Jeremiah _ 20 

Belsaw, E. T. _ 476 

Beverly, J. W. _ 33 

“Big Zion” A. M. E. Z. Church 498 

Blount, R. A. _ 24 

Bowen, Miss Cornelia_ 22 

Broughton, N. J. _ 66 

Brown, A. M. _ 65 

Brown, E. A. _ 21 

Buchanan, W. S.._ 462 

Burwell, L. L. _ 34-35 

Calhoun Colored School _ 28-29 

Calloway, C. J. _ 25 

Campbell, O. L. _ 67 

Campbell. T. M _ 26 

Central Alabama Institute- 375 

Chambliss, W. V. _328-329 

Chandler, G. W. _ 30 

Coleman, W. H. _ 36 

Council, Wm. H. _ 460 

Davis, A. W. __ 37 

Day Street Baptist Church, 

Montgomery - 49 

Dickerson, S. N._ 32 

Diffay, J. O. - 38 

Eason, J. H. - 27 

Edwards, W. J. - 40 

First Baptist Church, Colored, 

Montgomery - 85 

Goodgame, J. W. - 43 

Hale Infirmary, Montgomery. 129 

Hamblin, W. L. - 480 

Henry, D. H. - 39 

Hudson, R. B. - 42 

Hutchins, P. S. L. - 44 

Johnson, C. First- 497 

Johnson, G. W. - 498 

Kenney, J. A.- 45 

Kowaliga A. & I. Institute- 79 

Lewis, G. W. - 46 

Loveless, H. A. - 47 

Mabry, R.'L. - 50 

Madison, Wm. —-- 48 

Mason, U. G. - 77 

Moton, R. R. - 68-69 

Mt. Meigs Institute - 23 

McDuffie, J. B. —- 80 

Newstell, G. E. -;- 51 

Owens, A. F. - 52 

Payne University - 320 

People’s Village School - 59 

Peterson, J. T. - 475 

Pollard, R. T. - 82 

Powell, L. L. - 53 

Scott, Emmet J. -74-75-76 

Scott, D. H. C. - 78 

Selma University- 82-83 

Simpson, H. T. - 54 

Sixteenth St. Baptist Church, 

Birmingham - 87 

Smith, E. S.- 55 

Snowhill N. & I. Inst- 41 

State Normal School, Nor¬ 
mal _460-461-462 

Stokes, A. J. - 84 

St. Joseph College - 496 

Sykes, S. S. - 56 

Taylor, R. R. - 495 

Thomas, J. L. - 57 

Tulane, V. H. - 60 

Tuskegee Institute _70-71-72-73 

United Order of Good 

Shepherds - 31 

Washington, Miss Georgia — 58 

Washington, Mrs. Margaret_62-63 

Weaver, G. A._ 81 

Whitley, Isaiah J. _ 511 

Williams, A. C.-- 87 

Williams H. Roger_ 478 


INDEX 


Williams, J. W. _ 64 

Work, Monroe N. _ 86 

Wood, C. W. _ 61 

Woods, W. T. _ 477 

Wright, J. G. - 88 

ARKANSAS. 

Arkansas Baptist College_ 89 

Barabin, J. H. _ 90 

Blount, J. H. _ 94 

Bond, Scott _ 92-93 

Booker, J. A. _ 448 

Branch Normal School_ 353 

Bush, J. E. _102-103 

Conner, J. M. _ 95 

Harrison, S. W. _ 96 

Havis, Ferdinand _ 97 

Houser, N. B. _ 98 

Ish, J. G., Jr. - 353 

Jones, S. A. -458-459 

Jordan, S. A. _ 100 

Z Josenberger, Mrs. M. S_ 99 

Morris, E. C. _ 101 

Mosaic Templars _104-105 

Philander Smith College_ 506 

Purifoy, W. L. _ 91 

Royal Circle of Friends of 

the World _ 107 

Trent, E. O. _ 108 

Venegar, F. T. _ 353 

Warren, J. T. T_ 382 

Williams, R. A. _ 106 

CONNECTICUT. 

Crawford, Geo. W. _ 281 

Porter, I. N. _ 301 

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 

‘•'Burroughs, Miss Nannie H._ 411 

Carson, S. L. _ 439 

Curtis, A. M. _ 425 

Howard University _444-445 

Miller, Kelly _ 4433 

Nelson. Mrs. Alice Dunbar_ 489 

Terrell, Mary Church _ 446 

Terrell, Robt. H. _ 446 

Tyler, Ralph W. _ 513 

Warfield, W. A. _ 427 

FLORIDA. 

Afro. Amer. Ins. Co_ 470 

Anderson, C. H. - 463 

Andrews, W. W. - 468 

.ZBethune, Miss M. M. - 377 

Blodgett, J. H. - 435 

Clinton, J. N. - 381 

Collier, N. W. _ 482 

Daytona N. and I. Inst-378-379 

Fla. Bapt. Academy - 483 

Ford, J. E. _ 472 

Hills, J. Seth ______ 380 

Knights of Pythias - 469 

Lewis, A. L. - 470 

Masonic Temple- 464 

McCleary, M. F. - 376 

McGill, M. K. _ 509 

Pratt, L. L. _466-467 

Sumter, Mrs. H. E_ 471 

Sumter, W. S. - 471 

Union Grand Lodge, Masons 465 

Union Mutual Ins. Co- 471 

Walker Bus. College - 473 

White, J. A. _ 384 

Young, N. B. _ 420 

GEORGIA. 

Atlanta University__ 109 

Barnes, Mrs. R. L_ 110 

Bowen, J. W. E. _ 491 

Brawley, Benjamin _ 406 

Brooks, R. H. _ 393 

Bryant, P. J. _ 456 

Butler, H. R. _ 111 

Carter, E. R._ 434 

Carter, R. A. _ 112 

Clark University _354-355 

Crogman, W. H._ 318 

Davis, B. J--114-115 


Douglass, C. H. _118-119 

Flipper, J. S. -120-121 

Floyd, Silas X. _ 113 

Fountain, W. A._ 122 

Gammon Theological Sem_492-493 

Gilbert, J. W. _ 123 

Haines, N. & I. Institute_ 503 

Hamilton, A. D. _ J28 

Harris, W. H. _ 457 

Harreld, Kemper _ 124 

Herndon, A. F. _ ~ cog 

Hill, G. W. _ 14Q 

Holsey, L. H. __ 130 

Hope, John _ j 2 5 

Howard, Clara A. _ 131 

Howard, David T._ ~ 130 

Hutto, G. R. _ 133 

Johnson, E. P. _ 134 

VLaney, Miss Lucy_ 502 

Morehouse College _126-127 

Odd Fellows, Atlanta_116-117 

Perry, H. E. _ 430 

Pharrow, R. E._ 1 33 

Pollard, L. M. _ 372 

Proctor, H. H. _ 135 

Royal Undertaking Co_ 372 

Scott, W. S_ 372 

Sherman, E. W._ 373 

Singfield, A. B. _ 302 

Slater, T. H. _ "“III” 137 

Spelman Seminary _138-139 

Standard Life Ins. Co. __ 430-431 

Turner, Edwin J. _^Iliy 242 

Wage Earners Saving Bank__ 438 

Walker Baptist Inst. Augusta 140 

Walker, C. T. _ 141 

Webb, j. r._:::::: :: 142 

Williams, L. E._ 43 s 

ILLINOIS. ~~ 

Anderson, Madame M. B_ 143 

Carey A. J.- 303 

Ellis, G. W. _144-145 

Hall, George C. _ 413 

High Degree Masonry in I1L_ 147 

Jackson, R. R. _ 425 

Moore, R. E. _ 140 

Olivet Baptist Church_ 455 

Williams, A. W._:_ 150 

Williams, Daniel H. _ 451 

Williams Famous Singers_148-149 

Williams, L. K. _ 454 

INDIANA. 

Anderson, W. H_ 151 

Bridgeforth G. R. _ 405 

Carter William R. _ 405 

Davis, Moses A. _ 152 

Hodge, J. W. - 153 

Knox, George L._ 507 

Ransom, F. B._ 154 

Shelton, J. N. _ 156 

Stewart, L. H. _ 157 

Ward, G. W. _ 158 


KANSAS. 

Bridgeforth, G. R. 

Carter, Wm. R. _ 

Ind. and Ed. Inst., Topeka 
Thompson, S. H. _ 

KENTUCKY." 

Ballard, W. H. _ 

Brooks, T. L. _ 

Carter, D. C._ 

Cooper, J. B. _ 

Doram, T. M. 

Dpane, J. F. _ 

George, S. H. _ 

Hathaway, J. H._:_ 

Hogan, R. H.__ 

Ky. Pythian Temple_ 

Lanier, M. B._ 

Lattimore, J. A. C. 

Meyzeek, A. E. _ 

Mitchell, Robert _ 

McCutchen, J. J. _ 


405 

405 

405 

300 


159 

160 
155 
161 
162 
395 

163 

164 

165 
194-195 

166 

167 

168 

169 

170 




























































































































































































































































° ,A * 

• • 




r C,' <*» 

* aV-<* ^ 

* /V v^ 

* 



0 ^ * 

° VV l 

° ,G* °4 ° 

,* A ** °* 



* XV «$V » 

O <P 



%* v * * s a u *P> 

<* ^ Ci ^ ^/y7t^ * O 

* ^ x ^ * &(\l//Z 2 -> * 

-. ^ 0 ^ . 


a -• 

-b V* : 

<0 %i> - A 

* * ^zCrZf VSgf a K> ^ * 

V *••>• A °J. 

-., .*?• .*r,°'. A A .iifc % 


^p 

vP S * 


A^V’^V J 
* <$■ % • 



A A <■ 

“. A ; 

0 A ^ 0 

* V V, o 




r «VA A ^ 

<<V 0 «" ** <A 

* _r^N\ „ +■ T 

\N <c 

■*b v 8, : 


A * 




; "W 


<> <0 

& V r, 0 N G >9 <£*. fV a 1 ' a * *0 


• A V 4 * 

* 'V A?> 


* 4 0 
> -a? ■*■ 

** / o % 

<3> *<" 4 * ,** ^«°' J 

' * ^ *> v % . *L^Lr* % A , 

<* V-N A^ * 

. A v " ^ ^ * 

• VV ® 

9 A. 




* aV** ■* 

■ # y ■, 



<y c °" 0 * <A ,0' yAl* ^° 3 
". ^ o' 5 . 



A> A «■ 

A 4 :. 


AV o’ 
9 ^ 



• ^ > 
r \P S ■* 


» aH 
* # % • 



0 < o. 

> -a> ^ « 

\/.. / 



r «»*>* v ^ O " rf . 
A > 0 0 N 0 •» A 

A .•^,-*r« ^ 

"b v 4 - : 



; - 

« ^ 1 

>, 0 ^ ^ ( 


v * o 




^ : 
*■ ^ °K °o 




0 ^ 
", W ; 


* A^'^V 

^ Aa ' 

•4 v' v* «»^ -a, 

<* *a; s 4 ,g v "O, "o, * 14 A <, < ’^,oS 5 ,G '< 5 , 

4 G 0 ,*;^. °o c 0 ,>-*• 



O « 



S V 



^ oV«» ^ A ; ’«• 



O V 1 


*• ' * * Oo A"- 0 * , ~<p 

01 , 

'. ++ o^ . 

-y ^V*/ V*'/ \^-\/_.. -* 



,4°. 




«. A V^, 



° c % * 
: vv : 


- A 



A ^ o 
> s ^ - 



* & * 
r vo G ”’ 


°o ^ ^ * 

° VV • 

, v _ A <^, ,G V 

A (. I e <Qy c 0 N 0 /> <5^ fA o 1 1 9 /} o A. V G 

o° *vaaa 0 y ^ c u ♦w^c. 0 ,*r a 

«>*■ A o'/rA$^Mllo^> W "f*,. _4 ^ Jsulvz<^m , ••'P - 


4 g^" 'O '0 o * 4 






o. *„;0 0 ,0 


■ ^ 
r . rv <1 J *o 


o .a 




„ A°. 

-, * "twr,* A o 

«A A' V *••-*■ A^ * 

**". v % **J*Lr+ o 

* "S. ^ 



o y 




O N 0 




O v 


0 ^ ♦ 




* ,V 



o- o° v •.V,-* -r ^ f o 

^ *?>*••»*. A % Oo‘A^ ^ A*i'- 

- ^p n A^ «" 


■'- A «* A v <5 

“ ® ■» ^oA O^ , • 1 ' B •» O A ^ G 

% *f> A , 4 ^,/r??o •» O A * 

-, *a 0 « 




4 o. 

L/ ^ ^ 




<> A 0 
, ^ c o^ ,* 1 " 


C tX> 

' ^ °» 



a r P i> A «- 

° ^ A * 

gP G “ 


^ ■<?* 


O. ^O 0 K ^ A 






4 

L. ^ 


/ •» 


o. <^ G N o 0 -0 


1 • o 


^4 


^ : 


? ^ o 



VT /< 

\p -G 


vP 9 



%.**••'•' ,4 T 

. V v 6 9 V CP 



^ A* 

, . <*y A TVs 4 * G^ 

# .v°4°% y ^ - L,s 



w *tu A 


; 

* O VjSKiAK *’ ■&**%■ *'*3^^*° y°A, °“ 

A *'A** .G v o -A <0 

1 B # '^O C 0 N ° * ^ ^ Cv a 1 1 8 * *<D 0 0 N G * ^ v " V 

\d A • ^ Cr \J ♦ c-c^v r v , 

’ A 0 ^ A a v 



^ o 

^ o J 

■fl \N s 

■: , b^ ;■ 

, w '; ^ 0 '^ i . '. 

0 A 0 ^ " n A 

y *'•£' .> v % c' 

y ,’."" • „ “ " ‘ 







O ^ ^ * 


W : 


* K& ^?S 0 



0 f 


• ^GP ,4> ' 

r* . Pk C ^ «<> 


4 ^ *%, • 




O 


b 0 ^ 


a 


0 



y 

y/ W'W s 

/JySv ♦ 

<y *y 

>t/ ^ 

_ 0 , 


' 

\> 

Ao 4> 

.A 



» 

4 * 

<iy An « 

y o n o ■> * 

°^ o N ° A 0 <J> 

s S 0 * ,/ C> 4 0^ \ 

*^ ai ^- \,y • Vx y o 


/ ..."V*"’- A 4 ' 



4 G^ T o, "° «' 0 " A 

V 


N0 - *- 0 ^ ,-A>. c c, s - v - k ' 




4 

4 ? ^ 

y J? o % 

-,, • A o . 

\ C » o 



4 ^ 


*b V 4 ," 


i°’■<(•. 



V o o 



* *• yy 

/V/H'W N 

/ Jk ^1? ^ 

A "A 

y 1 

d> S 

v N 

y 

.A 



0 ♦ A AV t; . 

A 0 w <3 * <$> 

A ,-krn^. %. 

■’b t- 4 ? 



o 

» A ^ 0 

<?> ^ ° 

. . A AA O '»- a 
r 0^ % *'X* 

0 A 

s ^l////yA > o 


° A^ 4 

VA 0 


.y’ ^ 

,v ^ °. 




o- '* 0 ' 'A ” (-^ 

« * 5 < V 

0 ^ ‘ "» ^ '*b 

^ ^ * A , -p 


4-" ^ ^ r ^ k ,*. 

> 4 <v *■.«" A y "•.'•■ . 

, s 0 0 r s~\ fy* i • o x > 

^ <p *P. x *^ v 


4 • 

1 > 



, A <?* % 

„ ,, -p ^AN 4 

*^o J> c AL°A ^ 

O • A5Stvy yV 

„ <N <, o^\\n% ,J> ^ . 


^4* 



yy 


* -* 


o V 


o \0 V\ > 

x v q^ * 

> - » ° A°° V % e ' 1 ' A 

A> v *:*®- ^ V v *“■'* 



^0 


A y 

G * a?/}????*„ 0 

A 



* ^ 

’°c ^ ^ ^ 

\ w ti 



0 


N A 

♦ K o_ v ’o>'^'v^s^« ^ 

o N o 0 4 O 

% ^ A -* 


A V 

^ y % °. 

,G V 



• 4 0. * 

•> -OA vP <0 

*5^ ^1 ^ o *<> 

V o 



o N 0 




> (5 5i » 


< ^° y. * 

’ A y * 

Sy a < « O^ ^ 

A 51 • 


4 £4 

N ^ * 

b 4,1 O o> 

' 1 * V V °<U * 0 ~ 0 ° A 0 

> - s * • , r\ ^ > 


^ V F ,vL^% r cv <0* -' r "° 


56 -* 

* A V VV 

y o * i * y\ ^ . 

> .y;:- y ! 

- 0 / a 

e ^ 

- A 

, * -zpv-i* A 

%* • *>i'rV-* y $ 

> V . s ' 


















































k 



: W • 



r . 

^ * S <0 ^ « A ' 

*. *+ c 0* .-‘A*. V 

0 «A q v - •< ilr 

4 o^ 
q? ^ 

* T -rt t 


v 


A 



A 


A 



5 o o 


\ % "“ V f° 



0 

» 

% 

i 7^ 

kb 

0 v 

0 H 

; ^b 

* 

1 ^ 

f *9 

Z-, f 

°o 


.A <A 



. A 

V *'..•* A v '"o 'a,;*' a *- 

■ *. v < 0 J .A • 

« ^ CT 




-q 5 ^ *> ° iP * 7 \ * * *4 O. * 

kv *^J]\\v\b> » v’ *■ <Loy/L& > & *r 

"’•’A .. °°4. '*•■•’Ao’ V*7^.’*A °o ‘-T^- 0° 

V % . sL-r^A <A XT e**®* V 4 »*•*!■* **o 9^ -1*< 


XA 


*'**' X v O - 

4 G c 0 " ® -» 

<P> ♦ <* 

"of ‘ 


» -s\ .-«• , 

°. AX • . 

4W*‘ XA, ’. 

. *• 4 <0^ o '••»* A 

'P 


> v e 
ax * 

xV-* 

* 4.* A % 


o 


L I 3 


Q v- . w ' » 


*° Vx *. 


> «5 

I* /»r , 


X y <b *'m« < 

o. V. G * &/l 77 p 2 ? ° si'®' *Atv,A f G° 4 

< ^o' •»§>; "of 

»° *° ^ ". 

^■°° ^ * ff ' 1 # ’ A> v _C A * 

« ■ -+ 4 ? * v % e s /A^ o 

k V 9 - o ^ ^ /l. o , 


- 

y ,4? %* %vw ^ 

^ <5, -o,» » a 

. ^o *4 

\ ° 4 ^ , 

: "o v* .« 

° *° "%. • 
V*^’A 0 ° A * 




c, 

.V vP. 

A ^ * 5 „ 


^ %y ^ , 

<x .0* T ^> '0*7* A 

^ , 0 ^ « 1 ' s -» ^o <4 o 0 " ° /. 

o- V. G ° <A * 


^ T-n 

w *q 


* <o A w . Y/ 

kN- ^.ii\^ , 

/ % & 0 « o 5 4 O 





o 

,- A'\ °" 

<*. *^T>’ 6 t o •'■>••” A <, '. 7 .V 

^ ^ -CT . t *■ 'A * 4^ r.o^°. <*> 

- 2 -o < ; 

* ‘ ®i?.' j? A '• - k , 

A 0 " 0 4 U <f^, « ' •> .4^ 


V. 

O ^ 


• f 


0 V 


* T, 

: ^ o* 


s’ 


^ A 

A% . 

- - * - VV 1 '-‘ 

(O A^ V G 0 " ° * <$> 

O T 

.v > ■’• 


• \/ *' 


v> 1 * V 


0 




> j4 ^ 

* <. r o v’W« 0 

^ " 8 ' 1 * ''O'' 00 rt 

A> V % 0 

* ® 

0 C^VP 0 

* <^p O v * A V V* 

> (0/ ^ -4 v < 

-••• O '«•** A t> '"^A.'s 4 A 

S CV « 1 ' 8 * (b sv .»•«, A 

L G u ♦W^» L r 0 

:imt 4 ^ *bv* : 

o 1O7* > O. 

9 A* 4 ^ 

0 M 0 4° ^ 8 ' 1 

% % .*JLr+ o sy ***»„ ^ \> 


j >9 

c A v^ 

0 A A- V 

G> c»V, ^ o* *0 

^ A" oV ^ f ^ 

°t 1 . ^ i.. Vs 0> 

X O. 8 

> ^ «/> 

* > A 

V 0 ‘ , 


A °> 

t o 4O ry* > 

* A T* 



4 ^ o 

\N * J> v - v 

. . 0ff; ;. 

;° v' 

^ 8 o N o° aO 0 

s *’% ^ 4A f 

• tp > A 

«> Av 7 

* 4^ ^ ^,V V-, 

% '°’ A * aV" <- V 4 A 

4 ,.«»"«- <S>. 0 ^ ■ u ' * - 




<?>• "»r 1 * ? .A* 




r (P- ‘tM 


Vf 0 ^ 



A ; 

r . „ . 

0 *° 

; 

y 4 /Jjv *^K •> 

4 4 


c° v ** l ' ## 





V A 6 9 •-* ^ 


o -9 ^ 




a A 



0 .A 

0 


J <u Ow0 

v y ^ s **' 


<>• = * <A <? '- 



° 4° 0 

A* < 9 ^ 

” ^s- A * r 

r vP V ‘ J 


>° ^ ^ 



r, v t 

u> A 

« ^ cv 



i * o . 


>b °' 


xv %* ' • • s% A v ''o,7*' *4 

< ^ G ° N G 80 ^ fc ^V ^ L * 6 

1 ^ ♦ 


# • 





V> «• 

°. %y « 


A* '-b *«»•« 
V' » s v ^ 






<> A, ,v ^ 7 %,s 4 

<y o».!%/<^ 0 ^ t . «■' • ^ % 






.. * 



V «5 ^ 

4^ <L^ O o> 

A ^ " 0 K Q ° 4° 

‘ 5 ' ’ v b' 9 ^ 

«* v 3 A ♦* 

^p ♦' 

vp 9 ^ •> 

:* y *■ 



K» V 

« "fp. -q ^ 
. t V o' 


4 ^°^ 

4K o % 

(i ’ ,r 0 * 




r c> 'o'. 7 * A 





M> 

y ^ 

-d* o«o, * 1 s> 

A .-^w- A <■“ <* 

•^s*- -^ 0 < ; 

s ^ f 

. . o‘ ftO ^ ^ 

^ *-0 ‘0 



■k* " y^p-r#* $ °^ 

\. *•''•' a^ 

^ 4 ° A* A > v % sA 

• ax \a .•£» 





0 V . 1 ' a * ^r 



.A A v '.b ! A 

A v c o"o, x>. A 

1 a 

-0/ ; 




<K * 

- (V O ^ 

A^ 8 0 « o 

V 4®’°'^ C» ,9 

° ^ 4^ ** 

>1 v^ v 



^ <x v 

^ o * t* 

0 v a *■ ; 0 + ^O 

a» ^ r* ^ ?> 

-^d* .'^^ - 

,-tq. 


oa 


A^sP o 

* A ^ • 



o xw;* -9 

v A 410 N 0 4 ° 

»V»s "> v -*••' ^ ^ 


• 


IANCHESTER. 


«3 

o SJ-- .f///^™ » aVA 1 

aV * 5 > , 

^ tfy * 4 •<£ ^ 

.v '«.» 4 A x, 8 

-> 0^ •*•'*-» "^o A^ - o 8 0 

1 ^ 4 j&Jf/Ysb? ^ ^ A h 

)T « .1 /O 


o o 




INDIANA 




X 


<A 


O 9 ^ "* <y 

A 0 • 

V' s s .V_^ c\ *0^ 



. Sy +'+wm 

' VS A^ ^ 

- ♦rf 

r ^ V * ^ 

/ y % ■. 

-. ** s ’ A' 'V ' 0 ‘ A '’ a^ V ** s 

<n ^^ ♦ J&fff/A/i 2-, - ^ x ^ 

u» N ////vW 

• ^ cr 


> ^ <A 
; - 
0 A V p 

,0^ V °. 

~ v 5 ' 




iu 080 


y o <5 ' * 


# T 


^ N v ^ ^ 

•qS •*> 

Jv O ^ 



o° N °. 


o \ 0 v% r 

^> V y\ ct 

♦ _0 ^ 




































